KOR- Integrating Army, Navy, and Air Force Academies Is Misdiagnosed and Misprescribed
- Defense Ministry Claimed No Relation to Dec 3 Martial Law... Lee's 'Coming Out'
- Blaming Korea Military Academy for Coups? Was Yoon, Who Led It, a KMA Graduate?
- Branding KMA with a 'Scarlet Letter'... Framing Cadets as Potential Coup Forces
- Establishing Academy at Jaundae in Daejeon? Will Top Talent and Faculty Go Down There?
- Two Years of Service-Specific Education Is Too Short... Effectiveness of Integration Questionable
- Series of Controversies in 1st Corps... From 'Defensive Bureaucracy' to 'A New Breed of Political Soldiers'
- Non-KMA 1st Corps Commander Ordered Restraint on Warning Shots Upon North Korean Approach
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5MHz 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM)
■ Date: August 7, 2026 (Friday)
■ Host: Lawyer Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Representative Yoo Yong-won, People Power Party (Member of National Assembly National Defense Committee)
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Voices of criticism are emerging from the military and opposition parties over the government's push to integrate the Army, Naval, and Air Force academies. Joining us is Representative Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, to discuss various military issues including the academy integration. Hello, Representative.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Hello.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: First, one of the hottest issues right now is the government's plan to integrate the three military academies of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Looking at the method, they announced plans to rename it the '4-Year Armed Forces Academy' and establish it in Daejeon. What is your fundamental stance on this integration itself?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Well, when we discuss measures for any issue, we talk about diagnosis and prescription. The core of the problem here is that both the diagnosis and prescription for this issue are wrong. The Ministry of National Defense argues that integration is necessary to strengthen jointness for high-tech future warfare involving AI and drones, and to improve the declining quality of military academy education. However, there was a Military Academy Education Reform Task Force. What they recommended was not Jaundae, but conducting integrated education for 1st and 2nd-year cadets at the Korea Military Academy (KMA) in Taereung, Seoul, and then sending 3rd and 4th-year cadets to the existing Naval and Air Force academies in their respective regions.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So a common curriculum for 1st and 2nd years, and dispersing into respective branches for 3rd and 4th years.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Exactly, like sending Navy cadets to the Naval Academy in Jinhae. But this plan became distorted during the government's final policy-making process. Thus, political intentions—the President essentially had a 'coming out' two days ago. He made remarks to the effect that KMA graduates had carried out three military coups, and shouldn't the academies be integrated to prevent this? Because such political reasons have entered the picture, it is fundamentally flawed. And a scene that symbolically demonstrates this occurred yesterday: 46 former Army, Navy, and Air Force chiefs of staff gathered and issued a statement urging a reconsideration of the military academy integration.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: They opposed it.
[Yoo Yong-won]: And among them are many former chiefs of staff who served as military leaders under liberal administrations, not just conservative ones.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: What the Democratic Party and Defense Ministry are saying is that the justification for integration is fostering competent, convergent talent and building a smart, strong military. Looking at recent conflicts in the Middle East, modern warfare heavily utilizes drones and AI, so dividing the military into Army, Navy, and Air Force is meaningless; we must integrate and prepare for modern warfare in a smart, new way. That is their main premise.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Do you think this premise itself is correct?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Well, the direction itself is correct.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: The direction itself is correct?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes, the general intent is right. But let me ask you a straightforward question. What is the leading country currently waging high-tech warfare using drones, AI, and such technology?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: The United States.
[Yoo Yong-won]: The US right now. They are involved in operations involving Iran as well.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: That's true.
[Yoo Yong-won]: They hit 1,200 targets a day using AI. But is there any discussion in the US about integrating their military academies?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: I haven't heard of any.
[Yoo Yong-won]: No, none at all. If military academy integration were necessary to prepare for future warfare in that manner, such discussions would have already taken place in the US. There are none.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So you're saying that the government's direction or overall intent is valid.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes, the intent.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Let's call it intent. While that is how they frame the intent, do you believe the actual purpose of integrating the three academies lies elsewhere?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Exactly. That's why I said the President effectively had a 'coming out' two days ago. Up until then, the Defense Ministry's official explanation was that it had nothing to do with the December 3 martial law, emphasizing that preparing for future warfare, as you mentioned, and improving educational quality were the main goals.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: The President said the three military coups were all led by the Army.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Led by KMA.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: By KMA.
