Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
AI textbooks targeted for phaseout under new government
A student uses an AI digital textbook during math class at Namsan Elementary School in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, May 7. Yonhap
By Jung Da-hyun
Smart textbooks may disappear as legal status diminished
Following Korea’s presidential transition, significant changes are expected in education policy, as President Lee Jae-myung appears poised to halt the rollout of AI-powered digital textbooks.
Once championed as a flagship initiative by former President Yoon Suk Yeol, the program now faces a potential phaseout under the new administration, with Lee pledging to overhaul or significantly scale it back.
The government’s decision to withdraw AI digital textbooks from the official curriculum has created uncertainties for schools that have already integrated the program, fueling concerns over potential disruption and the squandering of public resources.
Since March, AI-powered digital textbooks have been introduced for third and fourth graders in elementary school, as well as first-year students in middle and high school. Of the 11,932 schools nationwide, only 3,870 — about 32 percent — chose to adopt AI textbooks as official learning materials, according to education authorities.
Previously, Yoon had planned for the full-scale adoption of AI digital textbooks in all schools nationwide this year. However, the plan met with resistance from educators and drew strong opposition from the Democratic Party of Korea.
In response, the Ministry of Education scaled back the rollout, keeping AI textbooks designated as official materials but allowing individual schools to decide whether to implement them.
The government had planned to gradually expand the scope and target grade levels for AI digital textbooks following this year’s pilot rollout. However, that timeline is now likely to be scrapped under the new administration.
Lee has pledged to revise what he described as a flawed AI digital textbook policy by redefining their legal status not as official textbooks, but as supplementary educational materials, while ensuring that schools retain full autonomy in deciding whether to adopt them. Under current guidelines, official textbooks are mandatory, whereas supplementary materials can be used at each school’s discretion.
An estimated 1 trillion won ($736 million) has already been invested in teacher training and infrastructure to support the program’s rollout. If the new administration follows through with plans to significantly cut related funding, AI digital textbooks could disappear from classrooms altogether.
President Lee Jae-myung enters a Cabinet meeting held at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, Thursday. Behind him, right, is Education Minister Lee Ju-ho. Joint Press Corps
Publishers that invested heavily in the development of AI digital textbooks are voicing frustration, citing substantial losses in both manpower and capital. Companies such as Chunjae Education and YBM, which were among the key producers of the AI textbooks, filed an administrative lawsuit against the Ministry of Education in April, as the initiative began to falter following the former president’s impeachment.
They argue that the abrupt shift from a planned nationwide rollout to a school-by-school adoption model has led to a sharp decline in usage, resulting in significant financial losses. The publishers are now seeking compensation from the government.
Confusion is also growing among teachers and parents — those directly involved with the AI digital textbooks — who are left uncertain about the program’s future.
"At my child’s school, they held an information session in response to parents’ concerns, but eventually decided to use the AI textbook only as supplementary material," said Park Seong-woo, parent of a fourth-grade student in Gyeonggi Province. "Now there’s a chance it might not be used at all, which leaves both students and parents confused."
Some teachers believe the transition to AI digital textbooks may not materialize in the foreseeable future.
"A pilot program allowing optional adoption was already conducted, but since then, there has been little active discussion about fully implementing AI textbooks at my school," said a middle school teacher in Seoul surnamed Hwang. "With the policy facing potential change again, I doubt schools will consider adopting it anytime soon."