Defense Ministry says integrated military academy aims to cultivate leaders for high-tech future force

The Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday at a public hearing on the establishment of a unified military academy that its goal is to "build a new education system that nurtures defense leaders who will guide a future force built on advanced science and technology, and develops convergent talent combining scientific and technological expertise with a grounding in the humanities."

Kim Hong-cheol, the ministry's policy director, said the forum was "not a venue for the Defense Ministry to unilaterally explain a policy it has already prepared, but a place to think together with the public and pool our collective wisdom on the direction South Korea's future defense education should take."

The ministry assessed that the modern battlefield is expanding beyond land, sea and air into space, cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum, and that advanced technologies — including AI, drones and unmanned systems — are fundamentally transforming the nature of warfare and the role of the military.

"Establishing the unified military academy is not simply a project to create one school," Kim said. "It is a national undertaking to design the future of South Korea's defense education and a long-term investment in preparing the next generation's national security."

He went on to say that "this policy cannot be driven by the Defense Ministry's thinking alone. The public's understanding and trust, as well as the wisdom of experts across diverse fields, are absolutely essential."

Kim said the ministry would "listen carefully to all views — both those in support and those expressing concern." He added that strong proposals would be actively incorporated into policy, and that shortcomings would be addressed further "so that the policy develops into one the public can trust."