Demographic Changes and New Challenges and Opportunities in Education
Institute for Future Strategy Issue Brief Vol. 53
“Demographic Changes and New Challenges and Opportunities in Education”
This issue brief examines the structural challenges facing Korean education amid rapid demographic shifts and the rise of the AI era, and proposes directions for policy response.
As population decline and ageing become defining structural conditions of Korean society, the brief argues that the role and function of education must also undergo a fundamental transformation. In particular, it calls for a paradigm shift from selection to support, alongside the development of an open, multi-path education system in which education and labour form a virtuous cycle across the life course.
To address the decline in the school-age population, the brief highlights the need to establish community-based local education ecosystems in primary and secondary education, involving local governments and communities. In higher education, it emphasises a transition towards fostering critical thinking and learning agility, as well as the introduction of new curricula and assessment methods premised on the use of generative AI. It further notes that university research systems should be restructured towards collaboration-oriented models in response to advances in artificial intelligence.
In addition, the brief proposes the simultaneous pursuit of regional balanced development and higher education reform through national strategies such as the “SNU 10 Initiative.” It also outlines mid- to long-term tasks, including the cultivation of graduate-level research talent and the establishment of lifelong learning systems. In particular, it underscores the importance of a “life–work–learning integration model” to support re-education and labour market re-entry for the 40s–60s generation.
Building on these discussions, this issue brief presents a strategic direction for redesigning the education system in the context of demographic transformation and technological change, offering meaningful policy implications for the future of education.
