Daekyo marks 50th anniversary with vision to become '100-year company'

Daekyo marked its 50th anniversary Thursday by unveiling a business expansion strategy rooted in the fundamentals of education, declaring its ambition to become a company that endures for a century. The move signals the tutoring-materials giant's push to build new growth engines as the school-age population shrinks and competition in the education technology sector intensifies.

The company held the ceremony Thursday at Seoul Dragon City in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, with about 600 employees in attendance. The event was also livestreamed on YouTube.

Daekyo was founded in 1976 as the Korea Kumon Mathematics Research Association and grew by developing its "Noonhopi" education model, which tailors learning pace and level to each student. However, the traditional education services market has recently stalled amid a declining school-age population and the expansion of online education platforms, making business diversification increasingly urgent.

According to Statistics Korea, the number of elementary school students in South Korea fell from about 2.7 million in 2015 to roughly 2.2 million in 2025. In response, education companies have been broadening their scope into AI-powered personalized learning, adult education and senior care.

Daekyo outlined plans to expand into AI- and digital-based future education, senior life care and cultural content. The strategy aims to diversify its portfolio toward non-school-age markets while preserving its identity as an education company.

The ceremony opened with a commemorative video, followed by a keynote address from honorary chairman Kang Young-joong and a CEO message from chief executive Kang Ho-jun.

"It is thanks to our employees and customers that we were able to weather crises and change over the past 50 years," Kang Young-joong said. "I hope we continue to build the next 50 years of history on a deep understanding of our customers."

"We are in an era where the scope of education is expanding into culture and experience," Kang Ho-jun said. "We will proactively think about the kind of learning the times demand, with education as our foundation."

The ceremony also included awards for long-serving employees and a special appreciation award titled "It Was Good to Have You." An in-house conference followed, where key business strategies and the company's vision were shared with staff.

"Traditional education companies, including Daekyo, are accelerating their business restructuring in response to the structural shift of a shrinking school-age population," an industry official said. "How quickly they can establish a foothold in AI, content and the senior market will determine their competitiveness going forward."