Kang Shin-cheol: “Integration of the military academies is necessary… a Minister for the Republic of Korea, not a Minister from the Korea Military Academy”

Defense Minister nominee Kang Shincheol expressed his agreement with the need to integrate the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies, and said that if he becomes minister, he would listen to a wide range of opinions from cadets, prospective examinees, and parents, and review specific measures. In a written response submitted to the National Assembly on the 14th, Kang said he recognizes that there is a controversy for and against the integration of the military academies, and added that there are educational contents that should be learned together in common. The integration of the military academies is a campaign pledge of President Lee Jaemyung, and the Ministry of National Defense announced a basic plan last July that included the concept of a 'Korean Armed Forces Academy' that would unite the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies into one. However, there are also concerns within and outside the military that the expertise and independence of each branch could be weakened. Kang, a graduate of the 46th class of the Korea Military Academy, responded to a question about conflicts of interest by saying he would see himself not as a 'minister from the Korea Military Academy' but as the 'Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Korea.' He also said that the coups involving former Korea Military Academy graduates were a matter of responsibility for specific individuals, and regarding the December 3 emergency martial law under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, he described it as an act of insurrection that violated the constitutional order. The National Assembly’s Defense Committee is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing for Kang on the 16th, and no witnesses were adopted.