Key takeaways
The Taereung National Training Center transferred all its national athlete training functions when the Jincheon National Training Center opened in 2017. Fact What to do with the old site has remained an ongoing subject of debate ever since.
On July 16, 2026, the government announced a plan to establish a four-year, merged national military academy — combining the army, navy, and air force academies — at Jaun-dae in Daejeon. Fact If this plan goes forward, the Korea Military Academy in Seoul's Gongneung-dong could also be subject to relocation, but alumni associations from the army, navy, and air force academies have pushed back against the merger plan, with some calling it "a politically motivated, retaliatory measure" — and the controversy continues. Fact Verify Some reports suggest a phased approach is under consideration, in which the merged academy would first launch at the Taereung site before eventually moving to Jaun-dae. Verify
The ones who stand to benefit are those anticipating new development potential on this large, state-owned parcel of land. The ones bearing the uncertainty are the alumni associations and current cadets seeking to preserve the academy's history and identity. And the ones watching the outcome unfold are nearby residents, who know the neighborhood's landscape will change no matter how this debate concludes.
What to look for on site
- The current state of the former Taereung National Training Center grounds
- The Korea Military Academy's main gate and the exterior of the Hwarangdae Research Institute
- Local community reaction to the relocation debate (see news coverage)
A structural question worth carrying with you
Who decides what becomes of the land a state institution leaves behind? That question doesn't yet have a settled answer. FIT TRIP won't provide one either. But it's worth carrying the question as you walk.