SEOUL - South Korea will digitize all textbooks for elementary, middle and high school students by 2015, the government said Wednesday.

The plan for "smart education," which requires about 2.23 trillion won ($2.07 billion ), aims to materialize instructional methods customized to each student's level of ability, according to a report submitted to President Lee Myung- bak by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the President's Council on "Information Strategies."

Under the plan, digital textbooks will be introduced in elementary schools in 2014 and will be expanded to middle and high schools the following year, the government said.

The plan also includes building an environment for an Internet- based computing system known as cloud computing by 2015. Clouding system allows accessing data and software stored on servers through mobile devices such as smartphones without having to carry laptops or personal computers.

The government expects that the new educational plan will help students establish their own study patterns based on individual needs by giving them online access to their lessons and other educational resources.