[Yoo Yong-won]: But there are factual errors in that assertion as well. The three coups refer to May 16, December 12, and December 3, right?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Yoo Yong-won]: When Minister Ahn Gyu-back was asked if anyone had been punished, he said no, but wasn't judgment delivered for December 12? Former presidents and military personnel involved at the time were already brought to justice. As for the December 3 emergency martial law, although former Minister Kim Yong-hyun, a KMA graduate, played a key role, wasn't it led by President Yoon Suk Yeol? Is President Yoon a KMA graduate? No. So I think they are targeting the wrong entity.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So do you believe there are no issues at all with KMA in that regard?
[Yoo Yong-won]: No. It is true that certain KMA graduates committed those wrongdoings. Therefore, I believe education regarding constitutional values and such principles needs to be strengthened. But that doesn't mean we should integrate the Naval and Air Force academies as well.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: For example, Hanahoe, which led the December 12 coup, was purged and disbanded when Kim Young-sam (YS) took office.
[Yoo Yong-won]: It was disbanded.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Since then, many assess that the military, especially the Army, was properly cleaned up.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: However, during the December 3 insurrection, terms like the 'Chungam High School line' surfaced, and it's true that a group of generals around Minister Kim Yong-hyun led it.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So factions within factions emerge in any organization. Is there a need for a military cleanup or restructuring to address such issues?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Well, key perpetrators are currently being brought to justice. And while there was talk about the Chungam High School network, whether that occurred due to flaws in KMA education is something that requires verification. Many view that it was not caused by KMA education.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Right.
[Yoo Yong-won]: There is also this perspective: if you integrate the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies, if they develop sound values, that's great, but if someone harboring bad intentions emerges, couldn't they cause an even bigger catastrophe?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Having tanks, ships, and aircraft all together.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Exactly. That point is being persuasively raised as well.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So you agree with the President's idea that specific military factions or groups should be addressed.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: But you're saying that shouldn't lead to integrating the three service academies?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Exactly. That's why I say the prescription is wrong. What really pains me is that right now, many KMA cadets and junior officers who graduated from KMA are enduring hardships on the front lines.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: That's true.
[Yoo Yong-won]: To them, this can sound like saying, "You are potential coup forces." Branding them with a scarlet letter in that manner feels like driving a stake through their hearts, which is deeply tragic.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Let me ask you this then, Representative. You view the President's statement—that all three coups were led by the Army—as essentially trying to dismantle KMA because of that.
[Yoo Yong-won]: He spoke in a way that leads people to interpret it that way.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Setting aside political reasons, even if we view this purely as an effort to build a smart, strong military, is the ongoing integration of the three academies still wrong?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Even assuming integration itself were right, location is crucial. Where is the educational institution situated for AI and high-tech fields? People often debate the southern limit for top AI talent—whether it's Pangyo, Yongin, or Daejeon. The original Military Academy Education Reform Task Force, chaired by a university professor, recommended eliminating the golf course at KMA in Taereung and using the KMA campus to conduct integrated education for 1st and 2nd-year Army, Navy, and Air Force cadets. Then, as I mentioned, 3rd and 4th-year cadets would be sent to the current Air Force Academy location and the Naval Academy in Jinhae. Conducting 1st and 2nd-year education in the Seoul area would attract higher-caliber students, and faculty members who are reluctant to move far into provincial areas would be more willing to stay. That was the original plan. But now, they want to conduct all integrated education at Jaundae.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: In Daejeon.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes. So there is the issue of location. And it raises a question mark over whether educational quality can truly be improved.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Right.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Secondly, while Jaundae may look huge at first glance, spanning millions of pyeong, various educational institutions are already located there, leaving limited physical space. There are also cost issues.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: But you said the general direction and intent of integration are good. In reality, if the government pushes a plan, there's a high probability it will be implemented.
[Yoo Yong-won]: I believe integrating the military academies itself has limitations in terms of practical effectiveness. Because...
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Building a smart, strong military is the right direction, but integration itself...
[Yoo Yong-won]: Because as advanced weapon systems like AI and drones become more prominent, distinct expertise for each military branch is required even more. This raises doubts over whether two years of specialized education is sufficient. Some experts analyze that conducting separate 4-year programs tailored to each branch's characteristics is what will actually build a high-tech military of the future, and I share that view.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Put simply, you're saying two years of specialized education is too short.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Even if you and the People Power Party oppose it, with 107 seats, realistically there's no way to block it.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Realistically, if they continue to force it through, they will likely succeed just as they did with abolishing supplementary investigative powers. However, I feel that the President's recent remarks poked a hornet's nest in the military.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Yoo Yong-won]: This was clearly reflected when 46 former Army, Navy, and Air Force chiefs of staff gathered to issue a statement. Opposition to this is likely to grow stronger. While they say public hearings will be held, there are doubts about whether cautious and opposing voices will be properly heard, especially since the President effectively reprimanded officials during the briefing. He urged Minister Ahn Gyu-back to push harder on the pace.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: If this integration happens, what do you think will happen to our military?
