Government Confirms Establishment of 4-Year Armed Forces Academy in Daegu’s Jaewon Ground

The government decided on the 16th to establish a four-year integrated Armed Forces Academy, combining the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies, at Jaewon Ground in Daegu. This decision, aimed at improving the efficiency of the military officer training system and revitalizing the regional economy of Daegu, is evaluated as a symbolic case of military restructuring. The Ministry of National Defense chose a four-year integrated operation plan to maintain cadet autonomous activities and establish military traditions.

The Ministry of National Defense announced that it will build an integrated education system to respond to future battlefield environments, such as AI, drones, and space, through the Armed Forces Academy. In the long term, it plans to create a defense education hub linked with the Armed Forces Nursing Academy and the Advanced Science and Technology Academy.

The estimated size of the school site to be created is about 720,000 pyeong (approximately 2.38 million m²). Accordingly, it is expected that a total of about 6,000 personnel, including 2,940 cadets, 338 professors, and 2,687 support personnel, will flow into the Daegu region.

The government is considering a method of recruiting cadets by setting in advance the number of students assigned to the Army, Navy, and Air Force respectively, while also selecting additional common recruits. Specific admission plans and the school opening date have not been disclosed.