Presidential Office Calls Education Ministry's University Admission Director Replacement "Proof of Interest Cartel"

Sudden Dismissal a Day After Criticism of Private Education Costs and CSAT Difficulty
Yoon: "Education Authorities and Private Education Are in Cahoots... Education Authorities Are Encouraging It"

The Presidential Office on the 16th pointed to the Education Ministry's dismissal of the director in charge of university admissions as "evidence of an interest cartel," highlighting issues between the education authorities and the private education industry. On the same day, the Ministry of Education placed Lee Yun-hong, the Talent Policy Planning Officer responsible for university admissions, on standby and appointed Shim Min-cheol, the Digital Education Planning Officer, as his successor.

The Presidential Office attributed the personnel action by the Ministry of Education to non-compliance with the president's directives. It was said that even after President Yoon carried out personnel measures for first-level officials in the Ministry of Education last year, the staff did not follow instructions to exclude questions on subjects not covered in the public education curriculum from the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).

The Ministry of Education's action was swift. The personnel change occurred shortly after President Yoon pointed out the increase in private education expenses and issues with the difficulty level of the CSAT, meaning the director in charge of university admissions was replaced within half a year.

On the previous day, at the Yongsan Presidential Office, President Yoon received a report on the progress of education reform from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho and pointed out that including questions in the CSAT on topics not covered in the public education curriculum is no different from the education authorities encouraging private education. In particular, he said, "The inclusion of non-literary Korean language questions that are not covered at all in the public education curriculum or interdisciplinary questions that schools cannot possibly teach is from the start pushing students toward private education, which is very unfair and unjust," adding, "When the public sees this reality, they think the education authorities and the private education industry are in cahoots." However, Kim Eun-hye, the chief spokesperson for the Presidential Office, clarified in a written briefing that "President Yoon did not talk about an 'easy CSAT' or a 'difficult CSAT' to Deputy Prime Minister Lee yesterday."

Meanwhile, President Yoon instructed the Ministry of Education to adopt a trinity approach involving the government, corporations, and educational institutions and also urged support for innovative universities. He said, "Education must innovate and transform in line with economic and industrial demands," and added, "Universities, as suppliers, must respond flexibly so that education consumers can learn what they want to learn." He further emphasized, "The government, corporations, and educational institutions must become a trinity," and ordered, "Fully support innovative universities that break down the walls inside and outside of universities." This reflects the judgment that not only corporations but also the government and educational institutions must innovate together to cultivate talent suited for the rapidly changing digital society.

Additionally, he raised directives to strengthen the infant and toddler care system. President Yoon told Minister Lee, "Aim for world-class infant and toddler education and care," and instructed, "To achieve this, unify the management system under the Ministry of Education and cooperate with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to complete the integration of childcare and preschool education that the public can feel."

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