Chungdahm Learning

What Chungdahm Learning does

Chungdahm Learning operates as CREVERSE Inc. (크레버스), one of the largest private K-12 education companies in South Korea, managing a multi-brand portfolio that includes Chungdahm Learning Center (flagship English tutoring), April Language Institute, iGARTEN (early childhood English), CMS Gifted Education Center and CMS Gakjaeyonggwan (gifted math/science), and C-Cube Coding (STEM). The company serves Korean elementary, middle, and high school students through a nationwide franchise network of branded academies, supplemented by Expression Learning Inc. as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Its core technology is the Smart Class platform, which synchronizes instructor and student tablets in real time for bidirectional classroom interaction, paired with proprietary TKS (Topic-Knowledge-Skill) methodology and a family of student apps (Play500, SELP, Buff, ChunkToon, Thinking MeMe, April learning portals) and content controls (Guardian) deployed on Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 hardware rented through the Learn21 materials portal.

The business model operates on three pillars: tuition and fees collected at branded academies (set independently by franchisees on a semester/monthly basis), franchise licensing fees paid by academy operators (가맹점) into the CREVERSE network, and complementary hardware/materials/online learning revenue (V ON Class, Learn21 e-commerce, PAD tablet rental at KRW 5,500/month). The company recruits students through entrance examinations, periodic admission information sessions, and parent explanation meetings, while parent communication runs through KakaoTalk channels and Naver blog/cafe communities.

Distribution spans all major Korean regions (Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Incheon, etc.) plus international academies in China. The company holds ETS authorization as a TOEFL Junior test center (valid January 2026 to January 2029), reinforcing its positioning on standardized English assessment. Ownership is privately held with no venture or PE capital signals in the source data, and the company is co-led by Representative Directors Lee Dong-hoon and Kim Hyung-jun.

Name

Chungdahm Learning

Legal name

주식회사 크레버스 (CREVERSE Inc.)

Website

https://chungdahm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Chungdahm Learning (CREVERSE Inc.) is a privately held South Korean K-12 education company operating a nationwide franchise network of branded English, gifted, and coding academies for elementary through high school students. It delivers tablet-based Smart Class instruction paired with proprietary TKS methodology across multiple sub-brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Supplementary Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Core Curriculum Small-Group Tutoring Centers (Math/ELA/Science/Social Studies) (EDANAHAA)

Keywords

• K-12 English education
• Supplementary education services
• Gifted education programs
• Franchise education academies
• Digital classroom learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Chongnoong Dong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition/Fees from Branded Learning Centers: Primary revenue from monthly tuition fees collected from students enrolled in Chungdahm Learning, April Academy, CMS Gifted Education Center, and CMS Gakjeyongwan branded academies. Revenue is recurring on a per-student per-semester basis.
2. Franchise Fees: Revenue from recruiting and licensing franchisees (가맹점) under CREVERSE brand network. Franchisees operate branded academies using CREVERSE curriculum, systems, and brand.
3. Learning Materials and Curriculum Sales: Sales of textbooks, digital content, and educational materials through affiliated shopping mall Learn21 (learn21.co.kr). PAD tablet rental service for students.
4. Online Learning Services: Revenue from V ON Class online education services and branded learning portals (April Learning Portal, Chungdahm iGARTEN Learning Portal).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Chungdahm Learning (CREVERSE Inc.) is a South Korean K-12 supplementary education company that delivers English-language and gifted-education programs to elementary, middle, and high school students through a nationwide network of branded, franchise-operated academies. Its core services are delivered via proprietary Smart Class tablet-synchronized digital classrooms, structured TKS-based curriculum (500 program, TRIANGLE program, SOLAR ENGLISH), and a portfolio of student learning apps and online portals (Play500/SELP, April Buff, ChunkToon, Buff: Word Power, Thinking MeMe). Tuition is collected on a recurring monthly/semester basis, with supplementary revenue from franchise licensing, learning materials sales via Learn21, and online classes (V ON Class).

