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Korea undermines its own AI goals by downgrading digital textbooks

Published: 25 Jul. 2025, 00:02

Kim Won-bae

The author is an editorial writer at the JoongAng Ilbo.

One of President Lee Jae Myung’s key campaign pledges was to make Korea one of the world’s top three artificial intelligence (AI) powers. The goal is timely, given AI’s transformative potential across society. In line with that ambition, Lee appointed Bae Kyung-hoon, former head of LG AI Research, as Minister of Science and ICT, and Ha Jung-woo, former director at Naver Cloud’s AI Innovation Center, as the newly created presidential secretary for AI Future Strategy.

Yet, while the executive branch advances AI policy, the National Assembly is taking a contradictory step. Both the Education and Legislation and Judiciary Committees have approved a revision to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that would redefine AI-powered digital textbooks as mere “educational materials.” The bill now awaits a final vote in a plenary session early next month.

Hwang Geun-sik, chair of the Textbook Development Committee, speaks out against the National Assembly’s move to downgrade the status of AI digital textbooks during a joint press conference of textbook publishers at the Eroom Center in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, on July 11. [YONHAP]

The distinction is significant. Under the current law, textbooks are provided free of charge. Educational materials are not. Unlike traditional textbooks, which are purchased once, AI textbooks function as web-based subscription services. Students are expected to pay around 5,000 won per subject each month. If these services lose textbook status, government subsidies for subscriptions would end, likely reducing adoption by schools. Lower adoption would in turn threaten the viability of AI textbook providers and discourage further development. Industry experts warn that if the change goes through, the phaseout of AI textbooks will be inevitable.

The impact extends beyond cost. AI textbooks, currently accessed through a centralized portal managed by the Korea Education and Research Information Service, accumulate standardized data across all users — such as time spent studying, performance and engagement. These data are invaluable for both research and the future development of AI in education. But once the materials are reclassified, schools will choose among products from various vendors, none of which would be subject to data standards or sharing requirements. Without formal textbook status, the government would also lose the legal authority to demand access to this data.

What is most troubling is that the Democratic Party–led bill offers no clear alternative after the downgrade. Committee documents show that lawmakers essentially instructed the Ministry of Education to come up with a solution later. The ministry proposed a temporary fix in the form of a sunset clause allowing current AI textbooks to remain in use until February 2026, but Democratic lawmakers reportedly opposed the idea.

Some argue that it is inappropriate to treat AI textbooks as official textbooks, which are expected to be error-free. AI-based services, they say, require continuous maintenance and upgrades. Critics have pointed out shortcomings in quality, but as with services like ChatGPT, regular updates are part of the development process.

The issue is not so much the legal status of AI textbooks, but whether Korea can create a system that supports broad usage and centralized data collection. The Lee administration has committed to building “sovereign AI” that does not rely on foreign technology. For that, Korea will need more than advanced computing infrastructure — it will need quality data. At his confirmation hearing, Bae acknowledged this, saying, “High-quality data is essential for success in AI.” However, he offered no clear stance on the AI textbook controversy, citing complex interministerial dynamics.

Ha, now a senior official in the presidential office, previously expressed support for AI textbooks while working at Naver. Media reports suggested he advocated for their continuation internally, though the presidential office has since denied those claims. If high-level AI experts brought into government cannot voice policy opinions, it raises questions about the administration’s ability to deliver on its AI agenda.

Teachers try out prototypes of AI textbooks at an educational conference in Daegu in August 2024. [YONHAP]

Downgrading AI textbooks now would amount to abandoning the country’s early efforts to build standardized educational data — a critical foundation for AI development. While it is true that the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration launched the program without bipartisan support, that does not justify scrapping it altogether. A more rational approach would be to maintain AI textbooks in existing subjects like computer science, math and English while improving their functionality. It is not too late to observe their performance and make a more informed decision later.

The data accumulated through these programs could serve as raw material for Korea’s sovereign AI. As Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said, “Data is the essential raw material of the AI industrial revolution.” Stripping AI textbooks of their status without a viable alternative would mean cutting off access to that vital resource.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.