Why is People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok opposing the military academy integration plan?

Jang said the plan would weaken the country’s defense and described its ultimate goal as destroying national defense by weakening the Republic of Korea armed forces. He also argued that it is being rushed to finish within President Lee Jae Myung’s term even though it would take more than a decade.

PPP leader vows to block planned integration of military academies

Q: Where would the government establish the integrated military academy?

The defense ministry said in July that the integrated academy would be built at Jaundae, a compound of military training and education facilities in Daejeon. Daejeon is about 140 kilometers south of Seoul.

Q: What objections have opponents raised against the academy integration plan?

Opponents, including alumni associations from the Army, Navy and Air Force and opposition parties, say the plan could undermine the expertise and competitiveness of each military branch. Jang also repeated that the discussions were being handled in a way that made him angry because they concern the country’s security and fate.

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Summary

Main opposition leader Jang Dong-hyeok vowed Monday to block the government’s plan to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force academies. He said the proposal would weaken national defense and that the People Power Party would use all available means to stop it. Jang later repeated his opposition at the Air Force Academy in Cheongju. The defense ministry had announced in July a plan to build the integrated academy at Jaundae in Daejeon.

Key Facts

Jang said the integration plan would be completed within President Lee Jae Myung’s term, which he argued should not happen because it would take more than a decade to carry out.
He described the integration as a move that would weaken the Republic of Korea armed forces and called it a threat to national defense.
Jang visited the Air Force Academy in Cheongju later Monday and said he had not been there for more than 30 years.
The defense ministry announced in July that the integrated military academy would be established at Jaundae, a military training and education compound in Daejeon about 140 kilometers south of Seoul.
The proposal has drawn backlash from alumni associations of the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as opposition parties, over concerns that it could undermine each branch’s expertise and competitiveness.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 7, 2026 5:04 pm KST

Main opposition People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok speaks during a meeting at the Korea Air Force Academy in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Monday. Yonhap

Main opposition leader Jang Dong-hyeok vowed Monday to take all possible measures to stop the government's move to integrate the academies of three military branches.

Rep. Jang of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) made the remarks during a forum at the National Assembly, saying the plan to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force academies will ultimately weaken the country's defense.

"They are seeking to complete within President Lee Jae Myung's term something that should never be done and that would take more than a decade to carry out," he said, stressing that his party will "use all available means" to block the plan.

"The ultimate goal of the integration of the military academies is the destruction of national defense by weakening the Republic of Korea armed forces," he added.

Later in the day, Jang visited the Air Force Academy in the central city of Cheongju and reiterated his opposition to the proposed integration.

"I cannot help but feel anger at the way the discussions over the integration of the military academies, an issue directly linked to the country's security and fate, are being carried out," he said.

Jang, a former Air Force officer who served as a drill instructor at the academy, said he was glad to visit the academy for the first time in more than 30 years but also felt heavy-hearted amid the ongoing controversy over the integration plan.

In July, the defense ministry announced a plan to establish the integrated military academy at Jaundae, a compound of military training and education facilities in Daejeon, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul.

The move has been met with fierce backlash from alumni associations of the Army, Navy and Air Force and the opposition parties, which have voiced concerns that the integration could undermine the expertise and competitiveness of each military branch.

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