Explanation of the Relationship with RheePark School

To the members and supporters who cherish the Center for Free Enterprise (CFE),

Founded in 1997 with the aim of advancing the free market economy, the Center for Free Enterprise (CFE) now marks its 28th anniversary and has carried out activities to promote liberalism and help build a country where businesses can thrive. Since 2016, CFE has not received project support from the Korea Enterprises Federation (formerly the Federation of Korean Industries) and has operated independently.

We would like to express our gratitude for the many inquiries you have made, as well as for your words of criticism and encouragement, after seeing recent reports regarding our alleged connection to Libak School. We are sorry for causing concern, and would like to offer the following explanation.

First, CFE makes clear that it has absolutely no connection to the comment manipulation allegations surrounding Libak School. The project we carried out in cooperation with Libak School was an educational program introducing economic ways of thinking to young people through a business site visit program, and we ask for your understanding that its content concerned sound economic knowledge that everyone in our society ought to possess.

In 2022, CFE received a proposal from Libak School for a youth business site visit program and found its purpose worthwhile. As it aligned with our institutional direction of economic education, we permitted the program to be operated under the name of CFE. In response to a request for recommendations of suitable places to visit in Yeouido, we suggested the National Assembly, KBS, and the Korea Exchange, focusing on institutions with established tour programs.

As part of the tour program, students received about 20 to 30 minutes of lectures related to economics. I delivered these lectures, and the main content consisted of three parts: developing good habits related to economics; fostering an economic mindset that understands capital and investment through saving; and leadership qualities needed in social life, such as consideration, respect, and building cooperative relationships. This content was basic knowledge that our youth should possess for economic activity, and was not far-right education, as some media outlets critically portrayed it.

Once again, I sincerely apologize for causing concern. The youth educational tour program at the center of this controversy has been completely suspended, and going forward, no matter how well-intentioned a project may be, we will evaluate cooperative projects carefully and rigorously to ensure that no such controversy arises.

Going forward, CFE, as a market economy think tank, pledges to continue striving to help make our society more vibrant and to foster an environment in which a diverse range of businesses can emerge and bring greater vitality to our economy. The support of our members and donors is a tremendous source of strength. We bow our heads in asking for your continued support.

Thank you.

June 3, 2025

Sung-no Choi

President, Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

---

Original title: 리박스쿨과의 관계에 대한 설명

Author: Center for Free Enterprise (CFE)

Date: 2025-06-03

Source: https://www.cfe.org/bbs/bbsDetail.php?cid=notice&pn=4&idx=27775