National Education Commission Delays Mid- to Long-Term National Education Development Plan Draft Announcement: "Late October to Year-End" (Comprehensive)

The National Education Commission has postponed the announcement of its “2028-2037 Mid- to Long-Term National Education Development Plan,” which had been scheduled for late October, until later this year. The decision was made because the commission determined that it needed to consult with relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Education, and allow for further deliberation among its members.

At its 11th meeting, held at the Government Complex Seoul on October 21, the commission discussed the schedule for announcing a draft of the Mid- to Long-Term National Education Development Plan and made the decision.

The commission had originally sent the draft prepared in August 2026 to the Ministry of Education for review and feedback, and planned to incorporate the feedback and release the draft at the end of October.

However, after the Ministry of Education said that it needed more time for review and consultations, the schedule had to be adjusted to allow for consultations with relevant ministries and deliberation among commission members.

At the meeting, members said that, as the National Education Development Plan will set the direction of education policy for the next 10 years, there should first be sufficient agreement between the government and the commission.

Some also expressed concern that releasing a draft without agreement could instead cause confusion in the education sector. Commissioner Park Younghwan said, “Given that more time is needed for consultations among ministries and review of opinions, releasing a draft without sufficient deliberation could instead raise even bigger issues.” He proposed postponing the announcement without setting a fixed deadline. Commissioner Lee Hyun also proposed delaying the schedule, saying, “Rather than being bound by a timeline, it would be better to announce a plan that meets the public’s expectations.”

Others argued that a specific date for the announcement should be set. Standing Commissioner Kim Kyunghoe said, “Rather than postponing it indefinitely, we should set a deadline, at least committing to report back by the end of the year.” Commissioner Son Deokje also said, “Isn’t the mid- to long-term plan supposed to be finalized and announced in March next year?” He added, “Shouldn’t we set and announce how much time we will spend deliberating before then?” Commissioner Kim Geon also said, “We need to set a deadline for the announcement to allay public concerns.”

Accordingly, two options were proposed at the meeting: announcing the draft by the end of the year, or not setting a deadline and discussing the matter again at a later date.

Commission members unanimously agreed to postpone the announcement of the draft, but differed on whether to set a specific date. By majority vote, the commission decided to announce the draft by the end of this year, rather than in late October as originally planned.

The schedule change applies only to the announcement of the draft. Cha Jeongin, chair of the National Education Commission, said, “The plan’s finalization date, March next year, remains unchanged.”

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