# Merged military academy to be built in Daejeon, aiming to train soldiers for high-tech military operations > Source: > Published: 2026-07-16 05:22:03+00:00 A government plan of integrating the country's Army, Navy and Air Force academies is taking shape, as a new campus in Daejeon is being eyed to train soldiers in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered all-domain military operations in preparation for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the Ministry of National Defense announced Thursday. “We aim to nurture military officers who possess creative minds, interdisciplinary thinking, professional expertise and high technological literacy,” Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said during a briefing at the National Assembly on Thursday after his meeting with the DPK. “The officers trained in the upcoming academy must lead the ROK-U.S. combined defense post-OPCON transition. To educate them for the future security environment, we need a new curriculum, elite faculty and advanced educational facilities.” He explained that the Jaundae military compound in Daejon would be a fitting location for the planned academy due to its high concentration of tech-focused universities and research