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History

*Unless otherwise specified, all dates are launch/establishment dates.

2010’s

Diversifying to meet ever-changing study needs

  • YBM Learning – a leadership/creativity program for young learners (2011.01)

  • CNN the Biz and CNN Café – facilities for social gatherings (2011.02)

  • The 50th anniversary of our founding (2011.04)

  • Y2BOOKS – an e-book publisher (2011.10)

  • Mathloo – a one-to-one customized math program for elementary and middle school students (2012.01)

  • TOEFL ITP (Test Of English as a Foreign Language - Institutional Testing Program) (2012.04)

  • Deal to handle copyright management, etc. in Korea for Cartoon Network characters (2012.06)

  • YBM Career Campus – a job training service (2012.07)

  • Pine Tree – English learning books for pre-schools (2014.03)

  • YBM Touch Touch English – a tablet PC English learning device for children (2014.06)

  • YBM CLASS – a Web site mainly delivering TOEIC test prep lectures (2014.06)

  • YBM MASTERY E900 – a tablet PC learning device for improving English speaking skills (2014.11)

  • Gakken Classroom-Today's Math – an in-home math tutoring program (2015.02)

  • Perfect English – English learning books for institutes (2015.03)

  • C-GATE (Chinese - Gifted & Talented Education) – a dual language institute for English and Chinese (2015.03)

  • YBM English Afterschool – an English learning program for after-school classes (2015.03)

  • Osaka English Village in Japan (2015.11)

  • YBM Academy – a facility for educational events, workshops, and student camps (2016.01)

  • COS (Coding Specialist) (2016.06)

  • Acquisition of TOYCODE, an introductory coding education company for children (2016.08)

  • Wing – a children's English tutoring program for improving integrated skills (2016.11)

  • Jiaoyou YBM Chinese – a tutoring program teaching Chinese to children (2017.10)

  • Partnerships with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Scholastic to publish their content online (2017.11)

  • YBM Readers – an online English reading program (2017.11)

  • Solution Mathematics – mathematics learning books for institutes (2018.01)

  • COS Pro (Coding Specialist Pro) (2018.03)

  • YBM On-Air – a one-on-one video chat English program with native English speakers (2018.03)

Pine Tree Series
YBM Touch Touch English
YBM Touch Touch English
Osaka English Village
Osaka English Village

2000’s

Expanding into the online education market

  • National Geographic Korean Edition (2000.01)

  • MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist) (2000.05)

  • YBM Sisa.com – the largest online education company in Korea (2000.06)

  • Newsweek 21 – a guidebook for Newsweek's English edition (2000.06 – 2005.12)

  • CNN ez – a magazine for improving English listening skills (2000.11 – 2017.10)

  • YBM Leaders International Academy – an English learning program using U.S. textbooks (2001.11)

  • YBM Home School – an English learning program with small-sized classes (2002.09)

  • YBM/MDI – a medical/dental postgraduate entrance examination prep institute (2004.04)

  • JET (Junior English Test) (2005.02)

  • YBM Sisaphone – a telephone English conversation program (2005.04)

  • YBM Appletree – an English immersion program for very young learners (2005.08)

  • YBM Test of Chinese Characters for Business (2005.09)

  • YBM Leadership Academy – a leadership education program for children and young adults (2005.09)

  • YBM English One-to-One – an English institute with customized lessons (2005.09)

  • English Villages – English-language immersion facilities operated in cooperation with the government in the greater Seoul metropolitan area (2006.03, 2007.04)

  • YBM - THE TEXT – an affiliate specializing in textbook publication (2006.09)

  • TOEIC Speaking and Writing (2006.12)

  • TSC (Test of Spoken Chinese) (2007.03)

  • SJPT (Spoken Japanese Proficiency Test) (2007.03)

  • YBM HRD.com (presently YBM Career Campus) – a job training service (2007.04)

  • YBM engloo – a chain of English learning labs (2007.06)

  • YBM Reading Club – an English reading program (2007.07)

  • YBM GATE (Gifted & Talented Education) – a gifted English program for young learners (2008.03)

  • KPE (Korean Proficiency Examination) (2008.10)

  • GPS (Global Prep Strategy) – an English institute for highly competent elementary and middle school students (2009.03)

  • Expansion of YBM engloo, a chain of English learning labs, to Japan (2009.04) and China (2010.06)

First editions of National Geographic Korean Edition and CNN ez
First editions of National Geographic Korean Edition and CNN ez
MOUS Test (presently MOS) advertisement poster
MOUS Test (presently MOS) advertisement poster
Seoul English Village Suyu Campus opening ceremony
Seoul English Village Suyu Campus opening ceremony

1990’s

Launching language schools for children

  • ECC (English Centers for Children) (presently YBM ECC) – Korea’s first early English education institutes (1991.12)

  • SEPT (Spoken English Proficiency Test) (1995.09)

  • PSA – an English immersion program for students from 4 to 6 years old (1996.02)

  • Dongari – an English conversation home tutoring program (1998.09)

  • TWT – an English writing proficiency test (1999.02)

YBM PSA
YBM PSA

1980’s

Bringing practical language proficiency tests to Korea

  • TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) (1982.01)

  • ICF (International Communication Foundation) (1982.04)

  • MOU of TOEIC test administration between YBM and ETS (Educational Testing Service) (1983.05)

  • ELS International Seoul – Korea’s first English institute staffed exclusively with native English speakers (1983.09)

  • JPT (Japanese Proficiency Test) (1985.12)

The 1st TOEIC Test
The 1st TOEIC Test
ELS International Seoul opening in Gangnam, Seoul

1970’s

Opening the country's first language institute

  • English 900 – a series of records that were Korea’s first audio product for English listening comprehension (1971.08)

  • New World Language Institute – Korea’s first foreign language education institute (1974.08)

English 900 LP records
English 900 LP records
New World Language Institute (later renamed Hyundai Institute)
New World Language Institute (later renamed Hyundai Institute)

1960’s

Founding and first publishing activities

  • Founding of Sisa-yong-o-sa, the forerunner of YBM (1961.04)

  • The Study of Current English – the first magazine for English learners (1961.05)

  • YBM's first high school English textbooks (1967.09)

The first edition of The Study of Current English
The first edition of The Study of Current English
YBM's first high school English textbook
YBM's first high school English textbook