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Straits Times
04-08-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
South Korea pulls plug on AI textbooks, leaving schools, companies without funding for them
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox AI-powered textbooks are now not official South Korean textbooks, removing the legal and financial grounds for using them in schools. SEOUL – South Korea's National Assembly passed a Bill on Aug 4 stripping artificial intelligence-powered digital textbooks of their legal status as official teaching materials, dealing a heavy blow to the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration's flagship education reform project. The amendment narrows the legal definition of textbooks to printed books and e-books, excluding 'learning support software using intelligent information technology'. This reclassifies AI-powered textbooks as just another type of educational material, not official textbooks. The new classification takes effect immediately upon promulgation, effectively removing the legal and financial foundations for using AI digital textbooks in schools. The amendment, drafted and passed unilaterally by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, is an updated version of the same legislation passed by the Assembly i n 2024 , which was ultimately scrapped after it was vetoed by then deputy prime minister Choi Sang-mok, who was the country's acting president at the time. Initially launched as a flagship initiative of the Yoon administration, AI textbooks aimed to provide personalised learning experiences for students using advanced AI algorithms. At least 533.3 billion won (S$496 million) was allocated to the project in 2024 alone. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Despite the ambitious roll-out, the initiative faced widespread backlash from educators and parents, many of whom criticised the South Korean government for pushing the policy through without sufficient groundwork. In response, the South Korean Ministry of Education shifted to a school-by-school voluntary adoption model, after initially planning a nationwide mandate. Currently, the adoption rate of AI textbooks across schools hovers at around 30 per cent. The Bill's passage now leaves these schools without financial support for AI textbook subscriptions. A high school computer science teacher told The Korea Herald that although some schools secured subscription budgets for the second semester, future use is uncertain. 'Unless the textbooks retain their legal status, we won't be able to receive the necessary funding. It's now almost impossible to use them in class,' the teacher said. The publishing industry is also facing a looming crisis. Companies that invested heavily in AI textbook development, expecting the government to mandate their use, now say they are on the verge of collapse. Several companies filed an administrative lawsuit against the South Korean Education Ministry in April, citing losses due to low adoption rates and policy flip-flopping. Industry representatives warn that without the legal textbook designation, usage rates could drop further, jeopardising the estimated 800 billion won in total investments made into AI textbooks. Layoffs and restructuring are now expected across the sector. A worker in her 30s from a major textbook publisher said her department may soon disappear. 'Many companies hired researchers and engineers to develop AI textbooks. Now, with education policy changing depending on who holds political power, we risk not only losing our jobs but also degrading the quality of education itself,' she said. Publishers have been staging a last-ditch push to reverse public sentiment and policy. Fourteen publishing companies have taken turns holding solo protests outside the National Assembly, while others have visited the Democratic Party of Korea's headquarters demanding reconsideration of the Bill. The South Korean Education Ministry has yet to present a concrete road map for winding down the AI textbook programme. A spokesperson said the ministry would suspend the current textbook review process, prepare guidance for schools to prevent disruption in the autumn semester, and consult with regional education offices to minimise confusion. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Korea Herald
04-08-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
South Korea pulls plug on AI textbooks
Massive investment under threat, publishers warn of layoffs and confusion in schools South Korea's National Assembly passed a bill on Monday stripping artificial intelligence-powered digital textbooks of their legal status as official teaching materials, dealing a heavy blow to the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration's flagship education reform project. The amendment narrows the legal definition of textbooks to printed books and e-books, excluding 'learning support software using intelligent information technology." This reclassifies AI-powered textbooks as just another type of educational material, not official textbooks. The new classification takes effect immediately upon promulgation, effectively removing the legal and financial foundations for using AI digital textbooks in schools. The amendment, drafted and passed unilaterally by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, is an updated version of the same legislation passed by the Assembly last year, which was ultimately scrapped after it was vetoed by then-Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who was the country's acting president at the time. Initially launched as a flagship initiative of the Yoon administration, AI textbooks aimed to provide personalized learning experiences for students using advanced AI algorithms. At least 533.3 billion won ($385 million) was allocated to the project last year alone. The textbooks were piloted in the first semester of 2025 for English and math classes in grades 3 and 4 of elementary school, and for English, math and computer science classes in middle and high schools. Despite the ambitious rollout, the initiative faced widespread backlash from educators and parents, many of whom criticized the government for pushing the policy through without sufficient groundwork. In response, the Ministry of Education shifted to a school-by-school voluntary adoption model, after initially planning a nationwide mandate. Currently, the adoption rate of AI textbooks across schools hovers at around 30 percent. The bill's passage now leaves these schools without financial support for AI textbook subscriptions. A high school computer science teacher told The Korea Herald that although some schools secured subscription budgets for the second semester, future use is uncertain. 