Park Seong-su, an education policymaker and critic and Vice-President for Administrative Affairs at Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), has published his second discourse on the state of education in the Republic of Korea, 'Living as a Parent in the Republic of Korea'.

Last year, through his book 'Dragon from a Stream: Is Fair Education Possible?', which raised the issue of 'fair education' and proposed alternatives, Mr. Park addressed the topics of public education, the college entrance system, and parents' educational philosophies for parents in the Republic of Korea in this second book.

The author cites examples such as pianist Lim Yunchan and Professor Heo Jun-yi, individuals whom Korea's public education system failed to discover and nurture, to assess the current state of public education in the country.

Composed of eight chapters, the book begins by examining today's parents in the Republic of Korea and then explores the feelings and needs of children who are struggling under the current educational reality. It offers warnings and advice to parents who still push their children with outdated thinking and knowledge, and provides a scathing analysis of the exalted place of 'studying' that our society unconditionally venerates.

This is a stinging rebuke to public education and the education sector, and the author's proposal for change for parents and educators. The author presents painful insights into our study-centric ideology, articulates the demands for genuine learning in our society and future education, and concretely outlines the role parents should play in educational reform.

Mr. Park advises, 'Not paying much attention to studying in high school is not a major problem. It is more important to think about how to live one's life with self-esteem and a sense of identity.' He added, 'If one cultivates good character, a healthy mind, and a strong body, when one's purpose is determined one will study naturally, and it is never too late to start then.'

The author studied philosophy and law at Yonsei University and obtained a general social studies teacher certificate from the Graduate School of Education. As part of public official training, he earned a master's degree in curriculum at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in the United States, and a doctorate at the Graduate School of Educational Policy at Korea National University of Education. He has served at the Ministry of Education as Director of Career Education Policy, Director of Student Welfare Policy, Director of University Academic Affairs, and Director of Academic and Scholarship Policy. His publications include 'Dragon from a Stream: Is Fair Education Possible?'.