A middle school in Gang-dong-gu, Seoul, decided to re-select its summer-vacation recommended books after parents protested the inclusion of a presidential autobiography [1].

The incident highlights the tension between educational curriculum choices and political neutrality in South Korean schools. Because the book is written by a sitting president, some parents viewed its inclusion as an inappropriate political influence on students.

The school distributed the reading list during a summer-vacation ceremony on July 21, 2024 [2]. The list featured approximately 60 titles [1] that were selected by teachers across 14 different subjects [1]. Among these titles was "My Boy-Worker Diary," an autobiographical essay written by President Lee Jae-myung [1].

School officials said the books were chosen based on their educational value [1]. However, parents objected to the selection, arguing that a political autobiography of a current head of state should not be recommended to middle school students [1].

Following the backlash, the school announced it would redo the recommended book list [1]. Reports of the parental protests and the school's subsequent decision to change the list surfaced on July 24, 2026 [3].

The administration has not specified which titles will replace the contested autobiography, but the move aims to resolve the conflict with the parent body while maintaining a list of academic resources for the break.

“A middle school in Gang-dong-gu, Seoul, decided to re-select its summer-vacation recommended books”

This situation underscores the high sensitivity regarding political neutrality in the South Korean education system. When a school includes a work by a sitting president, it risks being perceived as promoting a specific political agenda, regardless of the intended educational merit of the text. The swift reversal by the school suggests that parental influence remains a dominant force in shaping the boundaries of acceptable classroom and extracurricular materials.