Korean Military Academy to Be Established at Jaundae, Daejeon as the Center for Future Defense Education

Construction to Begin in 2029,
Completion by 2032,
Full Relocation by 2036

Huh Tae-jung, Mayor of Daejeon (Photo by Mo Seokbong)

The "Korean Military Academy," which will integrate the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies, will be established as a four-year institution at Jaundae in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.

The Korean Military Academy is planned to be constructed on a site of approximately 720,000 pyeong, with construction scheduled to begin in 2029 and be completed in 2032. The full relocation is planned to be finished by 2036.

The estimated budget consists of a direct project cost of 1.7 trillion won, and an overall estimate, including costs related to relocating military facilities, of 2.3 trillion won.

On July 16, Mayor Heo Taejung of Daejeon held a press conference in the city hall briefing room and stated, "The establishment of the Korean Military Academy at Jaundae in Daejeon is not simply a relocation of an academy, but a national strategic project that will open a new paradigm in defense education for the Republic of Korea and drive future defense innovation. Daejeon will thus take another leap forward as a central city where Korea's defense education and advanced science and technology are integrated."

Cadets will receive four years of joint education at the Korean Military Academy (Jaundae). During their first and second years, they will receive common basic education, and in their third and fourth years, they will receive specialized education by service branch—Army, Navy, or Air Force.

When the Korean Military Academy is established, it is expected to bring an influx of around 3,000 cadets and 3,000 support personnel, for a total of approximately 6,000 people.

On the same day, the Ministry of National Defense announced the basic plan for the establishment of the Korean Military Academy, which includes building an integrated educational system equipped to address future battlefield environments such as artificial intelligence (AI), drones, space, and quantum technology. The plan also calls for the creation of a national defense education hub by linking with the Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy and the Advanced Science and Technology Military Academy in the long term.

The Daejeon Metropolitan Government plans to develop a defense innovation cluster by linking the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and the Ansan National Defense Industrial Complex. The city also aims to actively identify new national projects in connection with the government’s defense innovation policy to become the central hub of defense innovation in Korea.

Mayor Heo emphasized, "The Korean Military Academy is a national key project that will generate an economic and industrial ripple effect beyond that of attracting a major corporation. The Daejeon city government will provide all necessary administrative support in close cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense to ensure the successful establishment of the academy, and, together with our citizens, we will make Daejeon the central city of defense innovation in Korea."

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