1st hearing on integrated military academy turns chaotic amid fierce pushback from alumni

Seoul, Aug. 26 (Yonhap) -- A government-hosted public hearing on the proposed merger of the nation's military academies turned into a chaotic shouting match on Wednesday as alumni and cadets denounced officials as "gangsters," according to Yonhap news agency. The hearing marked the first opportunity for public input on the integration plan, which the Lee Jae Myung administration is pushing to consolidate the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies into one institution.

The government argues that modern warfare, driven by artificial intelligence and a shrinking defense budget due to an aging workforce, necessitates a unified military academy system. However, the plan has sparked strong opposition from former cadets and some opposition lawmakers, who accuse the government of attempting to undermine the Army, which played a role in two past coups and imposed brief martial law under former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Tensions boiled over even before the formal start of the session, as retired officers booed and insulted Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Kim Hong-cheol, a former Air Force general, as he addressed the audience. Park Pan-joon, president of the Korea Military Academy alumni association, declared, "The government is pushing forward with the integration plan like a gangster takes care of its work." He further vowed, "I am certain, and I guarantee, that this plan cannot follow through."

The naval academy's alumni association president echoed similar sentiments, criticizing the government for organizing the public hearing for "formality's sake" despite already finalizing the integration plan. Lee Bum-lin, a naval alumni representative, warned, "Dogs can bark, but they can also bite and rip," urging the defense minister not to become a "sinner of history."

The event featured a panel of three experts, two arguing for the integration and one opposing, followed by a question and answer session. Approximately 300 attendees, comprising officials from the defense ministry, cadets and alumni of the three military academies, and ordinary citizens, participated in the proceedings. The ministry had initially scheduled the hearing for earlier in the month but postponed it due to scheduling conflicts.