AI Textbooks Face Demotion to "Educational Material," Sparking Backlash
"Declining Trust in Government Policy... 36,000 Workers at Risk of Losing Jobs"
"Running Counter to the Times... A Major Policy Mistake by the Lee Jaemyung Administration"
As the government’s AI Digital Textbook (AIDT) project, which involved an investment of over 530 billion won, faces the risk of being downgraded to mere teaching material, textbook publishers have voiced strong opposition. Even when AIDT was classified as a "textbook," its adoption rate was only 32%. The industry believes that if it is reclassified as "educational material," it will effectively be phased out. Publishers that made significant upfront investments described the situation as "a major event that could devastate the industry," adding, "If the amendment passes as it is, restructuring among companies will be inevitable."
On July 11, 14 AI textbook publishers and the Textbook Development Committee held a press conference at the Eroom Center in Yeouido, Seoul, urging lawmakers to "discuss revising the law to improve quality and supplement functions while maintaining the textbook status of AI textbooks." They demanded an immediate halt to attempts to change the status of AI textbooks, which have already passed inspection and been supplied, and called for the immediate formation of a "Public-Private-Government Education Innovation Task Force" involving the government, National Assembly, publishers, teachers, and experts, to institutionalize communication and coordination. They also indicated their intention to pursue a constitutional petition and administrative lawsuits if their demands are not met.
Previously, on July 10, the National Assembly’s Education Committee passed a partial amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in a plenary session, downgrading AI textbooks to educational materials. The amendment is expected to pass smoothly in the National Assembly’s plenary session, making it highly likely that the new administration will strip AI textbooks of their textbook status.
The amendment specifies the definition of instructional books in the law, rather than by presidential decree, and stipulates that formats such as AI textbooks are classified as "educational materials," not "textbooks." In particular, it states that digital educational materials may be used only as supplementary tools for the curriculum, and prevents the Minister of Education from effectively controlling them. This effectively blocks the "Lee Jooho-style AI textbook" from being pursued again.
Publishers argued that the government’s inconsistent policies have caused confusion and damage to businesses. Initially, when the Democratic Party was the opposition, it passed a bill downgrading AI textbooks to educational materials in the National Assembly, but the Yoon Suk-yeol administration exercised its veto, resulting in the bill’s repeal and the official use of AI textbooks as "textbooks" in the first semester of this year. Publishers, having invested enormous sums in development, now face the risk of collapse after just four months.
At the press conference, publishers stated, "Including AI textbook infrastructure, approximately 2 trillion won has been invested, supporting the livelihoods of more than 36,000 employees and tens of thousands of their family members." They added, "Some companies are already facing restructuring and workforce reductions." They also argued that discontinuing the use of AI textbooks would go against the times and would be a major policy mistake by the Lee Jaemyung administration.
Park Jeonggwa, CEO of Chunjae Textbook, said, "In addition to the 530 billion won in government funding so far, companies have invested 800 billion won in infrastructure. It costs 4 billion won to develop a single textbook, and we have submitted over 200 types. These costs cannot be recovered." Park added, "We have developed AI textbooks based on trust in government policy, but that trust has now collapsed. Private companies will no longer be able to form partnerships with the government in future projects."
It was also pointed out that while government spending related to AI textbooks was allocated to building school infrastructure and teacher training, publishers bore the full cost of content and service development without any government subsidies.
Lee Uksang, CEO of Donga Publishing, emphasized, "Each company has borne the full cost of content and service development for two to three years without a single won of government support. Believing in the government, companies invested at least tens of billions and up to hundreds of billions of won to develop AI textbooks. How can it be acceptable for their textbook status to be revoked overnight, rendering all that effort meaningless?"
Some also called for a clear decision on whether to proceed with AI textbook development for subjects where content has not yet been completed. The Ministry of Education previously announced that AI textbooks would be introduced first in mathematics, English, and computer science, and expanded to Korean, social studies, and science by 2028. Accordingly, AI textbooks have been used since the first semester of this year in English and mathematics for third and fourth grade elementary students, and in English, mathematics, and computer science for first-year middle and high school students. As long as the amendment has not yet passed the National Assembly, AI textbooks retain their "textbook" status, so publishers are continuing content development for subjects such as mathematics and science.
Hyun Junwoo, CEO of Icecream Media, said, "Some organizations have already set up teams to develop AI textbooks for specific subjects. If the government does not intend to use them as textbooks, it would be better to make that clear as soon as possible." He added, "With development personnel already deployed, if the uncertainty over AI textbook status continues, the damage will only increase."
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