[Provided by Rep. Im Jong-deuk's office]
[Provided by Rep. Im Jong-deuk's office]

Rep. Im Jong-deuk of the People Power Party, the opposition floor manager on the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, called Thursday for an immediate withdrawal of plans to relocate the Korea Military Academy, saying all attempts to exploit national security for political purposes must stop.

Im held a press conference Thursday at the National Assembly press center alongside members of groups including the Public Education Principals' Alliance. He said the retired principals of South Korea's elementary, middle and high schools had gathered "to point out the disarray in the Lee Jae Myung government's national defense education policy — including the merger of the three service academies and the relocation of the Korea Military Academy to a provincial site — which is clouding the future of cadets who will one day serve as the backbone of national defense."

He went on to say that the principals had "lived with great pride throughout their careers in sending outstanding students to each of the military academies, on a par with Seoul National University and Yonsei and Korea universities," but added that "the current reality is a regrettable situation in which talented students are shying away from enrolling in the academies."

The group then laid out four positions: an immediate withdrawal of the Korea Military Academy relocation plan; a halt to all attempts to exploit national security for political purposes; an end to the push to merge the Army, Navy and Air Force academies; and opposition to any unilateral pursuit of these measures without public deliberation and social consensus.

They called on the government to "establish a forward-looking national defense education plan that respects the expertise and traditions of each service academy, rather than pursuing superficial integration," and demanded that authorities "stop policies that damage the honor of cadets and reserve military personnel — the pillars of South Korea's national security — and ask the people whether the national defense education policy is justified."


youknow@heraldcorp.com