"Reading Kindergartens" to Replace English Kindergartens During My Term
Pilot and Institutionalize Reading-Focused Elementary and Middle Schools
Public Education Must Lead Reading Education
As tensions surrounding educational issues reach their peak-with the advent of the AI era, discussions on revising the college entrance exam, a literacy crisis, and controversies over early English private education-Kim Youngho, Chairman of the National Assembly Education Committee, has put forward 'reading' as a solution. This is not simply about encouraging reading but positioning it as a core pillar of the national talent strategy that spans from kindergarten and schools to communities and even the labor market.
Chairman Kim stated, "South Korea's education policy has always been fixated on the college entrance exam and admissions systems, but unless we change the labor market, simply tweaking the admissions process will not make our children any happier." He added, "With the current overheated competitive structure, we cannot nurture the talent needed in the AI era." The vision for a nation of readers stems from this awareness. He focuses not on AI technology itself, but on 'people who can utilize AI effectively.' He believes that competencies difficult for AI to replace-such as literacy, creativity, critical thinking, and both humanistic and scientific imagination-are accumulated through deep reading and discussion. He also believes that the vision of the Lee Jaemyung administration to become one of the 'top three AI powers' can only be realized if reading is prioritized.
The following is a Q&A with Kim Youngho, Chairman of the National Assembly Education Committee.
Kim Youngho, Chairman of the National Assembly Education Committee, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly. 2025.12.10 Photo by Kim Hyunmin
◆ Why advocate for a 'nation of readers' now?
=AI is rapidly replacing knowledge acquisition and data processing, yet our education remains centered on memorization and problem-solving. The most effective way to cultivate deep thinking and creative problem-solving skills needed in the AI era is through reading. Countries like Finland and Singapore have fostered literacy and a culture of reading at the national level. In contrast, Korea's literacy rates have raised red flags among both students and adults. The 'National Assessment of Academic Achievement' shows that the rate of students falling below the basic proficiency level in Korean language has increased to a critical level. We should consider enacting a 'Basic Literacy Act' to make reading education mandatory. We are also reviewing the possibility of legislating a 'Basic Academic Skills Guarantee Act' so that the national and local governments are required to implement policies ensuring literacy.
◆ Why propose 'reading kindergartens' instead of English kindergartens?
=Early English private education is excessively overheated. Many parents make a strategic decision to send their children to English kindergartens, believing that mastering English early and then focusing on mathematics will lead to good grades and ultimately admission to medical school. However, I believe this strategy is no longer valid. As AI becomes commonplace, language barriers can be resolved technologically. On the other hand, the importance of the Korean language has grown even more significant.
Simply regulating English kindergartens will not resolve the issue of early English private education. The educational environment itself must change. Reading kindergartens serve as a starting point to familiarize children with books. The Korea Kindergarten Association also responded positively, expressing a desire to make children comfortable with books through reading kindergartens. My goal is to pilot and institutionalize reading kindergartens and reading-focused elementary and middle schools during my term. If personnel tentatively called 'book masters' can lead book play, storytelling, and group discussions, I believe the return on investment will be very high.
◆ How does this connect with elementary, middle, and high school education?
=The key is a life-cycle design that starts with reading kindergartens and continues through reading-focused elementary and middle schools. In particular, the first-year free semester in middle school should be transformed into a 'reading semester' so that students can focus on reading and discussion without the burden of exams. The accumulated reading experience can then be digitized as a 'reading resume' and linked to the high school credit system and career counseling.
◆ Can a nation of readers reduce private education?
=Habit is the key to reading. When children develop a love for books, there is little room for private education to intervene. While essay academies can teach writing techniques, they cannot teach how to read books. Ultimately, if curriculum-linked reading education is established within public education, there will be no need to send children to reading or essay academies. If reading education is successful, it will be difficult for the private education market to expand further. I believe public education should take the lead in reading education.
◆ What is the relationship with essay-type and descriptive assessments in the college entrance exam?
=I hope that the nation of readers is not seen merely as a tool for admissions. There is ongoing debate about absolute versus relative grading and essay-type assessments in the college entrance exam, but I do not believe that changing these will bring about educational reform. However, students who have accumulated reading experience from an early age will naturally be able to handle essay-type assessments. This is fundamentally different from reading solely for the purpose of preparing for the college entrance exam without a reading habit. In the mid- to long-term, universities and education authorities may consider selection methods that utilize reading resumes. However, rather than using reading as another tool for competition, the emphasis should be on transforming the educational environment to center on reading.
◆ How should education change for Korea to become a top three AI power?
=Ultimately, it is people who use AI effectively. If more citizens develop thinking and judgment skills through reading, Korea can become the country that utilizes AI best. However, to change a structure where everything revolves around admissions, labor market reform must happen in parallel. The essence of educational reform is to create a society where people are not discriminated against for not attending prestigious universities or large corporations. A nation of readers is an important pillar in normalizing education within such structural reforms.
Kim Youngho, Chairman of the National Assembly Education Committee, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly. 2025.12.10 Photo by Kim Hyunmin
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