LAST JAN. 28, 2005, Kim Jin-pyo, the former Minister of Finance and Economy, took office as the Minister of Education and Human Resources Development. About the reason to choose him, Cheong Wa Dae (office of the President, Republic of Korea) said it was in consideration of his ability to reform universities to meet demands of the business sector.

   About this result, several mass media were on different footing respectively. The Chosun Ilbo, on their editorial column, Jan. 28, 2005, said that although they admit the importance of the reform of Korean universities, it is a logical leap to choose an economic minister, and also emphasized the more important problem is to determine the course of Korean education, so Minister Kim Jin-pyo is not suitable. The JoongAng Ilbo and Dong-A Ilbo also clarified their expectation and concern on the problem. They, on the one hand, agreed with Pres. Roh's point of view about the university education being a desirable thing, yet on the other hand, have doubts about his suitability to practice the matter in hand.

   On the other hand, the Hankyoreh clarified their different attitude to the problem, on their editorial column the same day. They made a frontal attack on Pres. Roh's point of view on education, saying universities are not only suppliers for corporation's human agency and the President has a biased view about education.

   From late 1998, experienced under the IMF period, the economic depression has been long in Korean society and the younger generation unemployment has been a serious problem (7.3%, from 15 to 29, October, 2003, from the National Statistical Office). "Many entrepreneurs also say university graduates are not able to be put in industry fields right away after employing," says Yoo Chang-jae, a journalist of The Korea Economic Daily. Under this situation, to solve the unemployment problem and increase Korean universities' competitiveness, it seems that Pres. Roh and other mass media opinions are desirable.

   However, on the other hand, there are few who have doubts about the presupposition, "universities for corporations." Why do universities satisfy corporation's needs? If the logic is adjusted to university management perfectly, where do the pure sciences, such as science, literature, history, and philosophy stand? Many persons concerned with corporations, education and government only say Minister Kim is suitable or not, yet they do not discuss about pure science and its way to the future. It seems that all legitimate education is non-equally honorable, seeing the present situation in Korea.

   Many people concerned with education passed through Minister of Education and Education and Human Resources Development, but there are still no solutions about Korean education. Then it would be a new attempt to choose an economics minister as a Minister of Education, to solve the education problem connected with the economy. However, this time again, the pure science problem stands outside the core of Korean education. While watching the new Minister of Education, I quietly thought about the education problem which nobody is concerned about.