'3군 사관학교 통합 반대' 첫 집단행동…"정치적 제물 안돼" / 연합뉴스TV (YonhapnewsTV)

[Anchor] The alumni associations of the Army, Navy, and Air Force Academies, opposing the policy to merge the three military academies, have launched their first collective action. The alumni associations expressed concern that the policy could undermine the distinct identities and expertise of each branch of the military and urged a complete re-examination of the plan. Reporter Jang Bo-kyung reports. [Reporter] The alumni associations of the Army, Navy, and Air Force Academies held a mass rally in front of the main building of the National Assembly to oppose the policy to merge the three military academies. This marks the first time the alumni associations have taken collective action regarding the issue of military academy mergers. Attendees included representatives from 42 organizations, such as former superintendents of the Korea Military Academy and retired generals, as well as numerous lawmakers from the People Power Party. Through a resolution, the participants urged the government to re-examine the merger plan from scratch, stating that the government is hastily pushing forward with the policy without national consensus or social agreement. [Park Pan-jun / President of the Korea Military Academy Alumni Association] "It does not help strengthen jointness, and it certainly does not help recruit top cadets. National security cannot be a subject for experimentation, and it certainly must not become a sacrifice for political bargaining." They also expressed concerns that the 'integration policy' would significantly undermine the identity and expertise of each branch of the military. The Korea Naval Academy Alumni Association emphasized that naval cadets must grow by looking at the sea, while the Korea Air Force Academy Alumni Association pointed out that it would be very difficult to train elite officers specialized in space and aerial environments under the plans currently under discussion. The government's plan to integrate military academies involves establishing a unified military academy where first and second-year students receive common education, while third and fourth-year students receive specialized major education specific to their respective branches. It has been reported that the Ministry of National Defense is reviewing a plan to select cadets for the Army, Navy, and Air Force through a unified system starting in the 2028 academic year, when current high school sophomores enter university. [Ahn Kyu-baek / Minister of National Defense (October 1)] "By 2040, the impact of the demographic cliff will begin in earnest. Officers capable of designing drone battlefields and envisioning AI-based operational systems. If we do not cultivate such talent now, I believe we cannot guarantee the future of our military after 2040." With Minister Ahn Kyu-baek scheduled to soon announce the 'Basic Plan for the Integration of the Three Military Academies,' which had recently been postponed once, the growing pains within and outside the military surrounding the government's 'reform plan' are not expected to subside easily for the time being. This is Jang Bo-kyung from Yonhap News TV. [Video Reporting by Park Tae-beom] [Video Editing by Park Eun-jun] [News Review] ▣ Subscribe to Yonhap News TV's Documentary Channel 'Docu-Digging'    / @docu-digging   ▣ Subscribe to Yonhap News TV YouTube Channel    / @yonhapnewstv23   ▣ The Beginning of Korean News, Yonhap News TV / Yonhap News TV http://www.yonhapnewstv.co.kr/