Public Hearing on Establishing an Integrated Military Academy to Be Held on the 26th... Military and Civilian Sides Coordinate Agenda Amid Minister Ahn's Absence

[Financial News] The Ministry of National Defense said an official public hearing will be held this week to gather opinions from inside and outside the military on the plan to establish an Armed Forces Academy that would integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force academies.
The ministry said it will hold the "Public Hearing on the Promotion of Establishing an Armed Forces Academy" on the 26th at the Defense Convention Center in Yongsan District, Seoul. The event is designed to explain the purpose of the basic plan for integrating the academies, announced last month, and to collect a broad range of views through expert discussions and a Q&A session with the public.
Ministry spokesperson Jeong Bit-na said at a regular briefing on the 24th that the hearing will be chaired by Kim Hong-cheol, director of defense policy. On whether Ahn Gyu-back will attend, she said, "I do not think the minister's attendance is a decisive factor in whether the hearing is held." She added, "The minister has already created opportunities for communication, including visits to the academies of each service on several occasions," and said, "We will continue to gather opinions through various channels going forward." When asked whether Ahn might attend later, she replied, "Isn't the purpose of the hearing to collect views from a wide range of stakeholders?" and added, "We will do our best to fully reflect that purpose."
The government says an integrated academy is needed to proactively respond to future warfare, in which the distinction between battlefields becomes meaningless, and to address the decline in school-age population caused by the demographic cliff. Under the plan, lower-grade cadets would receive integrated education to strengthen joint operations, while upper-grade cadets would take service-specific specialized courses to enhance expertise as well.
On the other hand, concerns and opposition are growing among senior military circles, centered on the alumni associations of the Army, Navy and Air Force academies and veterans' groups. They argue that merging the academies could undermine each service's distinct traditions and specialized expertise, and that the administrative and budgetary efficiency of relocating existing campuses and other measures still needs further verification.
Some had initially raised the possibility that opposing groups would boycott the hearing, but the alumni associations of the three service academies decided after discussion to attend in person. A representative of the association said, "We plan to take part directly in the hearing and convey the need to maintain the current academy system, as well as the precise views of veterans and others inside and outside the military on defense education reform."
The Ministry of National Defense plans to carefully review and coordinate the proposals and on-site opinions presented at the hearing, then draw up and announce a detailed plan for establishing the Armed Forces Academy in October.
[email protected] Lee Jong-yoon Reporter