The associations are scheduled to hold a rally outside the National Assembly on July 8, according to parliamentary and alumni group officials Wednesday.
The event is expected to be jointly hosted by the three alumni associations, security groups and lawmakers Han Ki-ho and Lim Jong-deuk of the main opposition People Power Party, both graduates of the Korea Military Academy.
The associations have circulated details of the rally among alumni and encouraged them to attend.
“The alumni associations of the Army, Navy and Air Force academies, together with a coalition of security organizations, will hold a mass rally to stop the hasty implementation of the plan,” in a letter sent to its members Wednesday.
The association expects about 1,000 alumni and supporters to take part.
Because rallies and demonstrations are prohibited inside the National Assembly compound under current law, the event is expected to take the form of a press conference led by lawmakers.
It will mark the first time the alumni associations of all three academies have taken joint action over the proposed integration.
The Defense Ministry is considering creating a unified military academy that would jointly select cadets for the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Under the proposal, cadets would receive common education during their first two years before choosing a service and undergoing specialized academic and military training in their third and fourth years.
The government is reportedly considering introducing unified admissions as early as the 2028 academic year, when students currently in their second year of high school enter university.
The ministry is also considering relocating the Korea Military Academy from Seoul to Jangseong, South Jeolla Province.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said in a directive sent to military commanders Tuesday that entrance scores at the academies had continued to decline and pledged to complete the education reform. He reiterated the position Wednesday at a meeting of senior military commanders.
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