Military academy merger plan delayed amid ongoing deliberations: official
A detailed road map for the planned integration of military academies will likely be announced later than originally planned to ensure the ongoing deliberations reflect the positions of all stakeholders, a Seoul official said Friday. The Lee Jae Myung administration is pushing to establish a single military academy by merging those of the Army, Air Force and Navy to enhance joint capabilities…
A Seoul official revealed on Friday that the anticipated integration road map for the military academies will not be released as soon as initially anticipated. This decision aims to ensure that all stakeholder perspectives are adequately considered in the ongoing deliberations. The Lee Jae Myung administration is striving to create a unified military academy by consolidating the academies of the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
The objective is to bolster joint capabilities in response to a shrinking birth rate and evolving warfare landscape, which is increasingly influenced by drone technology and artificial intelligence.
However, the proposed merger has garnered significant opposition from active-duty service members and alumni associations. They perceive the plan as a politically driven initiative aimed at weakening the Army and argue that it will diminish the distinct capabilities of each service branch. A defense ministry official disclosed to reporters on background that the announcement of detailed plans is unlikely to occur before the end of the current month.
The official emphasized that the process is still ongoing, as they are actively seeking varied opinions. This delay seems to align with Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul's earlier suggestion that the ministry may reconsider the plan altogether.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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