Acting president expected to veto bills on AI educational materials, education subsidies

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) — Acting President Choi Sang-mok is expected to veto two opposition-led bills, one of them calling for the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated educational materials and the other extending subsidies for free high school education in Cabinet meetings, the ruling party said Monday.
The ruling People Power Party asked Choi to exercise his veto power against the two bills passed by the opposition-dominated National Assembly last month.
Choi, who also serves as finance minister, looks set to endorse Cabinet motions demanding the reconsideration of the subsidy extension bill on Tuesday and the AI materials bill on Jan. 21, according to ruling party officials.
In December, the National Assembly passed an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which defines AI-generated digital textbooks as educational resources.
Under the revised act, textbooks are limited to printed books and e-books while AI-generated learning contents are categorized as supplementary class materials.
But the education ministry has expressed concerns over “confusion” in schools and society.
The Assembly also passed a revision bill on the Local Education Subsidy Act, which allows the extension of temporary government provisions for free education in high schools by three years through 2027.
South Korea provides free education for elementary and middle school students.

Artificial intelligence-based learning contents are on display at an education fair in Incheon, west of Seoul, in this Dec. 17, 2024, file photo. (Yonhap)
kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
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