Daejeon mayor sees unified national military academy as major step forward for city
As the Army, Navy and Air Force merge into a single four-year institution, Mayor Heo Tae-jeong envisions the city becoming a national defense innovation hub.
Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong holds a press conference at Daejeon City Hall on July 16 regarding the establishment of the unified military academy for the Army, Navy and Air Force in the city.NEWS1
Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong convened an emergency press conference Thursday, calling the upcoming unified military academy in the city “a national strategic project” that represented a new model for the nation's defense education system.
The ruling Democratic Party and the government announced earlier the same day that it will establish a four-year national military academy integrating the Army, Navy and Air Force academies, dubbed the National Military Academy, at the Jaundae military complex in Daejeon.
“The creation of the academy in Jaundae will open a new paradigm in Korea's defense education and lead future defense innovation,” Heo said. “Daejeon will take another step forward to become a central city where Korea's defense education and advanced science and technology converge.”
The Jaundae military complex in Yuseong District is one of the country's main military education and training hubs, located about 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of Seoul. Its roughly 6.5 million-square-meter (1,606-acre) site houses 21 military-related institutions, including the Army Training and Doctrine Command and the Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy.
“The academy is a core national project that will generate economic and industrial ripple effects beyond those of attracting a single major company,” Heo continued. “Daejeon will cooperate closely with the Ministry of National Defense and spare no administrative support to ensure the academy is successfully established, and will work with citizens to build a central city for Korea's defense innovation.”
Daejeon expects the academy to bring roughly 6,000 people to the city once established, including 2,940 cadets, 338 professors and 2,687 support staff.
The city plans to use the academy's establishment as an opportunity to build a defense innovation hub linking the Agency for Defense Development, KAIST, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the Ansan Advanced Defense Industrial Complex — all already located in Daejeon — and to actively pursue national projects tied to the government's defense innovation policy.
Cars drive by the entrance to Jaundae military complex in Daejeon on July 15, as the government announced the establishment of a four-year military academy integrating the Army, Navy and Air Force inside the complex.NEWS1
“When the relocation site for the academy, which will merge the three service academies, was recently being discussed, I directly conveyed to the party leadership that Daejeon was the most suitable site and urged the relocation,” Heo said.
Daejeon also plans to improve housing, education, cultural and living conditions and expand transportation infrastructure for cadets, professors and military families, while expanding the participation of local construction firms and specialized companies in the establishment process to boost local economic impact.
The Defense Ministry announced its general starting plan for establishing the National Military Academy on Thursday as well, outlining an integrated education system designed to respond to future military environments involving AI, drones, space and quantum technology. Over the long term, the ministry plans to build a hub for Korean defense education connecting the academy other defense-related learning institutions, including the Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy and the Korea National Defense Advanced Science and Technology Academy, set to open admissions in 2028.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
