ePass Korea

What ePass Korea does

ePass Korea (주식회사 이패스코리아) is a Seoul-headquartered private education company founded on July 28, 2003, specializing in financial certification and Korean professional qualification exam preparation. The company operates nine dedicated online education platforms covering CFA, FRM, AICPA, CAIA, CMA, AFPK/CFP and a range of domestic credentials (labor attorney, customs specialist, loss adjuster, administrative attorney, fire safety), supplemented by offline academies in Seoul (Yeongdeungpo-gu headquarters, Jongno-gu training center) and Suwon. Its technology footprint is a multi-brand online learning platform with e-Learning content spanning finance, securities, insurance, tax, accounting, and technology fields, supported by an in-house HR Engineering Research Institute developing financial talent education programs and Career Development Programs (CDP) for Korean financial institutions.

The company generates revenue through five primary streams: subscription-style online course sales, customized B2B corporate training for banks and securities firms, government-subsidized training delivered through the 국민내일배움카드 (National Tomorrow Learning Card) program offering up to KRW 3 million in training support over five years, academy-based offline instruction, and publishing of financial textbooks and certification materials including the Money Plus monthly magazine. Its customer base spans individual learners, major Korean financial institutions (KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Nonghyup Bank, Shinhan Financial Academy, Hyundai Securities, Samsung Securities group), and government-subsidized employed workers. Notable proprietary programs include the FFES (Future Financial Expert Scholarship) scholarship program, sponsored by subsidiary KOSFI since 2007, which has produced 148+ alumni across 15 cohorts and is currently recruiting its 17th cohort.

The group structure includes five subsidiaries (한국증권금융연구소/KOSFI, 아이파국제금융아카데미/AIFA, 아이파경영아카데미/AIFA Biz, 우리경영아카데미, and EPASS관세사), with strategic history anchored by the 2004 acquisition of Edufocus to add domestic securities/financial certifications and the 2016 merger with Dongnam Administrative Exam Academy to build the customs specialist business. Founder and CEO Lee Jae-nam (PhD in Finance, University of Cincinnati) leads the company, which operates with no disclosed external private equity or venture capital ownership. Marketing channels include the company website, social media (Facebook, YouTube, Naver Blog), participation in events such as the 2024 National Military Personnel Employment Fair, and partnerships with universities including Hongik University and Dongguk University.

Name

ePass Korea

Legal name

(주)이패스코리아

Website

https://ir.epasskorea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ePass Korea is a Seoul-based private education company founded in 2003 that operates nine online platforms and physical training centers across South Korea, delivering financial certification courses (CFA, FRM, AICPA, CAIA, CMA) and professional qualification exam preparation to individual learners, financial institutions, and government-subsidized trainees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Education & Certification Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Certification & Licensing Exam Management Platforms (EDAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Exam Delivery & Test Administration Platforms (EDAFADAA)

Keywords

• Professional certification training
• Financial certification courses
• Corporate education services
• Online learning platform
• Professional exam preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Adygeya

HQ country

Russia

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Online Education Services: Revenue from operating 9 online education websites providing certification exam preparation courses including CFA, FRM, AICPA, CAIA, CMA, and various Korean professional certifications
2. Corporate Training: Customized corporate education services for businesses including financial institutions, banks, and insurance companies
3. 국민내일배움카드 (Government-subsidized Training): Education services supported by government employment insurance cards, providing up to 3 million KRW in training cost support
4. Publishing: Publication of financial practice textbooks, certification exam materials, and monthly magazine 'Money Plus'
5. Academy Education: Offline academy courses for professional certifications including labor attorney, administrative attorney, customs specialist, and loss adjuster

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ePass Korea operates nine online education websites delivering certification exam preparation courses for international financial credentials (CFA, FRM, AICPA, CAIA, CMA) and Korean professional qualifications (Certified Labor Attorney, customs specialist, loss adjuster, administrative officer, firefighting, police). It complements online courses with corporate customized training, offline academies in Seoul and Suwon, government-subsidized 국민내일배움카드 training, and publication of textbooks and exam materials.

Product overview

ePass Korea operates as a comprehensive education services platform with a multi-brand portfolio consisting of the core ePass Korea platform for financial certifications (CFA, FRM, CAIA, AICPA), supplemented by specialized sub-brands including 이패스노무사 for labor attorney certification, 이패스관세사 for customs specialist preparation, 이패스손사 for loss adjuster courses, and 이패스비즈 for professional business skills. The company provides enterprise-level corporate training services with content development and LMS solutions, operates scholarship programs like FFES for aspiring financial professionals, offers government-supported training through the 국민내일배움카드 program, and maintains publishing operations for educational materials. The platform serves both individual learners and corporate clients across online and offline channels through its network of education centers in Seoul and Suwon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 이패스코리아: Main brand for finance, tax, and accounting certification courses
• 이패스노무사
• 이패스관세사
• 이패스손사
• 이패스비즈
• 이패스공무원
• 이패스고시
• EPASSJOBGO

