Lee Jae-myung meets with newly commissioned officers at the integrated commencement ceremony for the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies, held at the Gyeryongdae Grand Parade Ground in South Chungcheong Province on February 20. [Yonhap News]

A civic group comprising approximately 6,300 professors nationwide has declared that the establishment of a "National Military University" and the "relocation of Hwarangdae to the provinces" are "anti-state and anti-national plots" that are obliterating the identity of the Republic of Korea and dismantling its security and defense systems at "the speed of light." 

The Professors' Group for Social Justice (CJS) emphasized this in a statement issued on the 7th, titled "The Plot to Consolidate the Three Military Academies and Relocate Hwarangdae Dismantles the Republic of Korea's Security and Defense Systems at the Speed of Light." They stated, "As if to mock the 'rights revolution' outcry from youths and students regarding the infringement on suffrage revealed during the June 3 local elections, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek has ignored the cadets' right to choose and the democratic consensus process of the sovereign people." 

In their statement, the CJS pointed out, "The Lee Jae-myung administration declared an end to 'insurrection and the restoration of democracy' on December 3, 2025, and promoted a bizarre slogan called the 'Revolution of Light.' Through the dismantling of the prosecution, interference with the judiciary, the undermining of the rule of law, and the eradication of freedom of expression, they have destroyed the fundamental human rights of the sovereign citizens at the speed of light." 

They continued, "Interoperability without specialized expertise is merely a mirage. In the era of digital AI-driven defense, the deepening of specialized expertise within each military branch and the subsequent strengthening of interoperability are driven only by software innovation, not hardware consolidation. This is why advanced nations like the U.S. and France focus on deepening the expertise of each military branch under their respective academy systems. Even some advanced countries with integrated academy systems are currently internalizing the advantages of branch-specific academies." 

The group also noted, "Conversely, as seen in North Korea’s 'vanguard of the leader,' China’s 'party army,' and Russia’s 'dictator protection organization,' totalitarian regimes prioritize integrated military education systems designed to uphold absolute dictators." 

The CJS stated, "Relocating the Hwarangdae Korea Military Academy in Taereung to the Jeolla province is nothing more than a plot to sever the lifeline of the Korean military, which has continued for 80 years, at 'the speed of light.' Hwarangdae is not merely a university campus. Beyond the Army and the Military Academy, Hwarangdae is the cradle of the Korean military, a cultural asset preserving numerous memorial facilities, a fierce battleground and final resting place for hundreds of cadets who sacrificed their lives during the Korean War, and a place of remembrance." 

They further remarked, "If they were to build apartments on this sacred ground of national defense and move the Military Academy to an inappropriate location under the pretext of 'balanced national development' or 'securing excellent professors and improving cadet quality,' the whole world would laugh. Having experienced the anti-communist Korean War, the Republic of Korea, as a 'frontline nation of the Cold War,' has deterred war and leaped forward into an advanced military, economic, and cultural powerhouse within a harsh geopolitical environment. The ROK-U.S. alliance and the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command system have significantly contributed to the Republic of Korea overcoming all adversities and emerging as a central nation in establishing effective peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia." 

The CJS appealed, "Throughout this entire journey, the Army, Navy, and Air Force academy systems have faithfully fulfilled their roles as 'defenders of security' and 'guardians of liberal democracy,' and they will continue to be the cradles that build a strong military to protect the nation and its people through a 'trinity of expertise, convergence, and interoperability.' They must serve as the cornerstone for unification and a 'Pax Koreana' thereafter." 

Finally, they added, "We urge the Lee Jae-myung administration to immediately cease the 'dismantling of security and defense' plot being recklessly pursued while hiding political and ideological motives. We also earnestly call upon those government-friendly experts and scholars who provide false logic to those in power solely for their own advancement to reflect on themselves and restore their intellect and patriotism." 

The following is the full text of the July 7 statement by the CJS.