Ministry of National Defense Postpones Announcement of Korea Armed Forces Academy Establishment Plan
Minister Kyu-baek Ahn Attends Mega Project Meeting at Presidential Office
On July 6, the Ministry of National Defense abruptly postponed its planned explanation of the initiative to integrate the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies. It is understood that the rescheduling occurred because Minister of National Defense Ahn Kyu-baek was set to attend the “Mega Project Public-Private Joint Review Meeting” at the Presidential Office that morning. Reports indicate that the Presidential Office urgently requested Minister Ahn’s presence at the review meeting.
The Ministry of National Defense had originally planned to hold a briefing that morning at its headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to announce the basic plan for establishing the National Defense Academy. However, the ministry notified the press corps that the event would be postponed. The ministry, which was scheduled to present the briefing directly, is now expected to reschedule the briefing on the creation of the National Defense Academy after Minister Ahn accompanies President Lee Jaemyung to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, Türkiye, on July 7–8.
During this NATO summit, a separate working dinner is planned for defense ministers from member and partner countries. According to the NATO website, Minister Ahn and the defense ministers of the IP4 countries (South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand—the four partner countries in the Indo-Pacific region) have also been invited to this event.
The Ministry of National Defense is pursuing a reform plan to establish the “National Defense Academy,” which would integrate the admissions process for cadets from the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies, in order to strengthen joint operations in modern warfare. The ministry intends to hold a public hearing as early as this month and move forward with revising relevant laws and regulations to establish the National Defense Academy. Under this plan, cadets would receive common training during their first and second years, and then choose a branch to specialize in during their third and fourth years to receive education tailored to that service.
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However, there has recently been strong opposition from the opposition parties, alumni associations of the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies, and retired generals. Some have also pointed out that, as public resistance grows, the government needs to explain its proposed integration plan for the academies in a more transparent manner.
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