Defense Ministry to hold public hearing on unified military academy late this month

South Korea's Defense Ministry will hold a public hearing late this month on the establishment of a unified Korea Armed Forces Academy — tentatively named as such — that would merge the Army, Navy and Air Force academies into a single institution.

The ministry announced Tuesday that the hearing, titled "Public Hearing on the Establishment of the Korea Armed Forces Academy," will be held on the afternoon of Aug. 26 at the Defense Convention Center in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

The ministry had earlier gathered opinions from a range of civilian and military sources, including a joint civilian-military special advisory committee, before announcing a master plan for the academy's establishment on July 16. The upcoming hearing will present that plan and collect public input through expert debate and a question-and-answer session open to general participants.

Registration closes Aug. 14. The venue holds up to 300 people, and the ministry will select attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. The hearing will be broadcast live through the Defense Media Agency and on YouTube.

The ministry said it will carefully review opinions gathered at the hearing before drawing up a detailed plan for the academy's establishment.

Six panelists — three in favor of the merger and three opposed — are expected to take part in the debate.

Choi Young-jin, a professor of political science and international relations at Chung-Ang University who chaired the academy education reform subcommittee under the joint civilian-military special advisory committee, is among those being coordinated as a pro-merger panelist, according to sources.

For the opposing side, the ministry is pursuing recommendations from the alumni associations of the Army, Navy and Air Force academies — which have voiced opposition to the merger — as well as from opposition party lawmakers, sources said.

An official from the combined alumni association of the three service academies said the Defense Convention Center "fills up with about 300 people based on past experience," adding that the association is encouraging members and parents to register so they can attend and make their voices heard.