Academy heads urge consensus on merging military academies at South Korean audit
In short
At a parliamentary audit at the Army Academy in Seoul on 22 October, the heads of the army, navy and air force academies did not state clear support or opposition to merging the academies. Army Academy head Park Hu-sung (박후성) said the plan should proceed after the basic plan is supplemented and opinions are gathered. Ruling and opposition lawmakers clashed over the merger.
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The heads of South Korea's army, navy and air force academies appeared as witnesses on 22 October at a National Assembly National Defense Committee audit held at the Army Academy in Nowon district, Seoul. They did not state clear support for or opposition to merging the academies. Army Academy head Park Hu-sung (박후성), a lieutenant general, said he hoped the merger would proceed after the basic plan is supplemented and various opinions are gathered to form consensus. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Park said innovation and change in academy education are necessary but that he knows the concerns of cadets and professors. He said he has kept making recommendations through the official chain of command and would continue to do so if necessary. Asked by Democratic Party lawmaker Min Hong-chul (민홍철) whether not answering written questions from the Assembly meant opposition, he said it was not appropriate for a school head to voice opinions on a Defense Ministry policy and that it did not mean opposition. He agreed a merger would help strengthen jointness but said the separate academies already make sufficient efforts toward it. [ 1 , 2 ]
Air Force Academy head Park Heung-jae (박흥재), a lieutenant general, said integrated education does help strengthen jointness but should be carried out without damaging expertise and identity. Navy Academy head Park Kyu-baek (박규백) said the expected jointness benefits of merging need quantitative and qualitative analysis. Asia Economy and Seoul Economic Daily described the heads' stance as effective opposition. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Ruling party lawmakers argued that the merger, an election pledge of President Lee Jae-myung, should proceed quickly, while opposition lawmakers opposed it. Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Myung-sun (황명선) said 52% of curricula are common or similar, at least 76% when general majors are included, and 95.4% for liberal arts. Kim Byung-joo (김병주) said nearly every government since the Korean War had pursued the merger. [ 1 , 3 ]
People Power Party lawmaker Kang Sun-young (강선영) pointed to differences in first- and second-year training at each academy. Kang said the three academies' budget is 96.7 billion won this year and that the total cost of the relocation is 3 trillion won. Han Ki-ho (한기호) of the same party said 91.3% of cadets oppose the merger and asked why the academy heads were keeping silent. [ 3 ]
The merger's link to preventing military coups was also disputed. A lawmaker named Han presented data on foreign academies and coups and called the coup argument a useless lie, and People Power Party lawmaker Sung Il-jong (성일종) criticised the idea of merging because of coup responsibility. Democratic Party lawmaker Park Sun-won (박선원) rejected the criticism. On President Lee's remarks about the Army Academy's responsibility for coups, Park Hu-sung said some political soldiers among its graduates committed historical wrongs, while most graduates serve the country and military quietly. [ 1 , 3 ]
It was the first time the committee audited the three academies on a separate schedule. They had previously been audited at Gyeryongdae together with their service headquarters. Cadet numbers are 1,141 at the Army Academy, about 620 at the Navy Academy and about 840 at the Air Force Academy. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The academy heads' remarks show concern inside the academies about the government's merger plan, which President Lee Jae-myung pledged in his election campaign. The ruling and opposition parties remain divided over it, and Asia Economy and Seoul Economic Daily read the heads' remarks as effective opposition, which Park Hu-sung himself denied.
Key facts
- The National Assembly's National Defense Committee held a parliamentary audit of the army, navy and air force academies at the Army Academy in Nowon district, Seoul, on 22 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Army Academy head Park Hu-sung (박후성), a lieutenant general, said the merger should proceed after the basic plan is supplemented and opinions are gathered to build consensus. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Air Force Academy head Park Heung-jae (박흥재) said integrated education helps jointness but should not damage expertise and identity. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Navy Academy head Park Kyu-baek (박규백) said the expected jointness benefits of merging need quantitative and qualitative analysis. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Ruling party lawmakers argued the merger, an election pledge of President Lee Jae-myung, should proceed quickly, while opposition lawmakers opposed it, citing weak effects and concern over weakened expertise. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- It was the first time the Defense Committee audited the three academies on a separate schedule; they were previously audited at Gyeryongdae together with their service headquarters. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Cadet numbers are 1,141 at the Army Academy, about 620 at the Navy Academy and about 840 at the Air Force Academy. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Park Hu-sung said the merger should proceed after the basic plan is supplemented and opinions are gathered to build consensus, and that he understands the concerns of cadets and professors. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Asked by Democratic Party lawmaker Min Hong-chul (민홍철) whether not answering written questions meant opposition, Park Hu-sung said it was not appropriate for a school head to voice opinions on a Defense Ministry policy and that it did not mean opposition. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Park Hu-sung agreed that a merger would help strengthen jointness but said the separate academies already make sufficient efforts toward it. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-joo (김병주) called the merger a demand of the times and said nearly every government since the Korean War had pursued it. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- This was the first time the committee audited the three academies on a separate schedule. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the academy heads effectively oppose the merger. Asia Economy and Seoul Economic Daily described their remarks as effective opposition, but Yonhap reported Park Hu-sung saying he did not mean opposition.
- The claim that 91.3% of cadets oppose the merger. Only People Power Party lawmaker Han Ki-ho (한기호) is quoted giving the figure in the documents; no survey source is given.
- The claim that the cost of the relocation is 3 trillion won against this year's academy budget of 96.7 billion won. Only People Power Party lawmaker Kang Sun-young (강선영) is quoted giving these figures.
- The curriculum overlap figures of 52%, at least 76% and 95.4% for liberal arts. Only Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Myung-sun (황명선) is quoted presenting them, and Kang Sun-young disputed the argument by citing differences in early-year training.