Gov't seeks to relocate Army academy out of Seoul, retain Air Force, Navy schools

Seoul, November 11 -- The government is reconsidering its plan to merge the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies into a single institution, sources reported Wednesday. Instead, the Defense Ministry is proposing to relocate the Army academy out of Seoul to a site in the administrative city of Sejong, while retaining the Navy academy in Jinhae and the Air Force academy in Cheongju, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The new plan still includes a joint academy in Daejeon but at a smaller scale. If approved, the revised proposal would mark a departure from an initial July plan to create a single military college within the Jaundae military complex. Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul's recent comments suggest the government is responding to strong opposition from alumni networks and key stakeholders.

The proposed new system, known as the 1-2-1 model, would require cadets to complete shared coursework during their first and final years at the joint military academy, while attending their respective academies for branch-specific training in their second and third years. The government anticipates reducing the consolidation budget by roughly 50%, from an estimated 3 trillion won ($2.25 billion).

The ministry expects to implement the new system starting with cadet applicants for the 2029 academic year. The ministry has stated that the principle of establishing a joint military academy remains unchanged, and they plan to finalize and announce the revised plan after gathering input from various sources.