President Yoon Suk Yeol’s suspension from office by the National Assembly has thrown his administration’s ambitious, flagship education and medical reforms, such as expanding medical school enrollment quotas and introducing AI-powered digital textbooks, into uncertainty amid the political upheaval.
The government had positioned education reform as one of its four major policy pillars, but the political fallout from the impeachment may weaken the momentum for these initiatives, according to observers.
The AI digital textbooks, a flagship policy of Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, face a particularly uncertain future, possibly ending up unused or neglected in classrooms.
Initially scheduled to roll out in March next year for elementary school grades 3 and 4 and first-year middle and high school students in math, English and information science, the program has encountered resistance from opposition lawmakers.
The opposition lawmakers have criticized the policy and seek to redefine the textbooks as "educational materials," rather than mandatory teaching tools. If the legal definition changes, schools would no longer be required to use AI digital textbooks, leaving their adoption to the discretion of principals and teachers.
Preparations for the rollout -- finalizing textbooks, upgrading infrastructures and training teachers -- are already underway, and the ministry said the implementation itself is unlikely to be canceled.
Yet, the legal status of AI textbooks may hinder their effectiveness, with observers saying their potential impact may fall short of expectations without active participation among teachers and support from parents.
Efforts to increase medical school quotas, a contentious issue long debated in South Korea, have also hit a roadblock.
The enrollment increase, intended to address the country’s chronic doctor shortages, is secure for the 2025 academic year, as admissions processes are already underway.
However, the policy’s continuation for 2026 and beyond is now in doubt. The Ministry of Education has indicated a willingness to revisit the plan if the medical community proposes alternative solutions, raising the possibility of scaling back or reversing the increase.
With the impeachment further destabilizing political momentum, the likelihood of achieving a consensus appears slim, according to observers. Some experts warn that prolonged indecision could exacerbate the healthcare workforce crisis.
Despite the political turmoil, the Ministry of Education insists that critical education reforms will proceed. During a Monday briefing, Koo Yeon-hee, the spokesperson of the Education Ministry reiterated the Ministry's determination to prevent key initiatives from stalling.
“Important projects should not falter due to unrelated factors,” she stated, adding that the Ministry will hold weekly meetings to ensure steady progress.
Education Minister Lee Ju-ho has also called for inter-agency cooperation to safeguard the administration’s policy agenda. At a recent emergency meeting with social affairs ministers, Lee urged officials to “thoroughly monitor and support the implementation of key policies without interruption.”
