The proposal signals that the government is accelerating plans to integrate the three service academies, but concerns are growing that the timetable could confuse applicants and run counter to the principle that major changes to university admissions should be announced well in advance.
The Defense Ministry recently told several members of the National Assembly’s defense committee that it was considering introducing joint admissions for cadets entering in 2028, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Under the government’s plan, a new Korean Armed Forces Academy would be established to select Army, Navy and Air Force cadets together.
Cadets would receive a common curriculum during their first two years before choosing a military branch and receiving service-specific academic and military training in their third and fourth years.
The ministry is expected to announce a basic integration plan as early as this month, followed by a public hearing in late July or early August. It would then seek legislative changes needed to establish the new academy.
Once the legal framework is completed, the government is expected to announce an admissions plan outlining the general process, followed by detailed application guidelines.
If the restructuring proceeds as planned, the government could publish the guidelines around April next year, conduct the selection process later in the year and admit the first jointly selected cadets in 2028.
The schedule remains subject to change depending on the progress of legislation.
Under such a timetable, students currently in their second year of high school who have been preparing to apply separately to the Army, Navy or Air Force academies would have to adjust to a new admissions system during the first half of their final school year.
Critics say that formally pursuing joint admissions from 2028 could conflict with the intent of South Korea’s advance-notice rules for university admissions.
Under the Higher Education Act, universities are generally required to publish their admissions plans at least one year and 10 months before the start of the academic year.
Under that requirement, admissions plans for the 2028 academic year should have been announced by May this year.
There is also speculation that the government’s integration plan has already affected admissions preparations at the individual academies.
The Korea Military Academy said on its website that it would publish its 2028 admissions plan after receiving government instructions.
In response to questions from the office of Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the main opposition People Power Party, the Defense Ministry reportedly said there was “no legal problem” because the military academies are special-purpose institutions and are not necessarily bound by the same rules as ordinary universities.
The ministry also said it would provide sufficient explanations to applicants and address concerns about possible confusion.
However, critics say the accelerated timetable could still run against the broader principle of advance notice, as laws governing the military academies stipulate that provisions of the Higher Education Act apply to their general academic programs and facilities.
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