Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, has intensified efforts to prevent the government's consolidation of military academies. After attending a National Assembly discussion, he visited the Air Force Academy, where he criticized the government's consolidation plan as 'defense mismanagement.'
On the morning of September 7, Jang, along with 24 members of the People Power Party, expressed the party's commitment to opposing the consolidation of military academies. During a seminar on alternatives to the consolidation, hosted by National Assembly Defense Committee member Lim Jong-deuk, Jang stated, "While they claim it is for justification, the real goal is to weaken the military's strength. The Ministry of National Defense is not doing this willingly."
He also raised concerns about the consolidation process, noting, "Former Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek did not even show up at the public hearing. The second public hearing has no scheduled date, yet they say they will proceed with the detailed plan in October as planned." He added, "This consolidation is something that must not happen, and even if it were to proceed, it would take at least ten years to complete, yet they aim to finish it within President Lee Jae-myung's term."
The consolidation of military academies is part of President Lee's campaign promise and national agenda. The Ministry of National Defense announced on July 16 plans to establish a four-year 'National Military Academy' in Daejeon, merging the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies. A public hearing was held on August 26 to gather opinions, and a detailed plan is expected to be prepared in October.
In the afternoon, Jang visited the Air Force Academy in Cheongju, reiterating his commitment to preventing the consolidation. He remarked, "It is impossible to fully express how reckless the ongoing discussions about consolidating military academies are and how much they threaten the future of our nation. I apologize and feel ashamed as a politician to the cadets and military personnel."
He added, "I will fight to ensure that the consolidation of the three military academies does not happen and that our national security and defense can proceed properly."
The People Power Party plans to focus on the issue of military academy consolidation during the upcoming regular National Assembly session. Jang stated, "We will thoroughly examine the issues in the upcoming regular session and will use all means to prevent this defense mismanagement."
In related news, Jang's on-site efforts are expected to continue. On the 11th, he plans to visit the Naval Academy in Changwon to hear concerns regarding the consolidation. Chief Spokesperson Park Seong-hoon mentioned after the morning's Supreme Council meeting that there are plans to visit all three military academies in the future.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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