Toward a Foundational Consensus on Civic Education in South Korea
Institute for Future Strategy Issue Brief Vol. 45
“Toward a Foundational Consensus on Civic Education in South Korea”
This Issue Brief diagnoses the limitations of civic education in South Korea amid the growing crisis of democratic backsliding and authoritarian tendencies, and proposes institutional alternatives to build and implement a basic agreement—namely, a foundational consensus—on the necessity, principles, and direction of civic education.
The Brief points out that civic education in South Korea has thus far been confined to a narrow scope in terms of content and methods, failing to secure sufficient systematization and sustainability. It also examines how controversies over political neutrality have led to the contraction of civic education in schools, resulting in the repeated fluctuation of its content and direction in line with shifting political currents.
In addition, the Brief analyzes how past efforts to build the foundations of civic education have proceeded in a fragmented manner, divided between “social consensus” and “political consensus,” and identifies the limitations of each. As an alternative to overcome these limitations, it proposes the use of a citizens’ assembly. A citizens’ assembly is a deliberative body in which randomly selected citizens engage in learning and deliberation to discuss public issues and produce recommendations, and it is regarded as an effective mechanism for addressing contentious public matters such as the foundations of civic education.
Accordingly, this Issue Brief proposes, as a concrete measure for deriving a foundational consensus on the necessity, principles, and direction of civic education, the establishment of a Special Committee on Civic Education and a framework to link its activities with a Citizens’ Assembly on Civic Education.
