# Chuncheon's Great Books Program Targets AI Overload

> South Korean city partners with U.S. college to teach critical thinking amid AI education surge.
- Title: Chuncheon's Great Books Program Targets AI Overload · NPR
- Summary: South Korean city partners with U.S. college to teach critical thinking amid AI education surge.
- Keywords: chuncheon, great books, st johns college, ai education, south korea, pisa tests, korean students, incheon national university, lee yonghwa, martin luther king jr, frankenstein, NPR
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/11/09/g-s1-151519/why-a-south-korean-city-is-turning-to-a-u-s-college-to-outsmart-ai
- Published: 2026-11-09T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: chuncheon, great books, st johns college, ai education, south korea, pisa tests, korean students, incheon national university, lee yonghwa, martin luther king jr, frankenstein, news
## Chuncheon's Great Books Program
Chuncheon city partners with St. John's College to teach critical thinking through liberal education.

> Is the Frankenstein monster human?
## AI Education Concerns in South Korea
51% of South Korean students use AI chatbots weekly for studying according to OECD data.
## Great Books Model
Students read Aristotle, Shakespeare, Euclid, and Korean authors without internet or external sources.
## Chuncheon Mayor's Initiative
Chuncheon mayor Yook Dong-han wants to introduce alternative education to counter system limitations.
## St. John's College Partnership
Chuncheon established academic partnership with St. John's College last year for Great Books program.
## Student Engagement
Students debate complex texts like Martin Luther King Jr's Letter from Birmingham Jail.
## Program Impact
120 college students and 770 younger students participate in Great Books program across South Korea.
## Educational Philosophy
Great Books model creates 'miniature republics' where ideas clash but people cooperate.
## AI and Critical Thinking
Students who can't reason independently can't judge AI-generated content quality.
## Key takeaway

Chuncheon, South Korea, launched a Great Books program with St. John's College to counter AI's impact on students' critical thinking skills.