S. Korea weighs keeping naval, air force academies in place while relocating army school only

The government appears to be shifting course on its plan to establish a unified military academy, with officials now weighing a "network model" that would relocate only the Korea Military Academy to Sejong City while leaving the naval and air force academies in place. Under the arrangement being considered, a new integrated Korea Armed Forces Academy would be established at Jaun-dae in Daejeon to handle general officer education, while each service academy would continue its own specialized training.

A Defense Ministry official said Tuesday the ministry was "refining the plan to establish the Korea Armed Forces Academy in order to train elite officers who will lead future warfare," while adding that "nothing has been finalized." Defense Minister Kang Sin-cheol was scheduled to hold a meeting with cadets and superintendents from the army, navy and air force academies that day, and to attend an inauguration ceremony for a civilian advisory committee on the integrated academy.

At a meeting with the heads of the three service academies' alumni associations on Monday, Kang stressed he had no intention of shutting down any academy and that branch-specific education must be preserved.

When Korea Naval Academy Alumni Association President Lee Beom-rim said "the naval academy can never leave the sea," Kang replied, "I fully agree. The sea will be necessary. You can't leave that system behind." The exchange was widely read as lending support to keeping the naval academy in Jinhae and the air force academy in Cheongju, given that ship-handling drills and flight training are central to both institutions.

At a National Assembly Defense Committee budget hearing on Monday, Kang left open the possibility of relocating the Korea Military Academy, saying it was "one of several options under consideration" and noting that "there has long been talk about moving the army academy."

Reform Party lawmaker Cheon Ha-ram pushed back, questioning why only the army academy would be moved and raising allegations that the relocation amounted to a "punitive transfer" driven by President Lee Jae-myung's personal wishes. Lee had previously, during a foreign affairs and security policy briefing, ordered a swift integration, saying the army academy had been "the center of no fewer than three coups, yet has never once been held accountable."

Kang has held multiple discussions with Cheong Wa Dae over revisions to the integrated academy plan, but a clear conclusion has yet to emerge. Analysts say strong resistance from alumni associations and within the military has made it difficult to craft a compromise that reflects Lee's vision for restructuring the Korea Military Academy.

After meeting with Kang, the combined alumni associations of the three service academies said the minister "sensed clear limits in his ability to adjust the policy direction" and asked him to arrange a meeting with the president. The associations also expressed disappointment that all of the civilian advisory committee members the Defense Ministry had disclosed were supporters of integration.