Products and services

• ePass Korea Flagship Platform (이패스코리아) Flagship online platform offering courses for international financial credentials (CFA, FRM, CAIA, AICPA, CMA) and domestic financial certifications, targeting finance professionals and certification candidates.
• ePass Nomu (이패스노무사) Specialized education platform for Certified Public Labor Attorney (CPLA) certification, featuring courses taught by practicing labor attorneys with systematic 1st and 2nd round preparation.
• ePass Gonsi (이패스관세사) Specialized customs specialist education platform formed from the merger of Dongnam Administrative Exam Academy and ePass Korea, offering customs certification preparation with 20+ years of experience and 4,311+ exam passers since 2011.
• ePass Sonsa (이패스손사) Loss Adjuster/Loss Assessor certification education platform featuring current practitioners as instructors, with textbooks and lectures developed collaboratively for expedited certification.
• ePass Biz (이패스비즈) Professional development platform covering marketing, data analysis, and practical business skills through online and offline instruction for workplace professionals.
• Corporate Training (기업교육) Customized corporate education services for financial institutions, banks, securities firms, and insurance companies, including training content development, LMS system construction, and operational support.
• 국민내일배움카드 Education (National Tomorrow Learning Card Training) Government-supported vocational training program providing up to 3 million KRW in training cost support over 5 years for employed workers covered by employment insurance.
• HR Engineering Research Institute (HR공학연구소) Research institute developing financial talent cultivation programs and CDP (Career Development Program) tailored to financial industry roles, providing financial industry consulting and research services.
• FFES (Future Financial Expert Scholarship) Scholarship program for university students aspiring to financial industry careers, providing free financial certification courses (CFA, FRM, AICPA) and 1:1 career consulting, sponsored by KOSFI since 2007.
• Publishing (출판사업) Publication of financial practice textbooks, certification exam materials, and standalone books covering international certifications (CFA, FRM, AICPA, CMA, CAIA) and domestic tax, securities, insurance, and trade qualifications.
• Academy Education (학원교육) Offline and online academy services for professional certification exams, including Certified Labor Attorney, customs specialist, loss adjuster, and administrative officer, with physical centers in Seoul (Yeongdeungpo, Jongno) and Suwon.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 한국증권금융연구소 (KOSFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic partner for financial research and education. KOSFI sponsors ePass Korea's FFES (Future Financial Expert Scholarship) program. Originally founded in 2003 as a business partnership for CFA and FRM services.
• 홍익대학교 경영대학coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness agreement signed in January 2024 for enhancing financial expertise of Hongik University business school students. Students receive special education fees and scholarship benefits from ePass Korea.
• 한국FPSB (Korea Financial Planning Standards Board)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint participation in job fairs for AFPK/CFP certification promotion. ePass Korea achieved 35.6% and 35.9% pass rates in AFPK exams and produced top scorers.
• 동국대학교 (Dongguk University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic-industry collaboration established in 2009 for Financial Engineering Academy and joint research activities.
• 한림국제대학원minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness agreement for educational cooperation established in 2024.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Class101 (클래스101): Korean subscription-based online learning platform focused on creative and professional skills — adjacent competitor in the Korean online professional education space with newer consumer UX.

Direct peers

• Eduwill (에듀윌): Korean professional certification education company offering CPA, tax accountant, and labor attorney prep — directly comparable sub-brand peers to ePass Korea's ekorbei (labor attorney) and AIFA (CPA) brands.
• Kaplan (Kaplan Financial): Kaplan offers CFA, FRM, and other financial certification exam prep globally, directly competing with ePass Korea's flagship CFA/FRM/AICPA/CAIA programs on content quality and pass-rate outcomes.
• Becker Professional Education: Becker provides CPA, CMA, and finance certification prep globally — comparable to ePass Korea's AICPA/CMA offerings and corporate finance training for financial institutions.
• Hagensoft (하겐소프트): Korean online professional certification provider covering securities, insurance, and tax exams — overlapping target market and product portfolio with ePass Korea's core financial certification offerings.
• Wiley (Wiley Efficient Learning / CFA Institute prep): Wiley is a leading publisher and provider of CFA, CMA, and CPA review courses, competing head-on with ePass Korea's international certification curriculum and proprietary textbook publishing business.

Broad incumbents

• Megastudy (메가스터디): Major Korean education company with broad portfolio across K-12, professional certifications, and corporate training — competes in adjacent markets and shares similar enterprise training customers.
• Inflearn (인프런): Largest Korean online learning marketplace covering IT, finance, and professional skills — competes with ePass Korea for consumer attention in online certification and professional development.
• Coursera: Global online learning platform partnering with universities to offer professional certificates and finance credentials — increasingly competing for Korean CFA/CPA learners with university-branded content.

Regional players

• Korea Securities Finance Institute (KOSFI): Korean securities finance research and education body that is both a strategic partner and indirect competitor — overlaps with ePass Korea's FFES scholarship sponsorship and securities exam prep content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/epasskorea
• Facebookfacebook.com/epasskorea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 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 ePass Korea