Military academy merger back in government sights
Published: 22 Dec. 2009, 03:35
The Korean government is planning to push forward with a plan to integrate its military, naval and air force academies in order to enhance training programs for would-be officers, a government source revealed yesterday.
The Ministry of National Defense is planning to organize a task force under the direct control of the minister that will look into reforming the curriculum at each academy next month.
“The government is again pushing its project of combining the three armed forces academies these days,” said the source, who wished to remain nameless due to the sensitivity of the issue. “I believe the Blue House is showing a strong desire to implement the plan after having judged that the integration would not only make the training of officer hopefuls more efficient, but would also become a symbolic part of the Defense Reform 2020 campaign.”
The integration issue became controversial earlier this year but the uproar died down after the ministry said it was looking at the topic with a long-term perspective.
“A detailed plan hasn’t been confirmed yet, as the government is mulling over whether to completely integrate the academies or to provide combined training programs for the first two years and let each academy manage its own curriculum,” the source said. “The Defense Ministry is going to come up with a specific outline with a view to presenting feasible measures next year.”
The task force will be composed of some 15 experts from the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. They will explore a number of subjects related to the plan, including integrating the training programs and education reform measures for each academy.
“There are different views with regards to the issue, each with their own problems and justifications,” said ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae. “Taking the security situation into account as well as the process of defense reform and military stability, the ministry thinks it is proper to promote the plan with a long-term view.”
However, the Navy and Air Force are opposed to the integration plan, saying the project is unrealistic and premature since each academy has its own training process. For instance, cadets at the Naval Academy are educated on an anchored ship during their second year of classes and get practical training at sea in their third year.
Air Force Academy cadets began learning the fundamental theories of aviation in their first year.
“The training programs of the three academies have to be integrated under the presumption that we will integrate all the armed forces,” said an officer who asked not to be named.
By Lee Min-yong [[email protected]]
The Ministry of National Defense is planning to organize a task force under the direct control of the minister that will look into reforming the curriculum at each academy next month.
“The government is again pushing its project of combining the three armed forces academies these days,” said the source, who wished to remain nameless due to the sensitivity of the issue. “I believe the Blue House is showing a strong desire to implement the plan after having judged that the integration would not only make the training of officer hopefuls more efficient, but would also become a symbolic part of the Defense Reform 2020 campaign.”
The integration issue became controversial earlier this year but the uproar died down after the ministry said it was looking at the topic with a long-term perspective.
“A detailed plan hasn’t been confirmed yet, as the government is mulling over whether to completely integrate the academies or to provide combined training programs for the first two years and let each academy manage its own curriculum,” the source said. “The Defense Ministry is going to come up with a specific outline with a view to presenting feasible measures next year.”
The task force will be composed of some 15 experts from the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. They will explore a number of subjects related to the plan, including integrating the training programs and education reform measures for each academy.
“There are different views with regards to the issue, each with their own problems and justifications,” said ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae. “Taking the security situation into account as well as the process of defense reform and military stability, the ministry thinks it is proper to promote the plan with a long-term view.”
However, the Navy and Air Force are opposed to the integration plan, saying the project is unrealistic and premature since each academy has its own training process. For instance, cadets at the Naval Academy are educated on an anchored ship during their second year of classes and get practical training at sea in their third year.
Air Force Academy cadets began learning the fundamental theories of aviation in their first year.
“The training programs of the three academies have to be integrated under the presumption that we will integrate all the armed forces,” said an officer who asked not to be named.
By Lee Min-yong [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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