Apartment Development Plan Surges After KMA’s Proposed Move to Sejong; Defense Minister Kang Shin-cheol: “One of Several Options”

[Financial News] As efforts to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force academies continue, a proposal to relocate the Korea Military Academy in Taereung, Seoul, to Sejong City has rapidly gained traction. Defense Minister Kang Shin-cheol appeared before the National Assembly on the 9th and did not rule out the proposal to move KMA to Sejong, saying it was “one of several options.”
According to National Assembly and government sources that day, plans are underway to move only the Korea Military Academy to Sejong City as part of efforts to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force academies. The Naval Academy in Jinhae and the Air Force Academy in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, are expected to remain where they are.
Defense Minister Kang Shin-cheol appeared that day at a National Defense Committee budget meeting at the National Assembly and said of the KMA relocation, “I see it as one of several options,” adding, “Nothing has been decided yet.” He made the remarks in response to a question from Cheon Ha-ram, a Reform New Party lawmaker, about moving KMA to Sejong.
Rep. Cheon questioned why only KMA was to be moved while the Naval and Air Force academies remained where they were, and raised the suspicion that the move might be a “punitive relocation” over the Dec. 3 coup, in line with the president’s wishes. Minister Kang explained, “There had already been a lot of talk about relocating KMA, hadn’t there?”
On the relocation budget, he said, “It would be difficult to answer based on assumptions,” but added, “It could be done through a donation-for-transfer arrangement or through a sale. I also think the budget might be almost nothing if one of the various options is pursued.”
Rep. Cheon repeatedly asked, “Would this involve developing the current KMA site?” and “Would building apartments be one option, too?” Minister Kang replied, “It’s not among my options; since you asked, I see it as one hypothetical scenario,” adding, “That isn’t my view.”
The Ministry of National Defense had initially planned to unveil a basic plan for the Armed Forces Academy in October, but the announcement was delayed following a change in top leadership.
Minister Kang also met that day at the Ministry of National Defense headquarters with officials from the alumni associations of the Army, Navy and Air Force academies to hear their views on integrating the academies. At the meeting, Park Pan-jun, president of the KMA Alumni Association, objected, saying, “I can’t help thinking, ‘Why are they so desperate to drive KMA out of Taereung?’” He added, “I question whether they’re trying to drive it out in the name of education reform or defense reform, or whether they have political or policy objectives.”
Meanwhile, the plan to establish an Armed Forces Academy at Jaundae in Daejeon remains in place, with instruction to be conducted in parallel with that at the individual service academies. The policy is to maintain the Armed Forces Academy and the academies of each service separately while providing both integrated and service-specific specialized education. Cadets in their first and fourth years will receive joint education at the Armed Forces Academy, while those in their second and third years will receive instruction at their respective service academies tailored to each service’s distinct characteristics.

[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter