Military academy alumni unite against consolidation plan: 'National security is not a policy experiment'

The alumni associations of the Army, Navy and Air Force academies took collective action for the first time Wednesday, rallying against the government's plan to consolidate the three military academies.

The three associations held a public rally on the steps of the National Assembly's main building Wednesday morning, calling on the government to halt both the consolidation plan and the proposed relocation of the Korea Military Academy. "National security can never be the subject of a policy experiment, and the system for training officers who will be responsible for the future of the Republic of Korea must not be swayed by political interests," they said. People Power Party lawmakers Han Ki-ho and Lim Jong-deuk, both Korea Military Academy graduates, attended the event.

In a resolution, the groups said the government was "packaging the consolidation of the military academies and the relocation of the Korea Military Academy as defense reform, but this is nothing more than defense destruction — a kind of policy experiment." They added: "Pushing policy unilaterally while ignoring public opinion is not the principle of liberal democracy. When government policy goes in the wrong direction, the people must rise up."

The groups called on the government to apologize for "unilaterally pursuing the consolidation and relocation without regard for public opinion" and to reconsider the plan from scratch. They also said that if reform of the military academies was truly necessary, it should not be conducted behind closed doors, but through a representative consultative body that includes active-duty and reserve military experts, senior military figures, educators and parents of cadets, and pursued objectively and transparently.

"Our outcry and appeal do not represent the interests of any particular group," they said. "This is the desperate plea of responsible citizens acting to protect the national security of the Republic of Korea and the future of its armed forces."

The groups also questioned the Defense Ministry's handling of the announcement, noting that the ministry had abruptly notified the press that it would unveil a consolidation plan, only to cancel the announcement the same day. "What could be the reason for pushing such a critical policy — one directly tied to national security — in complete disregard of the public's wishes, and then stumbling even over the announcement?" they asked. The remarks were a pointed reference to Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek's sudden cancellation of a briefing on the "Basic Plan for Establishing a National Military Academy" just 100 minutes before it was set to begin on Monday.

Following the rally, the heads of the three alumni associations and representatives of cadets' parents planned to visit the National Assembly speaker to explain the background and purpose of the rally and to present their concerns about the government's policy approach.

The consolidation of the Army, Navy and Air Force academies is one of President Lee Jae-myung's campaign pledges and a national policy priority. Under the basic framework, a new National Military Academy would be established in which first- and second-year cadets from all branches would receive foundational and introductory coursework together, before returning to their respective service academies in their third and fourth years for advanced study and military training. For the Korea Military Academy, the plan under consideration would close its current campus in Nowon-gu, Seoul — in the Taereung area — and relocate it to Jangseong in South Jeolla Province.