Government targets stronger regional universities, increased support at public schools, greater youth support
South Korea has long wrestled with deep regional disparities in education and sky-high private tuition costs, with a widening gap between students whose families can afford it and those whose cannot.
Against this backdrop, the Lee Jae Myung administration on Wednesday announced six key education proposals designed to break the capital-centric hierarchy among schools, strengthen public schooling and prepare talent for the artificial intelligence era.
The measures were introduced as part of a broader vision to make a Korea that is "owned by the people and that is happy together," which outlined 123 state tasks across all sectors.
To end Seoul’s dominance and strengthen regional higher education, the government's “10 Seoul National Universities” initiative will channel strategic investment into flagship national universities and raise per-student spending to match the country’s top institution.
Funding will be targeted in key growth fields, while a new “national chair professor” system will recruit top-tier scholars, exempting them from the standard retirement age of 65 and providing world-class research support.
Alongside this, the Regional Innovation System for Education will be restructured to foster joint growth between national and private universities, creating a wide-area governance network that links local industries and universities.
A second agenda strengthens youth policy support by widening access to employment-linked vocational programs, expanding housing scholarships and improving dormitories to ease living costs for college students.
The government will also embed AI education across all school levels, from elementary to graduate programs, while expanding AI research hubs, boot camps and interdisciplinary programs.
Support will also extend to adult learners through lifelong AI retraining, and efforts will be made to attract outstanding foreign talent and map national human capital through a new national talent committee.
Plans to reducing education gaps through stronger public schooling include expanding basic academic support, psychological and emotional care, after-school programs and community-based child care.
The government will gradually implement free education and child care for children aged 3 to 5, improve teacher-student ratios for infants and strengthen inclusive and special education. A multilayered mental health support system will also be established to address student well-being.
The reform package also strengthens support for immigrant and multicultural students to ensure no child is left behind in basic learning. Korean-language education will be expanded to help students from diverse backgrounds build foundational skills, while new self-directed learning centers in public facilities will provide level-based instruction and personalized guidance
Finally, the government aims to reform school governance to empower teachers, students and parents. Measures include enhancing the authority of parent associations, improving school operation committees and strengthening protections for teachers.
Political rights for educators will be expanded and additional security cameras and stronger hygiene standards for school meals will be introduced to improve safety, alongside education to prevent digital sex crimes such as making and sharing pornographic deepfake images and video.
Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Gyo-jin emphasized that the success of these tasks depends on close collaboration with local education offices, universities and other ministries, noting that “education is the foundation for our children’s and youths’ happy growth and the key driver of the nation’s sustainable development.”
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
