GILBUT

What GILBUT does

GILBUT (도서출판 길벗) is a privately held Korean educational publishing company founded in 1990 and headquartered in Seoul's Mapo-gu district. The company operates four interconnected publishing platforms: Gilbut·Eztok for general trade books (IT, economics, humanities, travel, hobbies), Gilbut School (길벗스쿨) for children's education, Sinagong (시나공) for exam preparation, and Gilbut Textbook (길벗교과서) for government-adopted school textbooks. GILBUT holds curriculum-approved textbook status across 2009, 2015, and 2022 national curriculum revisions for middle and high school information technology, Japanese language, and ethics subjects, with new 2022 curriculum titles rolling into classrooms from 2025. Long-running bestseller series include "무작정 따라하기" (2M+ copies sold) and the "전래당" children's fairy tale series (1M+ copies), supported by industry-first reader feedback mechanisms such as the "Beta Tester System" introduced in 1996.

GILBUT's technology stack centers on its own e-learning video lecture platform (e-learning.gilbut.co.kr), a QR-code-enabled textbook companion website delivering supplementary audio, video, and smart class materials, and dedicated teacher resource rooms. The company runs on domestic Korean cloud infrastructure (NAVER Cloud, NHN Cloud), uses KG Inicis for payment processing, and integrates Google Analytics for behavioral data. The company sells through direct e-commerce (Naver Smart Store), the Korean Textbook Association shopping mall, regional offline bookstores, and a nationwide regional wholesaler network. Marketing is multi-channel across YouTube, Naver Blog, Facebook, Instagram, and KakaoTalk, with subject-specific KakaoTalk channels for information, Japanese, and ethics teachers.

The business model combines one-time book sales (physical and digital) with recurring subscription revenue from the e-learning video lecture platform. GILBUT is led by Representative Director Lee Jong-won (이종원), has 101-250 employees, and operates as a bootstrapped, management-led company with no disclosed external investment, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Customer segments span students (preschool through high school), teachers, parents, and adult learners, with the institutional textbook channel providing multi-year revenue visibility tied to Korean national curriculum cycles. The company has accumulated multiple government and industry awards, including Ministry of Culture "Book Day" awards (2003, 2017, 2021, 2022) and seven consecutive years of consumer-selected quality satisfaction awards (2012-2018).

Name

GILBUT

Legal name

주식회사 도서출판 길벗

Website

https://gilbut.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

GILBUT is a privately held Korean educational publishing company operating four platforms — general books (Gilbut·Eztok), children's education (Gilbut School), exam prep (Sinagong), and curriculum-adopted school textbooks (Gilbut Textbook) — serving students, teachers, parents, and adult learners across South Korea with both print publications and a subscription video learning platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Publishing

NAICS

Information (51), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Reading & Writing (Literacy) Materials (EDAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

K–12 Textbook Publishing (Core Curriculum) (MPAJABAA)

Keywords

• Educational publishing
• Korean textbooks
• Language learning books
• Children's educational books
• Exam preparation books

Headquarters

HQ city

Mapo

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales (Physical and Digital): Sale of physical and digital books through multiple channels including official online store, textbook mall, and offline bookstores
2. Video Learning Content: Video lecture platform (e-learning.gilbut.co.kr) offering paid video courses with subscription model for premium content access

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GILBUT is a Korean educational publishing company that publishes physical and digital books across IT/computing, languages, economics/management, humanities, hobbies, travel, and children's education, alongside adopted Korean middle and high school textbooks for information technology, Japanese language, and ethics subjects. The company also operates an online video lecture subscription platform (e-learning.gilbut.co.kr) for premium video learning content integrated with book materials, and distributes directly through its own Naver Smart Store, the Korean Textbook Association mall, regional bookstores, and a nationwide distributor network.