Product overview

Chungdahm Learning (CREVERSE, 크레버스) is a South Korean K-12 education company operating multiple brands under a unified ecosystem. The core brands include Chungdahm Learning Center (청담어학원) and April Language Institute (April어학원) for general English education; CMS Gifted Education Center (CMS영재교육센터) and CMS Gifted Academy (CMS영재관) for gifted math and science programs; iGARTEN (아이가르텐) for early childhood learning; and C-Squared Coding (씨큐브코딩) for coding education. Supporting infrastructure includes Learn21 (textbook shopping), Smart Class (interactive digital classroom), and the Expression Widget (tablet learning app). The April ecosystem includes multiple student apps: April 버프 (vocabulary), April MeMe, April 비나톡, ChunkToon, and Thinking MeMe, while CREVERSE offers 올림, Buff: Word Power, and dedicated learning portals for April and iGARTEN students. Expression Learning (표현어학원), a subsidiary, operates its own programs (500, TRIANGLE, SOLAR ENGLISH, TOEFL, TEPS) through Smart Class and tablet-based learning. Overall, the portfolio is a platform-plus-modules architecture where CREVERSE serves as the umbrella platform managing multiple brand modules with shared technology infrastructure (tablets, apps, portals).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• April Learning Portal (April 러닝포털): Learning portal for April Academy students.
• Buff: Word Power
• ChunkToon
• April MeMe
• April 비나톡
• Thinking MeMe
• Learn21
• SELP

Products and services

• Chungdahm Learning Center (청담어학원)

Quantifiable outcome

• CMS Gakjaeyonggwan: 159 students admitted to science high schools (2026 academic year)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• ETS (Educational Testing Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerETS authorization for CREVERSE to administer TOEFL Junior tests as an official test center. Valid from January 18, 2026 to January 17, 2029. This partnership validates CREVERSE's English education standards and provides certified testing services to students.
• Learn21 (learn21.co.kr)coreOthersAffiliated learning materials shopping mall operated by CREVERSE. Learn21 serves as the official e-commerce platform for textbooks, educational materials, and tablet (PAD) rental services for CREVERSE students.
• Samsung ElectronicscoreTechnology or IntegrationGalaxy Tab tablets (10.1 inch WiFi model) are used as the standard learning device for Smart Class digital education system. Samsung tablets are rented to students through Learn21 platform for use in CREVERSE academies.
• Samsung (for CMS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMS (originally Cheongdam Mathematics School) partnership with Samsung. EDGE brand (cmson.com) appears as a CREVERSE family site, suggesting continued Samsung-CMS collaboration in gifted education.
• Faculty Recruiting (teachinkorea.com)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCREVERSE's official teacher recruitment platform (teachinkorea.com) used for hiring English instructors and educators for franchise academies across Korea.
• KakaosupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerKakao login integration for CREVERSE membership system. KakaoTalk Plus Friend channels used for campus announcements and parent communication.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• New Oriental Education: New Oriental is a major Chinese private education conglomerate offering K-12 and English language learning services at scale. It is comparable to Chungdahm as a broad incumbent in the supplementary education space with both English and test-prep offerings.
• TAL Education Group (Xueersi / 学而思): TAL Education is a large publicly-traded Chinese K-12 tutoring conglomerate with online and offline operations. While geographically focused on China, it represents a broader incumbent operating in the same K-12 supplementary education category.

Direct peers

• ETOOS (이투스): ETOOS is a leading Korean online K-12 education platform offering live and recorded courses for entrance exam preparation. It competes with Chungdahm's online services (V ON Class) and adjacent digital offerings in the same Korean supplementary education market.
• NE능률 (NE Nungnyeok): NE Nungnyeok is a Korean English education and textbook brand that provides supplementary English content and academy services. It competes with Chungdahm in English curriculum, content, and student-targeted academy offerings.
• Pagoda Academy (파고다어학원): Pagoda Academy is a nationwide Korean English academy chain operating under a similar franchise model to Chungdahm's. It targets the same K-12 English supplementary education segment with comparable student outcomes focus.
• Jongro Academy (종로어학원): Jongro Academy is one of Korea's oldest and most recognized English academy brands, with a strong presence in Korean supplementary English education. It shares Chungdahm's target market and admissions preparation positioning.
• Daesung Education (대성교육): Daesung Education is a major Korean private education conglomerate with offline academy networks and online platforms serving K-12 students. It directly competes with Chungdahm in supplementary English and admissions preparation.
• MegaStudy (메가스터디): MegaStudy is one of Chungdahm's largest direct competitors in Korean K-12 supplementary education, operating both online platforms and offline academies across core subjects including English and math. It targets the same Korean student and parent segments with a similar franchise/online hybrid model.
• YBM (와이비엠): YBM is a Korean English education specialist with a long history of language academy operations, textbooks, and teacher training. It overlaps with Chungdahm's core English-focused franchise offering and target customer base.

Emerging players

• iHuman Inc. iHuman is a Chinese digital K-12 education technology company focused on engaging content for young learners. While focused on China and earlier age segments, it represents an emerging digital-first player competing for the same concept of digital supplementary education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CREVERSEofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/creverse_official
• Facebookfacebook.com/chungdahmlearning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chungdahm-learning

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments5 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chungdahm Learning