Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has come out against the government's push to merge the Army, Navy and Air Force academies, warning that the plan could undermine each branch's specialized expertise and distinct identity.
Oh posted a message Saturday on Facebook titled "We must not shake the century-long foundation of officer training, the bedrock of national security," saying the officer training system is "a century-long foundation of national security."
"This is not something to pursue solely on the grounds of fulfilling a presidential campaign pledge, without sufficient review and public consensus," he said. "The surface-level rationale of strengthening jointness must not be allowed to erode the expertise and identity each branch has built up over many years."
Oh pointed to the United States as an example, noting that it operates separate academies for the Army, Navy and Air Force while still developing combined-operations capabilities through a joint chiefs system and joint education programs.
"I believe jointness is not achieved by merging schools into one, but is only fully realized when each branch cooperates on the basis of its own expertise," he said. "The performing arts matter, but that is precisely why schools of fine arts, music and physical education are not merged into one."
Oh also said the plan deserved even greater caution if one of its purposes was to relocate the Korea Military Academy in order to free up the Taereung Country Club site for housing supply.
"Above all, what matters most is the will of local residents," he said. "Whether it is development of the Taereung CC site or relocation of the Korea Military Academy, this is not a matter for the central government to decide unilaterally. A process of thoroughly reviewing the impact on residents' living environment — traffic, education, culture and the natural environment — and securing their understanding and consent must come first."
Oh acknowledged that the importance of housing supply "cannot be overstated," but said the officer training system built up over 80 years and the historical assets of the armed forces are difficult to restore once damaged. "In particular, Taereung and Hwarangdae are symbolic spaces where the traditions of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces have accumulated, and important security assets for Seoul," he said.
He also said he was concerned that "just as the government appears intent on cramming 10,000 homes into the Yongsan International Business District without any plan for schools, it may be scheming to use the Korea Military Academy — a bastion of national security — simply to boost housing numbers."
Oh added that the opinions of cadets and active-duty service members, as direct stakeholders in the policy, must also be fully reflected.
On the direction the military should take going forward, Oh said what is needed now is not a cosmetic merger but reform that raises the military's competitiveness.
"Restoring the morale of a military shaken by a declining application rate for junior officers, a brain drain of talented personnel, and problems with service conditions and treatment — and creating an environment where young talent can choose a military career with pride — is the more urgent task," he said.
20ki@heraldcorp.com
