"The most striking change since the Lee Jae-myung administration took office has been active communication that shows the public the policy-making process directly, such as live broadcasting cabinet meetings and disclosing ministry briefings. Yet I'm concerned that the Defense Ministry seems to be going backward in pursuing the Armed Forces Military Academy (tentative name), a national policy task."
These were the words a senior ruling party lawmaker recently conveyed to this reporter, warning that the momentum behind the integrated military academy could weaken amid an uneasy mood inside and outside the military.
The plan to launch an "Armed Forces Military Academy" (tentative name) integrating the academies of each branch to strengthen jointness is one of President Lee Jae-myung's campaign pledges and national policy tasks. Last September, the Defense Ministry launched a civilian-government-military joint special advisory committee and set up a subcommittee on military academy education reform under it, beginning full-fledged discussions on consolidating the academies.
However, following the Korea Military Academy alumni association, the Korea Naval Academy and Korea Air Force Academy alumni associations have also strongly objected, taking the position that they "oppose a hasty integration." Within the ruling party as well, complaints have emerged that the Defense Ministry has not arranged briefings or opinion-gathering sessions for all lawmakers regarding the integrated academy plan.
As the mood within the party turned uneasy, the Defense Ministry reportedly postponed its academy consolidation plan, which it had originally intended to announce in late June. Instead, it is said to be preparing to report the integrated academy plan in detail and gather opinions at a Democratic Party lawmakers' workshop in early July. Since the matter requires opposition cooperation, the ministry is also reportedly considering holding a public hearing in late July or early August.
The reason the Defense Ministry's process has become controversial is the "hasty push" dispute. Critics argue the ministry is unilaterally pushing a predetermined direction without sufficient public debate. In fact, a policy debate on the academy integration plan hosted by the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), as well as on-site meetings Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back held during visits to each branch's academy, were also conducted behind closed doors, drawing criticism.
"Concern that closed-door opinion-gathering may sap momentum"
According to ruling party sources, even within the Defense Ministry, opinions were reportedly divided over the closed-door method of gathering opinions during the process. While some argued that, given the presidential office is setting an example with measures such as live cabinet meeting broadcasts, the opinion-gathering process should be opened to the media in line with the "active communication" national policy stance, the lead department reportedly rejected this and pushed ahead with an opaque procedure.
According to a government performance report showcasing the first year of the Lee Jae-myung administration, cabinet meetings were broadcast live 34 times over the past year. During the same period, ministry briefings and policy meetings were disclosed 465 times. Live broadcasting of cabinet meetings was a method attempted for the first time among successive administrations. Yet the Defense Ministry is conducting opinion-gathering on the integrated academy plan—expected to generate much controversy—behind closed doors.
For this reason, the Korea Military Academy alumni association, which opposes most fiercely, said it "expresses deep concern over the weakening of national security if the Defense Ministry's policy to integrate the army, navy and air force academies is pushed hastily," and demanded "a public debate process starting from scratch." The lead department for the integrated academy push is the "Armed Forces Military Academy Establishment Task Force" under the Defense Ministry's Defense Policy Office.
Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, pointed out, "The Lee Jae-myung administration has presented cooperative politics and communication as key national policy tasks, yet the Defense Ministry is showing the contradiction of moving in the opposite direction," adding, "In pursuing the integrated academy, a matter affecting the military's century-long plan, it has consistently pushed ahead in a closed, opaque manner, neither transparently disclosing the related research findings nor going through a public debate process."
Amid the fallout from this controversy, as of the 29th, more than 90,000 people had endorsed a petition on the National Assembly's electronic petition website calling for halting the academy consolidation. In addition, a petition seeking the impeachment of Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back surpassed 200,000 signatures. If more than 50,000 people endorse a petition, the relevant National Assembly standing committee handles it. The People Power Party has also adopted a motion recommending Minister Ahn's dismissal as its party line.
The Armed Forces Military Academy the Defense Ministry is pursuing is reportedly conceived as a "2+2 model" integration, in which first- and second-year cadets receive common basic education together, while third- and fourth-year cadets are divided into army, navy and air force tracks for advanced major coursework. The integrated academy is reportedly being considered for placement at Jaun-dae in Daejeon, with the current Korea Military Academy campus in Taereung, Nowon-gu, Seoul, to be relocated to Jangseong-gun, South Jeolla Province.
