SEOUL-- South Korea's Army academy is seeking to restore its Korean War history class as a requirement for all cadets next year, officials said Monday, reversing a decision in 2018 to make it optional for many cadets.
The move came amid concerns that many cadets could enter military service without a sufficient grasp of the 1950-53 conflict that still affects security on the Korean Peninsula, as it ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.
The Korea Military Academy said it is pushing to alter the curriculum to require all cadets to take the war history class, which has been mandatory only for those majoring in defense strategy.
Cadets majoring in command management, military science and military engineering have not been required to take the history class under the current curriculum implemented from 2019.
"We are pursuing the amendment in the 'future-oriented' 2024 curriculum to cultivate core talents who have internalized a proper view of the country and its history, and will lead a 'strong military in science and technology,'" the academy said in a statement.
It added that current fourth-year cadets who have yet to take the war history course will complete a 30-hour complementary class on the subject before they are commissioned as officers next month.
Source: Yonhap News Agency