Fostering "Reading Skills" in the AI Era... "Reading Nation" Proclamation Ceremony on the 23rd

"AI Era, Now Is the Age of Reading"
"Reading Nation Promotion Committee" Launched at the National Assembly

The National Assembly, the education sector, local governments, and the cultural and arts communities gathered together to emphasize the importance of "reading skills" required in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). Their aim is to make "reading" a core pillar of the national talent development strategy and to design lifelong reading programs that involve kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as local communities.

Kim Youngho, Chairman of the National Assembly Education Committee, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly. 2025.12.10 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

On the afternoon of the 23rd, the "Reading Nation" proclamation ceremony and the launch event for the "Reading Nation Promotion Committee," hosted by Kim Youngho, Chairman of the National Assembly Education Committee, will be held at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building. This event has been organized to elevate reading education to a national core strategy and to serve as a starting point for a shift in policy. Notable attendees include Choi Gyojin, Minister of Education; Cha Jeongin, Chairman of the National Education Commission; Jeong Geunsik, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education; former Constitutional Court Justice Kim Jongdae; Yoo Hongjun, Director of the National Museum of Korea; and former Seoul Superintendent Cho Heeyeon, among others.

At the launch event, Chairman Kim will announce a roadmap for a lifelong reading policy that outlines a step-by-step reading education system from early childhood through high school. The plan includes specific policies such as operating "Reading Kindergartens" to establish an early reading system, running "Reading-Focused Elementary Schools" to strengthen basic literacy, and introducing a "Reading Semester System" that restructures the middle school free semester program around reading. The goal is to systematically integrate reading education throughout public education. In particular, the plan includes not only improving the reading environment but also enabling everyone to have a database (DB) like a "reading resume," which can be linked to the high school credit system and career counseling.

Chairman Kim emphasized, "To lead the AI era, we must shift from education that simply focuses on acquiring correct answers to fostering the ability to think and make judgments independently through books," adding, "A reading nation is not just an education policy but a national task that will determine the future competitiveness of the Republic of Korea."

The Reading Nation Promotion Committee plans to gather opinions from various sectors and actively pursue initiatives such as a nationwide reading campaign, legislative and budgetary policy development, and projects to build a reading ecosystem.