Korea's education commission delays draft 2028-2037 education plan to year-end

South Korea's National Education Commission (국가교육위원회) decided at its 11th meeting of 2026, held on 21 October at the Government Complex Seoul, to postpone the draft of its 2028-2037 national education development plan. The draft had been scheduled for release at the end of October. It is now due within the year, but no specific date has been set. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 9 , 11 ]

Yonhap, Asia Economy and Hankook Ilbo reported that members agreed unanimously to postpone but split 10 to 6 on whether to commit to an announcement within the year or postpone without a deadline. The in-year option prevailed. Korea Economic Daily reported that members weighed setting a year-end deadline against deciding the timing later, and settled on the year. It quoted Kim Kyung-hoe (김경회) as saying that without a deadline the delay could be taken as an indefinite postponement. [ 2 , 4 , 7 , 8 ]

Outlets said the delay reflects contested issues, including the proposed introduction of essay-type questions in the College Scholastic Ability Test. Member Park Young-hwan (박영환) proposed the delay, saying many issues needed sufficient deliberation, opinion gathering and public discussion, and that schools and the public want a better education system rather than a speedy announcement. Standing member Kim Kyung-hoe said it was time to check whether an end-of-October release was possible, since some issues remained and the views of central agencies and local governments had to be gathered. Commission chair Cha Jeong-in (차정인) said the aim was to put good content in the draft, so the work should move quickly, but fixing a date could be a burden. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 ]

Consultation with ministries was also cited. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that the commission's secretariat sent a first draft to the Education Ministry in August, asked for further review on 2 October, and on 16 October asked ministries including Employment and Labor and Health and Welfare for opinions. Korea Economic Daily reported that those requests excluded issues still under discussion inside the commission, and that opinions were requested by the end of the month. Vice Minister of Education Choi Eun-ok (최은옥) told the meeting that the ministry was not satisfied with how far its review comments were reflected, and that a draft released without agreement within the government would cause greater confusion in schools. [ 5 , 7 , 8 ]

The plan sets the direction of education from schools to universities. Newsis, Hankook Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo reported that, for it to apply from 2028, the final plan must be fixed by 31 March next year. Hankook Ilbo said the commission's position is that this deadline is unchanged. [ 3 , 5 , 7 , 9 ]

Background: Cha had hinted at a delay at a National Assembly audit on 7 October, saying it might be right to hold more public discussion on the university admission system before announcing. CBS NoCut News reported that on 4 September an extraordinary meeting was held at the request of 11 of the commission's 19 members, who objected that the essay-type exam proposal was made public without enough communication with members. Chosun Ilbo reported that the draft schedule had been pushed back repeatedly before. [ 1 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]