Ministry stays tight-lipped on hearing disruptions, calling them part of 'diverse opinion-gathering process'

The Ministry of National Defense building [Yonhap]
The Ministry of National Defense building [Yonhap]

The Ministry of National Defense said Thursday it would work to hear more public voices regarding the planned establishment of a unified military academy.

Ministry spokesperson Jeong Bit-na made the remarks at a regular briefing, saying the ministry would "move forward by listening to as many opinions as possible without rushing the process."

A public hearing on the unified military academy plan, held Wednesday at the Defense Convention center in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, was thrown into disarray even before it began, as veteran groups opposed to the plan and parents of current cadets hurled insults and shouted down organizers.

Jeers continued to interrupt the presentation by Kim Hong-cheol, the ministry's director general for policy, with attendees shouting remarks such as "Are you doing Lee Jae-myung's bidding?" and "Tell Gyu-back (Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back) to come here himself."

When reporters asked about the disruptions, the ministry declined to comment directly.

Jeong said the ministry had previously explained that it would announce a detailed plan as early as October after gathering a range of opinions following the release of its basic plan. She added that the ministry was also holding policy briefings for various groups — including feedback from Wednesday — though not all of it was being made public.

Asked whether the ministry planned additional rounds of public input before the October announcement, Jeong said no specific schedule had been set, but that policy briefings were continuing separately. "We will think carefully about how to gather a wider range of opinions and move forward accordingly," she said.


rimsclub@heraldcorp.com