Seoul – President Yoon Seok-yeol has been suspended from office by the National Assembly, leaving his government’s ambitious flagship education and healthcare reforms, such as expanding medical school admissions quotas and introducing artificial intelligence digital textbooks, in uncertainty amid political turmoil.
The government has made education reform one of its four policy pillars, but the political fallout from impeachment could dampen the momentum of those initiatives, observers said.
Artificial intelligence digital textbooks, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Lee Joo-ho’s flagship policy, face a particularly uncertain future and may end up being left unused or ignored in classrooms.
The plan was originally planned to introduce math, English and information science courses in March next year for primary school students in grades 3 and 4 and first-year middle and high school students, but it encountered resistance from opposition lawmakers.
Opposition MPs criticized the policy and sought to redefine textbooks as “educational materials” rather than mandatory teaching tools. If the legal definition changes, schools will no longer be required to use AI-enabled digital textbooks, leaving it up to principals and teachers to decide whether to adopt them.
Preparations for the rollout – finalizing textbooks, upgrading infrastructure and training teachers – are already underway, with the Department for Education saying implementation itself is unlikely to be cancelled.
However, the legal status of AI textbooks may hinder their effectiveness, and observers say that without the active participation of teachers and the support of parents, their potential impact may not be as great as expected.
Efforts to increase quotas for medical schools, a contentious issue long debated in South Korea, have also hit roadblocks.
The enrollment increase aimed at addressing the country's chronic doctor shortage is set for the 2025 academic year as the admissions process is already underway.
However, there are still questions about whether the policy can continue into 2026 and beyond. The Department of Education said it was willing to revisit the plan if the medical community came up with alternative solutions, increasing the possibility of scaling back or reversing growth.
Observers say the chances of reaching consensus appear slim as impeachment further undermines political momentum. Some experts warn that prolonged indecision could exacerbate the health care workforce crisis.
Despite the political turmoil, the Ministry of Education has insisted that key education reforms will continue. At a press conference on Monday, Ministry of Education spokesperson Koo Yeon-hee reiterated the ministry's determination to prevent key initiatives from stalling.
“Important projects should not be shaken by irrelevant factors,” she said, adding that the ministry would hold weekly meetings to ensure steady progress.
Education Minister Lee Joo-ho also called for inter-agency cooperation to safeguard the government's policy agenda. At a recent emergency meeting with the social affairs minister, Lee urged officials to “continuously and thoroughly supervise and support the implementation of key policies.”
