DEEP ANALYSIS

Half of South Korean Students Already Study with AI… Five Essential Competencies Our Children Need

South Korean students maintained top-tier global rankings in mathematics, science, and digital problem-solving in PISA 2025, but their reading scores dropped by 14 points compared to 2022. 51% of 15-year-old South Korean students use AI chatbots for learning at least once a week, with AI being rapidly adopted for summarization, preliminary research, and drafting essays. Recent studies show that while generative AI can have positive effects on learning, providing direct answers can actually weaken independent problem-solving skills. Materials from the WEF and UNESCO emphasize competencies such as analytical thinking, human-centric judgment, ethics, collaboration, and creativity alongside AI technology itself. The core of education in the AI era is not about maximizing AI usage, but about cultivating the ability to read deeply, think independently, verify AI outputs, and use them only when necessary.