0
President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a briefing session with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Unification, Ministry of National Defense, and Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, held at the state guest house of the presidential office on the 5th. / Yonhap

President Lee Jae-myung said on the 5th, in connection with the Ministry of National Defense's push to establish a unified tri-service military academy, that "structurally, it must never be allowed to happen again," raising the issue of past military coups and accountability among graduates of the Korea Military Academy (KMA). He argued that Korea needs to reform a military command structure centered on KMA graduates in order to strengthen jointness and professionalism, and he instructed officials to push forward with the unified academy "swiftly and forcefully."

At a briefing session held that day at the state guest house of the presidential office with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, President Lee directly raised the issue of establishing a unified military academy, saying, "How many military coups has Korea had? Weren't they all carried out by the Army, and by KMA graduates? Has anyone ever been held accountable for that?" He continued, "Korea has democratized and become a developed country the whole world looks to — who would have imagined that generals would band together to stage a military coup like that? Going forward, this must never be allowed to happen again. It must be made structurally impossible."

President Lee also instructed Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek to "push forward swiftly and forcefully." In response, Minister Ahn said, "As the nature of warfare has completely changed, jointness and integration are needed more than ever," adding, "This administration's goal is to build an advanced, science-focused military academy that elevates both jointness and professionalism."

The proportion of KMA graduates among the military's generals was also raised as an issue. After asking the Defense Ministry what share of generals are KMA graduates, President Lee said, "Isn't it the case that KMA graduates make up only a small portion of junior officers, but nearly monopolize the ranks the higher you go?" He added, "Despite having staged military coups and completely destroyed the constitutional order three times, they still hold an overwhelming position — which is exactly why it keeps happening."

President Lee, however, made clear he was not targeting any particular group as a whole, saying the vast majority of service members remain loyal to the country and fulfill their duty as soldiers. He said, "Occasionally, a portion of them band together and commit acts that can never be forgiven," adding, "We need to eliminate the conditions that allow that. Since people can cross the line when given the opportunity and incentive, we need to build a rational education system from the start that makes that impossible."

He also stressed that diplomatic and security issues should not become subjects of political conflict. President Lee said, "Most developed countries do not turn foreign policy and security matters into political battlegrounds," adding, "Unfortunately, in our case, even the most critical diplomatic and security issues have become objects of political conflict."

                                                                                                        Park Young-hoon