President Lee Jae Myung ordered defense officials to accelerate a military academy merger during a policy briefing Wednesday. He linked this consolidation directly to preventing future military intervention within South Korean politics. Specifically, Lee cited three historical coups centered around the Korea Military Academy.
According to Lee, Army officers from this single institution have never faced meaningful accountability despite repeated involvement. Consequently, he argued that merging South Korea’s three academies could reduce future institutional risk. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back acknowledged previous structural reforms following the December martial law declaration.
Nevertheless, Lee insisted this military academy merger remains necessary regardless of past reform efforts already undertaken. He emphasized that eliminating institutional conditions matters more than simply blaming individual officers involved. Furthermore, officials revealed that Korea Military Academy graduates dominate senior leadership despite representing few junior officers.
When Ahn promised careful, responsible implementation, Lee urged faster action instead of prolonged deliberation. He stressed that meaningful reform inevitably proves difficult, dismissing concerns about the process’s complexity entirely. The government had already unveiled its unified National Armed Forces Academy blueprint back in July.
Beyond military restructuring, Lee also pressed officials regarding delayed returns of former US military installations. He criticized slow negotiations despite South Korea’s massive investment in new facilities at Pyeongtaek. According to Ahn, construction costs there exceeded seven billion dollars, excluding additional land expenses.
Although most designated sites have been returned, key locations including parts of Yongsan Garrison remain outstanding. Lee criticized this sequencing, arguing Korea should never have paid before securing full reciprocal commitments. Ahn pledged renewed urgency, while Lee directed the Foreign Ministry toward greater involvement.
Separately, Lee cautioned Unification Minister Chung Dong-young against formally referring to North Korea using its official name. He warned that well-intentioned gestures could become political ammunition, potentially undermining broader reconciliation goals. Ultimately, Lee urged careful consideration before pursuing further politically sensitive terminology changes within inter-Korean relations.