Product overview

GILBUT (길벗) is a comprehensive Korean educational publishing company operating across four main platforms: Gilbut Eztok (general publishing), Gilbut School (children's education), Gilbut Textbook (school textbooks), and Sinagong (exam preparation). The company publishes across IT, economics, business administration, humanities, hobbies, and travel sectors. Gilbut Eztok serves as the main bookstore with integrated video learning, while Gilbut School focuses on children's educational materials from preschool to elementary levels. Gilbut Textbook publishes school curricula for information technology, Japanese language, and ethics subjects under 2009, 2015, and 2022 curriculum revisions, with supplementary services including smart class materials, teacher resource rooms, Information Cookie newsletter, and Gilbut Class lecture programs. Sinagong provides exam preparation books for certifications. All platforms offer social media integration (Naver, Kakao, Google, Facebook login) and operate on Korean domestic cloud infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 무작정 따라하기: Step-by-step practical guide book series covering IT, travel, and various topics
• 전천당
• 기적의 시리즈
• 시나공
• 지톡(Zito)
• 무따기

Products and services

• Gilbut Eztok (길벗·이지톡) Main book publishing platform of GILBUT offering physical and digital books across IT/computing, economics, business administration, humanities, hobbies, and travel categories, with integrated video learning content and direct e-commerce through the Naver Smart Store. Targeted at adult learners, professionals, and general readers in South Korea.
• Gilbut School (길벗스쿨) Children's educational publishing platform covering Korean language, mathematics, English, children's literature, and parenting education books from preschool through elementary school levels, including branded series like '기적의 계산법', '기적의 독해력', '기적의 독서 논술', and '지토크(Zito)' children's English.
• Gilbut Textbook (길벗교과서) School textbook publishing division covering information technology, Japanese language, and ethics subjects for Korean middle and high schools across 2009, 2015, and 2022 curriculum revisions, with complementary textbook companion website (textbook.gilbut.co.kr) providing supplementary materials, smart class content, audio listening services, and teacher-only resources.
• Sinagong (시나공) Exam preparation book series covering Korean information processing engineer certification, computer proficiency tests, and Japanese language ability tests, marketed alongside the '함께 공부하면 즐겁다, 시나공' study community on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Gilbut Video Lectures (길벗 동영상강좌) Subscription-based online video lecture service integrated with GILBUT book content, allowing registered members to access paid video learning courses for IT, language, certification, and textbook subjects at e-learning.gilbut.co.kr.

Quantifiable outcome

• 무작정 따라하기 series reached 2 million copies sold
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• JTA (Japan Travel Association)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2024Joint kimono experience workshop for Japanese language textbook promotion and cultural education
• (주) 아이지니 (iGenie)coreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite operation, maintenance, data management, and system development services
• (주) 라임북 (Limebook)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBook and product shipping fulfillment services
• NAVER 클라우드 플랫폼coreTechnology or IntegrationKakaoTalk notification service for customer communication
• NHN 클라우드 (NHN Cloud)coreTechnology or IntegrationSMS and email sending services, KakaoTalk business messaging
• KG이니시스coreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing services including credit card, virtual account, and real-time account transfer

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 미래엔 (Mirae-N): One of South Korea's largest K-12 textbook publishers, offering curriculum-approved textbooks across multiple subjects. Direct competitor to GILBUT's textbook business and the dominant player in Korean school textbook adoption.
• 비상교육 (Visang Education): Major Korean educational publisher producing K-12 textbooks, digital learning platforms, and supplementary educational materials. Competes with GILBUT in textbook adoption and digital learning ecosystem development.
• 천재교육 (Chunjae Education): Top-tier Korean educational publisher with strong textbook franchise and EdTech offerings across K-12 segments. Direct competitor to GILBUT across textbook adoption and supplementary educational content.
• YBM (와이비엠): Korean educational publisher specializing in language learning materials including English and other foreign languages. Direct competitor to GILBUT's Eztok brand and language textbook portfolio.
• NE능률 (NE Neungyule): Korean educational publisher focused on language learning materials and K-12 textbooks. Competes with GILBUT in English/Japanese language learning books and exam preparation.
• 학지사 (Hakjisa): Korean educational publisher with textbook adoption across multiple subjects and supplementary educational materials. Comparable mid-tier competitor to GILBUT in school textbook market.

Broad incumbents

• EBS (한국교육과정평가원 / Educational Broadcasting System): State-backed Korean educational media company producing textbooks, educational broadcasting content, and digital learning platforms. Larger scale than GILBUT and dominant in core curriculum subjects.
• 두산동아 (Doosan Dong-A): Large Korean general publisher producing textbooks, reference books, and educational content across broad subject areas. Comparable to GILBUT in educational publishing with greater scale and brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ilovegilbut
• Facebookfacebook.com/gilbutzigy
• Instagraminstagram.com/gilbut_eztok
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gilbuteztok

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about GILBUT