Yang Seung-jo, Governor of Chungcheongnam-do, held a press conference at the Chungnam Provincial Office on the 3rd, urging the withdrawal of presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's pledge to relocate the Korea Military Academy to Andong. Photo by Chungnam Province
[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Chungnam Province has reacted strongly to presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's pledge to relocate the Korea Military Academy to Andong, Gyeongbuk.
On the 3rd, Chungnam Governor Yang Seung-jo held an emergency briefing at the Chungnam Provincial Office, expressing his "discomfort" with Lee Jae-myung's pledge to move the Military Academy to Andong and urged a full reconsideration of the promise.
Governor Yang said, "On the 1st, candidate Lee Jae-myung visited Andong and promised to relocate the Military Academy there as part of his regional pledge," adding, "As the governor of Chungnam, I find such a pledge by candidate Lee very disconcerting."
He continued, "Attracting the Military Academy to Nonsan, Chungnam, is my own pledge and the wish of Chungnam," emphasizing, "Chungnam has been accelerating efforts to relocate the Military Academy by forming a dedicated 'Military Academy Relocation Task Force' through cooperation among civilians, government, and military, and operating the 'Chungnam Civilian Attraction Committee' centered on residents."
Most importantly, Nonsan hosts the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Army Training Center, and the Korea National Defense University, and has geographical advantages with over 30 defense-related industry-academia-research institutions nearby, including the Agency for Defense Development and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. Considering these conditions along with the established metropolitan transportation network and infrastructure, Governor Yang explained that Nonsan is inevitably the optimal site for relocating the Military Academy.
However, Governor Yang also argued that candidate Lee Jae-myung's pledge to move the Military Academy to Andong has poured cold water on the efforts Chungnam has made so far.
Regarding this, Governor Yang pointed out, "Nonsan is considered the best location for relocating the Military Academy when taking into account national balanced development, the connectivity of defense education, and the likelihood of successful relocation," adding, "Simply presenting a regional pork-barrel pledge ahead of the presidential election must be reconsidered."
He further stated, "Regardless of electoral advantages or disadvantages, we must keep in mind the future of the Military Academy and the Republic of Korea, and reach an agreement on the relocation through more discussions and debates," and respectfully urged on behalf of the people of Chungnam that "(candidate Lee's side) withdraw the pledge to relocate the Military Academy."
Meanwhile, Chungnam officially declared its intention to attract the Military Academy to Nonsan in 2020. The following April, it accelerated efforts by launching the Military Academy Attraction Promotion Committee to bring the academy to Nonsan.
In contrast, candidate Lee Jae-myung sparked controversy by pledging on the 1st to relocate the Military Academy to the site of the former 36th Division in Andong, aiming to revitalize the local economy in Andong.
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