President Lee: "All Military Coups Stem From Korea Military Academy... Integration Will Reduce Such Possibility"

President Lee Jae-myung remarked today (the 5th), "How many military coups have there been in South Korea's history? Weren't they all carried out by the Army?" He added, "They were acts committed by graduates of the Korea Military Academy, yet has anyone ever been held accountable for them?"

President Lee made the remarks during a discussion on the integration of the Army, Naval, and Air Force academies while presiding over a work report for the Ministry of National Defense and other related agencies at the Blue House today.

His comments are interpreted as giving momentum to the government's push for an integrated military academy, pointing out that graduates of the Korea Military Academy formed a factional power base and committed wrongdoings.

"Is it acceptable to foster the military separately by branch, allow a specific branch to overwhelmingly dominate the armed forces for a very long period, and after occasionally tearing the country apart with a coup, hold no one responsible?" President Lee emphasized, "Wouldn't integration somewhat reduce the likelihood of such occurrences?"

President Lee specifically mentioned the emergency martial law situation under the previous administration, stating, "(Soldiers) could potentially do it again in the future. Who would have imagined that someone would stage a coup again?"

He added, "South Korea has democratized and become an advanced nation recognized worldwide, yet who would have thought that Army generals would conspire to stage a pro-Japanese military coup?"

He also pointed out, "This is not something to be brushed aside simply because it is in the past and was suppressed," adding, "Had it succeeded, army captains would have monitored everything just like in the old days. Non-commissioned officers would have entered media offices, crossed out manuscripts with red pens, and censored the internet."

"The vast majority of service members are loyal to the country and fulfilling their duties as soldiers, but a fraction commits such unforgivable acts. Shouldn't we eliminate the grounds for such possibilities?" he repeatedly highlighted the necessity of pursuing an integrated military academy.

(Photo provided by the Blue House Press Corps, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.