The People Power Party criticized President Lee Jae-myung's remark on integrating the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies that "all coups were carried out by graduates of the Korea Military Academy," calling it guilt by association. It also stressed that the rationale for establishing a unified service academy, which had been touted as "training personnel for future warfare," has disappeared.
People Power Party lawmakers Lim Jong-deuk, Han Ki-ho, Sung Il-jong, Kang Sun-young, Yu Yong-weon, and Yoo Young-ha of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center on the morning of the 6th and said, "The president mentioned 'military coups' as the reason for integrating the service academies," adding, "Lee is the first president to apply guilt by association to a school."
They added, "Until now, the government has described the integration of the service academies as a defense reform to build an officer training system suited to the future warfare environment and to strengthen jointness. But there is a big difference between the policy objectives the government has explained so far and the reasons the president himself revealed," saying, "It exposed the real intentions hidden behind the pretexts of preparing for future warfare and strengthening jointness."
They said, "Even at this moment, the vast majority of Korea Military Academy graduates serving as officers are performing their duties silently at the front and in units at all levels solely for the nation and the people, regardless of politics," adding, "All the more, the commander in chief must be more cautious with words. A single word from the president directly affects not only the military's morale and honor, but also the pride of service members and bereaved families and the public's trust in national security policy."
They continued, "If political soldiers are the problem, what is needed is to establish legal and institutional mechanisms that can ensure political neutrality," adding, "But now, instead of striving to ensure legal and institutional neutrality, the government is saying it will punish through physical integration."
At a Ministry of National Defense briefing at the Blue House the previous day, President Lee said, "How many military coups have there been in the Republic of Korea so far? It was carried out by graduates of the Korea Military Academy—has anyone been held accountable there?"