The 4th National Education Council Launched... Including 2 Youth Members

Deliberation and Resolution on 4th Term Operation Plan
8 New Appointments Among 12 Appointed Members
Youth Members Park Seok-jun and Jeong Seo-won Also Join

Chairman Jin-Kyung Kim of the National Education Council / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The 4th National Education Council under the President has been launched.

The National Education Council held the inauguration ceremony for its 4th term and the 23rd meeting at 3 p.m. on the 22nd at the annex of the Government Seoul Office. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye attended the ceremony. The meeting deliberated and resolved the operational plan for the 4th National Education Council.

The 4th term members consist of 21 people, including 12 appointed members and 9 ex officio members. Chairperson Kim Jin-kyung and members Kwon Taek-hwan, Ahn Hye-jung, and Cha Ki-ju were reappointed. The planning team leader is Lee Kwang-ho, Education Secretary at the Blue House, and newly appointed members include Professor Kim Hwa-kyung of Sangmyung University, Nam Ki-gon, Head of the Academic Promotion Division at the National Research Foundation of Korea, Yoon Hyun-hee, a member of the Narae Elementary School Steering Committee, Professor Lee Chan-gyu of the Korean Language Department at Chung-Ang University, and Professor Jeon Ho-hwan of the Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at Pusan National University.

To enable youth participation in policy decision-making, two youth members were added to the 4th term. Park Seok-jun, Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Kkumjirak Network, and Jung Seo-won, Chairperson of the Busan Youth Committee, joined as youth members.

The National Education Council supports the prompt passage of the National Education Committee Establishment Act in the National Assembly. It plans to continue discussions on educational reforms for early childhood, elementary, and secondary education, as well as higher and vocational education, responding to digitalization, non-face-to-face formats, and regionalization through public participation.

In response to rapid digitalization, the council seeks innovative measures for higher and vocational education to overcome risks of unemployment and regional disparities. This includes initiatives such as the "Lifelong Education Platform University," which can respond to changing educational demands throughout a person's life.

Additionally, to enhance the effectiveness of non-face-to-face classes, which have become normalized due to COVID-19, the council is exploring ways to establish a Korean-style education platform with international competitiveness. It plans to develop a social consensus model involving public participation to address increasingly complex educational policy issues related to the demographic cliff and youth unemployment. The council will also support the 2022 curriculum revision through participation and communication with not only education experts but also diverse citizens from various regions and educational stakeholders.

The National Education Council operates a plenary session for deliberation and resolution of agenda items, three standing specialized committees for in-depth discussions by field, and three special committees for focused discussions on specific issues.

Kim Jin-kyung, Chairperson of the National Education Council, stated, "In the 4th term, the National Education Council will concretize discussions on educational agendas and operational methods to be addressed after the establishment of the National Education Committee, supporting the transition to a future-oriented education system through the establishment of the National Education Committee."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.