[Yoo Yong-won]: As far as I know, the government aims to start admissions for the 2028 academic year, but physically it is extremely difficult. Forcing it through is expected to cause significant confusion.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. Recently, Representative, many problems have arisen in the military. In particular, within the 1st Corps, a US Marine Corps drone was mistaken for a North Korean military drone, and guards were standing watch without loaded ammunition. The President harshly criticized these incidents, all of which occurred in the 1st Corps. What do you see as the root cause of these issues?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Broadly speaking, following the December 3 emergency martial law, high-ranking generals and military personnel involved directly or indirectly are being punished. While those who deserve punishment are being brought to justice, innocent victims also seem to be created. As a result, the military is falling into risk-averse bureaucracy, and a new breed of political soldiers seems to be emerging.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: What do you mean by 'a new breed of political soldiers'?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Take the 1st Corps commander in question, who is a non-KMA graduate. Leaving aside the order not to load ammunition, the Military Demarcation Line inside the DMZ is the border, right?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Normally, if North Korean forces approach, the protocol is first a warning broadcast, and if they approach further, warning shots are fired. It was belatedly revealed that he ordered troops to refrain even from warning shots.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Not to fire warning shots even if North Korean troops approach?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Then what are they supposed to do?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Exactly. This clearly shows the emergence of a highly undesirable military leadership that is overly conscious of North Korea.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So commanders are walking on eggshells, playing it safe while reading the room with the administration and North Korea?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes. As you know, the Lee Jae-myung administration is quite mindful of North Korea. These attitudes, which shouldn't reach front-line commanders, are surfacing at the operational level. While I feel deeply sorry to those quietly doing their duty in the military, although the South Korean military outwardly spends 65 trillion won in defense budget, maintains a large force, and exports advanced weapons abroad looking formidable, I worry it is becoming a military suffering from worsening osteoporosis internally.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So this isn't just an issue with the 1st Corps, but potentially across the entire military?
[Yoo Yong-won]: It could become that way, although other cases need further verification.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: It could be an issue for the entire military?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Osteoporosis looks fine on the outside, but inside the bones are completely decaying.
[Yoo Yong-won]: That's right.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Concerning indeed. Understood. While you're here, let's address another topic. Reported heavily in this morning's daily newspapers, US local media quoted Under Secretary Colby stating that the US Department of Defense is preparing to reshape its nuclear strategy toward increasing the role of short-range tactical nuclear weapons.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Some morning papers speculate that if realized, tactical nuclear weapons could be deployed to US Forces Korea (USFK). How do you view this?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Actually, conservatives have argued for redeploying tactical nuclear weapons, believing the most effective way to ensure US extended deterrence is to place them where we can see them. However, the US has consistently maintained a strongly negative stance on that. The resurgence of tactical nuclear weapon theory stems from China and Russia—especially China—extensively developing smaller-scale tactical nuclear weapons and missiles. Consequently, US capabilities in that specific area are limited, so developing low-yield weapons to deter China makes them actually usable. Previously, strategic nuclear weapons were so terrifyingly destructive that people thought, "Could anyone actually use them?"
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Yoo Yong-won]: But tactical nuclear weapons have much smaller yields.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: So they could actually be used?
[Yoo Yong-won]: Though larger than conventional weapons, yes. They talk about sub-kiloton yields in technical terms, and such weapons are being developed. That could tempt political leaders to actually use nuclear weapons, which increases risks.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Yoo Yong-won]: However, deploying them on the Korean Peninsula is a separate issue. What is currently being developed are mostly tactical nuclear bombs. That means they would have to be stationed at air bases. If deployed at air bases, what would North Korea target first in the event of war?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Those air bases.
[Yoo Yong-won]: They would target USFK tactical nuclear weapons. And they would know the location because they have to be placed at air bases, making them vulnerable. The US understands this risk. Therefore, I believe the likelihood of actual deployment here is low.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. We will end today's discussion here. We have been speaking with Representative Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party. Thank you.
[Yoo Yong-won]: Thank you.
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