The Korean economy and society confront a multitude of challenges, including demographic shifts, slowing growth potential, and declining social mobility. These changes, coupled with the transition into the digital economy and the development of new technologies such as AI are expected to bring about various changes in labor demand. These developments demand a swift transformation of the education system to foster human resources capable of adapting to these changes. However, Korea's education system, the foundation of its workforce, is not yet prepared, making it essential to transform all levels of education, from primary to higher education.

Recognizing that nurturing future human resources through educational innovation is a critical task in this era, this study explores innovations in primary and secondary education and reorganization strategies for higher education to create an innovative human capital ecosystem.
Beginning with an introduction outlining the role and direction of education, this paper discusses the need for educational innovation, referencing the social mobility index. We then examine educational inequality based on parental social background and status in the modern Korean society, investigate how the resulting income inequality has become perceived negatively, and analyze intergenerational social mobility using empirical data and various metrics and methods.

For innovation in elementary and secondary education, we suggest establishing a new 'Scholastic Aptitude Test' system, implementing a transition to tiered and customized teaching approaches to increase educational productivity, and developing a teacher training system to prepare for upcoming environmental changes.

Regarding higher education, we assess the performance of cross-applicants in the labor market after graduation, the efficacy of major-specific education in the labor market, and the roles of government and academic institutions in enhancing university competitiveness. Drawing upon these analyses, we present a transformation strategy for higher education to foster an innovative human capital ecosystem.

In conclusion, we highlight the importance of shifting from a supply-focused to a demand-focused educational paradigm and prioritizing the improvement of educational productivity as key elements of the proposed educational innovation.

Preface
Executive Summary

Part 1 Introduction

Chapter 1 The Role and Direction of Education (Sungmin Han)
　References

Chapter 2 The Necessity of Social Mobility and Educational Innovation (Insik Min)
　Section 1 Research Background
　Section 2 Concepts and Measurement of Social Mobility
　Section 3 Data and Variable Descriptions
　Section 4 Korea Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS) Analysis Results
　Section 5 Analysis of Private Education Costs in Primary and Secondary Schools
　Section 6 Conclusion
　References
　Appendix

Part 2 Transformation and Innovation in Primary and Secondary Education

Chapter 3 Establishing a Framework for Diagnosing Basic Academic Skills in Primary and Secondary Education (Yongsang Lee)
　Section 1 Introduction
　Section 2 Current Status and Limitations of Basic Academic Skills Diagnostics
　Section 3 International Cases of Basic Academic Skills Diagnostics
　Section 4 Definition and Scope of Basic Academic Skills
　Section 5 Design of the Basic Academic Skills Diagnostic System
　Section 6 Discussion and Suggestions
　References

Chapter 4 Analysis of the Effectiveness of AI-Based Education: Focusing on
Vulnerable Students (Sungmin Han)
　Section 1 Introduction
　Section 2 Literature Review
　Section 3 Educational Investment in Childhood
　Section 4 AI-Based Education
　Section 5 Analysis of the Effectiveness of AI-Based Education
　Section 6 Analysis Results
　Section 7 Adoption and Implementation of AI-Based Education
　Section 8 Conclusion and Policy Implications
　References

Chapter 5 Exploring Directions for the Advancement of Future Teacher Education Systems (Tae Suk Lee)
　Section 1 Introduction
　Section 2 Discussions on the Development of Existing Teacher Training Systems
　Section 3 Trends in Educational Conditions and Teacher Characteristics in Korea and Major Countries
　Section 4 Current Status and Directions for the Advancement of Teacher Supply Plan
　Section 5 Analysis of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Achievement
　Section 6 Conclusion
　References

Part 3 Transition of Higher Education for Building an Innovative Human Capital Ecosystem

Chapter 6 Analysis of Labor Market Outcomes of Major Cross-Applying Applicants (Heonjae Song)
　Section 1 Research Background and Purpose
　Section 2 System and Literature Review
　Section 3 Data and Methods
　Section 4 Analysis Results
　Section 5 Policy Implications
　Section 6 Conclusion
　References

Chapter 7 Major-Specific Education and Labor Market Outcomes in Higher Education (Wankyo Chung)
　Section 1 Introduction
　Section 2 Graduates by Major in Higher Education
　Section 3 Data and Methods
　Section 4 Labor Market Outcomes of Higher Education Graduates
　Section 5 Policy Implications
　References

Chapter 8 Roles of Government and Universities in Enhancing University Competitiveness (Chinyoung Kim)
　Section 1 Introduction
　Section 2 Status of Korean Universities from an International Comparison Perspective
　Section 3 Challenges of Korean Universities
　Section 4 Suggestions for Enhancing University Competitiveness
　References

ABSTRACT