The South Korean government is significantly enhancing 'digital media literacy' education in schools to combat the spread of false and manipulated information through generative artificial intelligence (AI) and social media. Starting next year, the number of classes receiving direct instruction from specialized trainers will increase to 5,000 nationwide. The ministry will also develop and distribute comprehensive teaching packages and student assessment tools that teachers can immediately use in their lessons.
On November 3, the Education Ministry unveiled its 'Basic Plan for School Digital Media Literacy Education.' This initiative aims to unify the concepts and areas of media education that have been inconsistently applied by various government departments and local education offices. The plan goes beyond merely using digital devices or identifying fake news; it seeks to systematically cultivate critical understanding and competencies in democratic communication and social participation.
To support this initiative, the Education Ministry has increased its budget for key projects from 519 million won this year to approximately 5.09 billion won next year, a tenfold increase including local matching funds.
A survey conducted in June among 9,428 elementary, middle, and high school students revealed that more than half of the respondents had encountered false or manipulated information. The exposure rates were notably higher among older students, with 54.0% of elementary students, 55.6% of middle school students, and 61.1% of high school students reporting such experiences. The primary sources of exposure across all school levels were video-sharing platforms like YouTube and TikTok, with 34.2% of elementary, 33.2% of middle, and 30.6% of high school students indicating these platforms. Additionally, middle and high school students reported significant exposure through social media platforms like Instagram (27.0% for middle school and 29.4% for high school).
Conversely, the experience of receiving media literacy education during regular class time decreased significantly with higher grade levels: 72.1% of elementary students, 58.5% of middle school students, and 40.8% of high school students reported such experiences.
Students expressed a strong desire to learn how to verify the authenticity of news and videos, with this topic being the top choice across all grades (17.9% for elementary, 17.3% for middle, and 20.3% for high school). The upcoming 2029 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) will introduce 'Media and AI Literacy' as an innovative evaluation area, highlighting the urgent need for a systematic response in public education.
In response, the Education Ministry has established an 'educational framework' based on the four key educational elements outlined in the 'Basic Law for Promoting Digital-Based Remote Education': access to and use of media, understanding and criticism of media, social participation through media, and democratic communication through media.
Starting this fall, the ministry will develop guidelines linked to the curriculum for subjects such as Korean (media), social studies, and ethics (citizenship and AI ethics) by school level and grade. Beginning next year, a 'standard model for teaching and learning' focused on inquiry, projects, and discussions will be introduced in classrooms.
Support materials and programs to alleviate the teaching burden will also be significantly expanded. Beginning next year, the ministry will benchmark the American media education platform Common Sense Media to develop and distribute teaching materials in 'package' format, including explanatory videos, teaching slides, student activity sheets, and formative assessment questions, with around 20 types produced annually.
Educational materials for parents to assist at home will also be provided, along with assessment tools for teachers to directly diagnose and evaluate students' literacy levels, which will be developed and piloted next year for full deployment by 2028.
Experiential education involving student participation will also see a substantial increase. In collaboration with the Viewer Media Foundation, the 'Visiting Digital Media Literacy Education' program will expand from 360 schools this year to 5,000 classes next year (with a budget of 3.5 billion won), and the curriculum will be enhanced to address current issues such as algorithm bias and generative AI hallucinations.
Additionally, the ministry will solicit around 50 subject-linked programs annually (with approximately 1.5 million won in support per program) and promote a field-led model in collaboration with 357 leading democratic citizenship education schools.
Collaboration with relevant departments will also be strengthened, expanding media education in underserved areas from 36 schools this year to 250 next year, and increasing the number of media education operating schools from 670 to 700, along with support for fact-checking classrooms in middle schools (150 schools annually).
To enhance teacher capabilities, the ministry will revise the 'Teacher Qualification Examination Practical Manual' starting next year to explicitly include 'digital media literacy education' in the curriculum for essential courses that prospective teachers must complete.
For current teachers, the number of training participants linked to the Viewer Media Center will increase from 561 this year to 1,000 by 2028, and the ministry will support annual training for 6,000 teachers in collaboration with the Korea Press Foundation's Media Education Center. The Digital Media Literacy Teacher Research Group will also expand from 30 teams this year to 50 teams next year and 70 teams by 2028.
Furthermore, the Education Ministry plans to enhance the school media education support platform 'Miline' by introducing a card-type user interface and metadata badges, transforming it into a demand-driven hub for lesson execution. In collaboration with the National Education Commission, the ministry will also conduct policy research starting next year to further specify and incorporate media literacy education elements in the next curriculum revision.
Additionally, the ministry will institutionalize the assessment of students' critical media understanding capabilities starting in 2028 to establish a data-driven policy feedback system.
Education Minister Kim Kyo-jin emphasized the importance of equipping students with the ability to critically reflect on information and communicate democratically with others amid rapid changes in artificial intelligence and digital media. He stated, 'We will actively support a systematic and comprehensive digital media literacy education program centered on school lessons to help students grow into healthy digital citizens.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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