Lee Jooho Has No Personal Ties to Son Hyosuk
Ministry of Education Launches Full Investigation of Libax School Instructors
"Violations of Neutrality Will Be Strictly Addressed After Fact-Finding"
On June 11, the Education Committee of the National Assembly conducted an emergency inquiry with the Ministry of Education regarding the relationship between the conservative group 'Libax School' and the Neulbom School class programs, as well as allegations of comment manipulation.
The Democratic Party of Korea pointed out that instructors hired through Libax School could instill a biased view of history in students at Neulbom School. In response, the People Power Party countered that the classes contracted by Libax School were 'science' and 'art' programs unrelated to history. Education Minister Lee Jooho did not attend the session, submitting a written statement explaining his absence.
An emergency inquiry regarding allegations of comment manipulation by the conservative group 'Libax School' is underway against the Ministry of Education at the Education Committee plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 11th. 2025.6.11 Photo by Kim Hyunmin
Kim Junhyuk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and the first to question on this day, revealed instances where an instructor from Libax School accused comfort women victims of "lying" and taught students about photos of forced labor victims by saying, "Don't they look happy?"
Kim described these actions as "shocking" and highlighted the risk that Libax School instructors could provide biased history education to students at Neulbom School. He emphasized, "The Ministry of Education must thoroughly verify the history education provided by Libax School."
According to the Ministry of Education, the Korea Neulbom Education Association, whose representative is also an executive at Libax School, signed a memorandum of understanding with Seoul National University of Education in October of last year. In the first semester of this year, 11 instructors conducted science and art programs at 10 schools in Seoul.
The People Power Party argued that the Neulbom School classes related to Libax School were programs unrelated to history.
Seo Jiyeong, a member of the People Power Party, questioned, "The classes they conducted were 'Exciting Hands-On Science Experiments' and 'Picture Books Experienced Through the Five Senses.' Is it possible to teach historical perspectives in these classes?" Regarding the comment manipulation allegations, Seo stated, "Whether this influenced the election is a matter that should be addressed by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety rather than the Ministry of Education," and proposed a joint standing committee session with the Public Administration and Security Committee.
Osokhwan, Deputy Minister of Education, is attending the full meeting of the Education Committee held at the National Assembly on the 11th. The Education Committee conducted an urgent inquiry into the allegations of comment manipulation by the conservative group 'Libax School' against the Ministry of Education. 2025.6.11 Photo by Hyunmin Kim
Osokhwan, Deputy Minister, who attended in place of Minister Lee, responded to a question from Baek Seungah, a Democratic Party lawmaker, regarding the relationship between Minister Lee and Son Hyosuk, the head of Libax School, by stating, "There is no personal connection."
Deputy Minister Osokhwan added, "Other than meeting Son in official meetings after she participated as a member of the Ministry of Education's Policy Advisory Committee, I have no personal acquaintance with her. Son was appointed as one of the experts recommended during the expansion of the advisory committee for its second term, as the Ministry sought to broaden the range of experts."
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education, in addition to supplying programs through Seoul National University of Education, is conducting a comprehensive survey of all schools nationwide in cooperation with 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education.
Deputy Minister Osokhwan stated, "First, we are identifying whether instructors who have worked over the past five years have any connection to Libax School. After that, we are separately checking with the offices of education for any violations of educational neutrality by these instructors, and if any issues are found, we are considering contract termination and other measures."
He further explained, "Program providers participating in government projects will also undergo a full investigation to determine if any affiliated instructors are connected to Libax School. If such connections are found, we will apply the same inspection and measures. Even if issues are not identified in this comprehensive survey, the Ministry of Education and the offices of education plan to operate a reporting center to continuously monitor and respond quickly to any violations of educational neutrality."
He concluded, "After clearly establishing the facts, we will take strict action according to the results. We will also promptly prepare improvement measures, including establishing the necessary legal and institutional grounds, to prevent a recurrence of such incidents."
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