Two Vacancies in National Education Committee as It Launches on 27th… Lee Baeyong Appointed Chairman

Nomination of Former Ewha Womans University President Lee Baeyong, Who Pushed for State-Controlled History Textbooks, as Chairman
National Education Committee Launched Without Two Teacher Union Representatives
Appointed Members with Clear Political Affiliations Make Educational Agenda Discussions Inevitable to Clash

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The National Education Commission will be launched on the 27th. Out of the 21 members, 19 have been recommended or nominated, excluding 2 recommended by teacher organizations.

On the 22nd, the Ministry of Education disclosed the list of 19 out of 21 members of the National Education Commission. Former Ewha Womans University President Lee Baeyong was nominated as the chairperson, a minister-level position. The chairperson is appointed by the president, and Lee is a close aide who served as a special advisor during President Yoon’s transition period. He is a conservative historian who was involved in promoting the state-authored history textbook during the Park Geun-hye administration.

Standing committee members nominated include Kim Taejun, former president of the Korea Institute of Finance (recommended by the People Power Party), and Jeong Daehwa, chairman of the Korea Student Aid Foundation (recommended by the Democratic Party). Kim Seokjun, Superintendent of Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, was recommended by the Justice Party, a non-negotiating party. Other non-standing members recommended by the People Power Party are Kim Taeil, former chairperson of the National Student Representative Council, and Park Soyoung, head of the Education Reform Movement Headquarters. The Democratic Party recommended Lee Minji, student council president at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Jang Seokwoong, former superintendent of Jeonnam Office of Education, and Jeon Eunyoung, co-representative of the Seoul Innovative Education Parents Network. The National Assembly Speaker recommended Lee Seungjae, senior specialist of the National Assembly Education Committee. In total, nine members are recommended by the National Assembly: four from the Democratic Party, three from the People Power Party, one from the Speaker, and one from the Justice Party.

Besides the chairperson, those appointed by the president include Kang Eunhee, Superintendent of Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education; Kang Hyeryeon, professor emeritus at Ewha Womans University; Kim Jeongho, former president of the Free Enterprise Institute; and Cheon Seyoung, professor emeritus of education at Chungnam National University. The Council of Governors recommended Lee Youngdal as secretary-general.

The National Education Commission is responsible for establishing the national education development plan, setting standards and content for the national curriculum, and collecting and coordinating public opinions on education policy. Given the strong partisan colors of many members, conflicts during discussions on education agendas seem inevitable. Particularly, many appointees by the president are not education experts, and controversy is expected over Chairperson Lee Baeyong’s past involvement in promoting the state-authored history textbook.

An official from the Ministry of Education said, "The Education Commission Act stipulates participation of experts from various fields including economics and society, not just education experts. Education administration experts such as Professor Cheon Taeyoung are included, and members with diverse backgrounds have been nominated." Regarding Chairperson Lee, the official added, "Considering his extensive experience and expertise in education and organizations, he is evaluated to have sufficient professional knowledge."

Ex officio members include Jang Sangyun, Vice Minister of Education, and Cho Heeyeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and chairperson of the Council of Superintendents. The University Education Council recommended Hong Wonhwa as its chairperson, and the Korea Council for Private Colleges recommended Nam Seonghee as its chairperson.

The two members recommended by teacher organizations are missing. The Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (Jeon-gyo-jo) filed an injunction to suspend the recommendation process, delaying the schedule. The National Education Commission Preparatory Committee requested 14 teacher-related organizations to recommend two members. These organizations agreed that the Korea Teachers Federation, the Teachers’ Union, and Jeon-gyo-jo would decide on the nominees through consultation, but the three organizations failed to reach an agreement.

To recommend one member each in order of the number of members (union members), the Preparatory Committee asked the three organizations to submit their membership numbers. However, only the Korea Teachers Federation and the Teachers’ Union have submitted data. Jeon-gyo-jo has yet to submit, demanding criteria for counting overlapping memberships. Until the court’s decision, it is difficult to finalize the teacher organization recommended members.

The National Education Commission will launch on the 27th according to the enforcement schedule of the organizational decree, with two members missing. The Ministry of Education expressed regret that the commission is launching without representatives from teacher-related organizations and stated, "We hope the ongoing injunction process will be resolved quickly so that the recommendation process by teacher-related organizations can proceed smoothly."

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