The Defense Ministry and the alumni associations of the three military academies have offered conflicting interpretations of Minister An Gyu-baek's remarks regarding the consolidation of the military academies. The alumni associations reported that the minister indicated a willingness to consider maintaining the current system, while the Defense Ministry denied this, reaffirming that the establishment of a unified military academy remains the primary direction.
According to Yonhap News on August 12, Minister An met with Park Pan-jun, president of the Army Academy alumni association, Lee Beom-rim, president of the Navy Academy alumni association, and Hwang Seong-jin, president of the Air Force Academy alumni association, at the Defense Ministry to discuss the consolidation plan.
During the meeting, Minister An reportedly explained the background and plans for the establishment of a unified military academy and requested their cooperation. He stated, "The issue of consolidating the military academies is not new to this government," suggesting that the need for consolidation should be reviewed given that discussions have occurred in previous administrations.
The alumni associations expressed their opposition clearly. They argued that merging the academies could hinder the training of officers that reflect the unique characteristics of each branch of the military and demanded a reconsideration of the policy without sufficient public discourse.
Immediately following the meeting, the interpretations of the minister's comments diverged. Park Pan-jun stated to reporters, "The minister said that he would consider not only the consolidation of the military academies but also options for improving the current system as one of the alternatives."
However, the Defense Ministry quickly refuted this claim. It stated, "The minister listened to the opinions of the alumni association presidents and expressed a willingness to hear various opinions during the process of establishing the unified military academy," but added, "It is not true that he said maintaining the current system would be considered."
The ministry further explained, "While the establishment of a unified military academy is the foundation, we will prepare the best reform plan for military academy education by reflecting the various opinions raised."
Although the meeting was intended to narrow the differences regarding the consolidation of the military academies, both sides began to dispute the meaning of the minister's remarks immediately afterward.
The alumni associations held a rally in the National Assembly last month, demanding a halt to the consolidation efforts and a reconsideration from square one.
The consolidation of the military academies is a campaign promise of President Lee Jae-myung and a national policy task. The Defense Ministry has announced a basic plan to establish a four-year unified military academy in Daejeon, integrating the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies.
The estimated cost for the establishment is over 3 trillion won. The Defense Ministry is considering using proceeds from the sale of unused land from the existing academies and national finances.
The Defense Ministry plans to hold a public hearing on the establishment of the unified military academy on the 26th to gather opinions and will announce detailed plans around October.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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