Ministry of Education Without a Minister for 47 Days... Speculations Including Former Minister Lee Ju-ho

Strengthened Verification Amid Candidate Dropouts
Concerns Over Children's Admissions Obstacles and Many Withdrawals
Jung Byung-guk and Oh Se-jung Also Mentioned as Candidates

The position of Minister of Education has been vacant for 47 days. To avoid repeating the precedent of two failed appointments, the verification process has been strengthened, and many of the candidates have declined the position. Former Minister of Education, Science and Technology Lee Ju-ho, former lawmaker Jung Byung-guk, and Seoul National University President Oh Se-jung have been mentioned as potential candidates for the new minister.

According to the Ministry of Education and related sources, former Minister Lee Ju-ho is currently undergoing the verification process as a candidate for the next minister. Lee previously served as Minister and Vice Minister of Education, Science and Technology during the Lee Myung-bak administration, as well as Senior Secretary for Education and Science to the President. Recently, he has been active as chairman of the Asia Education Association and also served as the head of the Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education transition committee. He ran as a candidate for Seoul Superintendent of Education in the local elections last June but voluntarily withdrew.

Lee is also known for advocating the abolition of the Ministry of Education. The ‘K-Policy Platform,’ which he was part of, proposed transferring higher education affairs to the Prime Minister’s Office and creating a provisional ‘Ministry of Science and Technology Innovation Strategy.’ President Yoon also perceives that the Ministry of Education excessively restricts universities and has emphasized educational innovation several times since his inauguration, so there is a possibility that Lee will be entrusted with reforming the Ministry of Education. Concerns have been raised that ongoing issues such as the integration of kindergartens and elementary schools, curriculum revisions, and high school system reforms may lose momentum due to the prolonged vacancy of the Ministry’s leadership since the new government took office.

Since the Minister of Education also serves as Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, strict standards are required not only for expertise but also for morality. With stricter criteria on research ethics such as plagiarism and comprehensive scrutiny of issues like children’s admission scandals, it has become more difficult to find candidates who meet the standards. A source in the education sector said, "Many past papers would be considered inappropriate by today’s standards, and issues with children’s admissions and personal statements are also causing many candidates to decline. Since the minister must also serve as Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, factors such as the candidate’s age must also be considered." Previously, candidates such as Professor Jung Je-young of Ewha Womans University and former Vice Ministers Na Seung-il, Kim Shin-ho, and Kim Jae-chun were also mentioned.

Initially, the presidential office considered announcing the candidate before the Chuseok holiday, but the announcement was delayed due to strengthened verification, and the current National Assembly audit is expected to proceed with the ministerial post vacant. The opposition party is even concerned about the possibility of the audit and confirmation hearing schedules overlapping. At the Education Committee’s full meeting the day before, Education Committee Chairman Yoo Ki-hong pointed out, "There are only 13 days left until the National Assembly audit, and if the ministerial candidate is announced just before the audit, there is a concern that the confirmation hearing might take place during the audit period, which would be an absurd situation."

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