Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon: "Development of KMA Site Difficult Without Traffic Solutions"

▲ Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon meets with Park Pan-jun, President of the Korea Military Academy Alumni Association

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon emphasized on July 8 that regarding the government-led development of the Korea Military Academy (KMA) site, "The consistent position of the Seoul Metropolitan Government is that it is difficult to proceed with the project without sufficient measures for traffic issues, which cause direct inconvenience to local residents."

Mayor Oh made these remarks while meeting with Park Pan-jun, President of the Korea Military Academy Alumni Association, and others at his office in City Hall this afternoon.

Regarding the relocation of the KMA site, Mayor Oh stated, "We will comprehensively review various issues, including traffic solutions and the preservation of world heritage sites, and prepare measures from the perspective of Seoul citizens."

In this regard, Cho Yoon-ki, a resident representative of Nowon-gu, said, "The area encompassing Taereung, Gangneung, and the KMA is a space that holds historical, cultural, and ecological value, as well as security significance," adding, "It is necessary to preserve and utilize it as a world-class historical, cultural, and security landmark."

The meeting also included discussions regarding the government's plan to merge military academies.

Seon Jong-ryul, Secretary-General of the Korea Military Academy Alumni Association, said regarding the merger issue, "It should be reviewed with great importance as it is not merely a matter of combining schools, but an issue directly linked to the foundation of national security."

Mayor Oh has also previously expressed concerns on social media that the merger of military academies could undermine the expertise and identity of each military branch.

In his post, Mayor Oh argued, "This is not something that should be pushed forward solely under the pretext of fulfilling a presidential campaign promise without sufficient review and public consensus," adding, "The expertise and identity that each military branch has accumulated over a long time should not be shaken for the superficial reason of strengthening joint operations."

(Photo: Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government, Yonhap News)

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