'Unless the textbooks retain their legal status, we won't be able to receive the necessary funding. It's now almost impossible to use them in class," the teacher said. The publishing industry is also facing a looming crisis. Companies that invested heavily in AI textbook development, expecting the government to mandate their use, now say they are on the verge of collapse. Several firms filed an administrative lawsuit against the Education Ministry in April, citing losses due to low adoption rates and policy flip-flopping. Industry representatives warn that without the legal textbook designation, usage rates could drop further, jeopardizing the estimated 800 billion won in total investments made into AI textbooks. Layoffs and restructuring are now expected across the sector. A worker in her 30s from a major textbook publisher said her department may soon disappear. 'Many companies hired researchers and engineers to develop AI textbooks. Now, with education policy changing depending on who holds political power, we risk not only losing our jobs but also degrading the quality of education itself,' she said. Publishers have been staging a last-ditch push to reverse public sentiment and policy. Fourteen publishing companies have taken turns holding solo protests outside the National Assembly, while others have visited the Democratic Party's headquarters demanding reconsideration of the bill. The Education Ministry has yet to present a concrete roadmap for winding down the AI textbook program. A spokesperson said the ministry would suspend the current textbook review process, prepare guidance for schools to prevent disruption in the fall semester, and consult with regional education offices to minimize confusion.
Epoch Times
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
South Korea Police Impose Travel Ban on Former Prime Minister Han and Ex-finance Minister Choi
SEOUL—South Korean police have banned former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and ex-Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok from travelling abroad as part of a probe into alleged insurrection linked to former leader Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid, a police official said. The travel ban was imposed in mid-May, the Yonhap news agency reported. Han and Choi were questioned on Monday by a special police unit investigating former top government officials over insurrection charges, Yonhap said.
Sinar Daily
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Sinar Daily
Ex-PM, former deputy PM barred from leaving South Korea in martial law probe
The exit bans were reportedly issued in mid-May, Yonhap news agency quoted the police Tuesday. 27 May 2025 03:15pm (COMBO) This combination of pictures made on May 27, 2025 shows South Korea's Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok (L) attending a joint press conference on South Korea's post impeachment situation in Seoul on December 18, 2024, and former acting president Han Duck-soo speaking to formally announce his candidacy for the presidential election at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 2, 2025. (Photo by Anthony WALLACE and Jung Yeon-je / AFP) SEOUL - Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck Soo and former Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang Mok have been barred from leaving South Korea amid an ongoing investigation into an alleged insurrection attempt involving ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol. The exit bans were reportedly issued in mid-May, Yonhap news agency quoted the police Tuesday. Both Han and Choi have been named as suspects in connection with Yoon's failed attempt to declare martial law on Dec 3 last year. Police said the two were summoned on Monday, along with former Interior Minister Lee Sang Min, for questioning that lasted around 10 hours. Lee had already been placed under an exit ban earlier in December. The questioning focused on whether the former officials made false statements regarding how martial law-related documents were received during a Cabinet meeting held on the night of Dec 3. Police have completed analysis of surveillance footage from the presidential office's Cabinet meeting room and hallway as part of their investigation. - BERNAMA-YONHAP More Like This
Korea Herald
02-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Won gains to 5-month high
The Korean won gained its value sharply against the greenback on Friday, reaching the 1,390 won range for the first time in five months during after-hours trading. The won against the dollar strengthened to 1,397.2 won at around 18:42 p.m., gaining value by 30 won from 1,426.9 won, the closing price of the previous after-hours trading session. Its value per dollar stood at 1,393.27 won as of 9:50 p.m. The won's appreciation came amid the gain of the Chinese yuan. With China indicating a softening on its position in holding trade talks with the US administration, Asian currencies, including the Chinese yuan, gained value. The local won is treated as a proxy of the Chinese currency. Pressure on the selling side of the dollar increased as well, ahead of the holidays of major Asian economies. The local currency closed daytime trading with its value per dollar at 1,405.3 won. It was the strongest valuation of the won in terms of the daytime closing price since the market wrapped up at 1,402.9 won on Dec. 3, shortly before the currently ousted-President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. The currency trading remained volatile, pricing in investor concerns on Korea's political uncertainty, after former Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok stepped down from his post during the National Assembly's impeachment vote on him. It fluctuated by 34.7 won during daytime trading, marking the largest fluctuation since the 37.4 won move on Nov. 11, 2022.
