Ruling Party and Government Decide to Establish Unified Korea Military Academy in Jaun-dae, Daejeon

Establishing the Korea Military Academy at the Heart of Science and Technology
Enhancing Respect for Active-Duty Professors
Aiming to Create a World-Class, Cutting-Edge Military Academy

On July 16, the government and the ruling party announced the "Basic Plan for Establishing the Korea Military Academy," which will integrate the existing academies. The Korea Military Academy, which will bring together the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies, is planned to be established in the Jaun-dae area of Daejeon.

Han Byungdo, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party, and An Kyu-baek, Minister of National Defense, gathered for party-government consultations at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on this day. After the meeting, Minister An unveiled the plan for establishing the academy, describing it as "the first step in a sweeping national defense reform and a leapfrog innovation that will completely redesign the officer training system to create a world-class, cutting-edge military academy that future generations will be proud to choose."

He added, "The newly established Korea Military Academy will be located in the Jaun-dae area of Daejeon and will nurture officers equipped with creativity, convergent thinking, expertise, and technological sensibility. By integrating the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies into a single military academy at the heart of Korean science and technology—an area densely clustered with leading academic institutions such as KAIST and premier research institutes including the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, and Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute—we will create the optimal intellectual foundation and construct a state-of-the-art smart campus."

Defense Minister An Kyu-baek is speaking at the ruling party-government meeting on fostering a smart military and establishing the Korea Military Academy, held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on July 16, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Regarding the rationale for integrating the military academies, he cited the following: inefficiency from redundant and dispersed investments resulting from separate operation of each military branch’s academy; the need for changes in training systems in light of evolving warfare; and preparations required following the restoration of wartime operational control.

As for the future direction of the Korea Military Academy, Minister An said, "We will consolidate outdated and dispersed facilities to realize economies of scale and establish an integrated, top-tier education platform. Alongside specialized education for each military branch—covering space, cyber, and the electromagnetic spectrum, and based on artificial intelligence for all-domain operations—we will design the curriculum to foster international competence so that, after the restoration of operational control, graduates can also lead joint operations between South Korea and the United States," he explained.

He also pledged to raise the proportion of civilian professors to over 50 percent and to further respect active-duty faculty members. Additionally, regarding the existing academies, he revealed, "We will formulate plans to preserve and utilize facilities and commemorative spaces that hold symbolic value."

Meanwhile, during his opening remarks at the meeting, Acting Party Leader Han stated, "The Democratic Party will spare no effort to ensure that the Korea Military Academy becomes a world-class institution," adding, "We will expedite the passage of the act to establish the Korea Military Academy, thereby laying its legal foundation, and provide timely budget support for new educational facilities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.