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AI Textbook Publishers Sue Education Minister Over Legal Status Change
🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

AI Textbook Publishers Sue Education Minister Over Legal Status Change

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • AI digital textbook publishers are suing the Minister of Education, seeking damages for losses incurred after the legal status of digital textbooks was changed.
  • The publishers invested heavily in developing and implementing AI digital textbooks, but a revision in November lowered their legal status from 'textbook' to 'educational material.'
  • This change removed the obligation for schools to use the AI textbooks, allowing principals to decide whether to adopt them, impacting the publishers' investments.

Publishers of AI digital textbooks are taking legal action against the Minister of Education, demanding compensation for financial losses. Companies like YBM and Dong-A Publishing filed a damages lawsuit against the state at the Seoul Central District Court on June 25, 2026.

Their grievance stems from a revision to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in November 2025, which reclassified AI digital textbooks from 'textbooks' to 'educational materials.' This change, according to the publishers, significantly devalued their investments made in development, certification, and platform construction, based on previous government assurances.

The revised law removed the mandatory use of AI digital textbooks in schools. Instead, principals now have the discretion to decide whether to adopt them. The publishers argue that this shift has caused substantial financial damage, for which they hold the state responsible. The government had previously allocated approximately 2 trillion won to introduce these AI digital textbooks in March 2025.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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