Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho commented on the paper related to artificial intelligence (AI) digital textbooks published in an international academic journal, noting that he included his daughter, Professor Lee So-min of Washington State University, as a co-author, stating, "It was done as a professor to professor between an IT major and an economist."
On the morning of the 17th, during the 'AI Digital Textbook Verification Hearing' held at the National Assembly's Education Committee, when Chairperson Kim Young-ho of the Democratic Party asked whether he was trying to boost his daughter's credentials, he responded accordingly.
He stated, "I am both a Minister and a scholar," and added, "I wrote a paper that I am not at all ashamed of as a scholar."
Earlier, in 2020, while serving as a professor at the Korea Development Institute (KDI), a paper related to digital textbooks co-authored by Deputy Prime Minister Lee's daughter, Professor Lee So-min, and Jeong Young-sik, a professor at Jeonju National University of Education, was published in an international academic journal.
When Chairperson Kim asked why he suggested that his daughter, who is not a major in the field, co-author the relevant paper, Deputy Prime Minister Lee replied, "(My daughter) is an economist and an IT major; the most discussed issues in IT are how to apply it to health or education."
When Chairperson Kim continued, asking whether it was not an attempt to enhance his daughter's credentials, Deputy Prime Minister Lee responded, "It was done as a professor to professor," adding, "She was already working as an assistant professor at that time."
At the hearing that day, Jeong Young-sik, a former professor at Jeonju National University of Education, replied to Chairperson Kim's question regarding whether it is unusual for him to write a paper with his daughter, saying, "(At that time) it is common for fathers and daughters to co-author papers to build high school students' admission specs, but (she) was already an adult and a digital management expert."
In response to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Baek Seung-ah, regarding the improper relationship with specific corporations, such as receiving sponsorship from an edtech company during his tenure as chair of the Asia Education Association, Deputy Prime Minister Lee stated, "The Asia School Association is a non-profit public corporation, and receiving political donations does not at all fall under private interests."
Lawmaker Baek also stated that Deputy Prime Minister Lee is 'one with' edtech companies in relation to the introduction of AI textbooks. To this, Deputy Prime Minister Lee responded, "It is truly an unfair claim to say that I am doing this (the introduction of AI digital textbooks) to benefit edtech companies."
At the same time, when asked by Lawmaker Baek whether he could promise not to return to the Asia Education Association after resigning as Deputy Prime Minister and not to be involved with edtech companies, Deputy Prime Minister Lee replied, "I promise."