HANI is a company providing Korean language education and settlement solutions tailored for students from the Russian-speaking world. The company was founded in January 2023 by CEO Cherrin Song (26) and Elena Park (30).
The company’s flagship offerings are its Korean language education, study-abroad consulting, and Korea settlement support services. Based on its proprietary curriculum, HANI offers a diverse range of Korean courses, from beginner to advanced levels, including 1:1 tutoring. It also provides personalized consulting to ensure a successful experience for students wishing to study in Korea. Furthermore, the company actively supports the integration of young Russian speakers into Korean society by participating in government-led initiatives, such as vocational training programs for overseas Koreans.
“HANI’s greatest competitive advantages are its professionalism and practicality. Our research into the Russian-speaking market revealed that most online Korean academies operate without professional, certified teachers and lack a systematic curriculum. HANI brings together certified Korean instructors with degrees in education and native Russian-speaking teachers who have graduated from leading Korean universities. Working as a team, they develop a systematic and practical curriculum. Moreover, we differentiate ourselves from other platforms by offering a total solution that encompasses not only language education but also study-abroad support and settlement services.”
HANI directly operates its own social media channels, which have a combined following of 900,000. The company leverages these channels to promote its content and acquire prospective students. At the same time, HANI is increasing its brand credibility and attracting new clients by actively participating in government-led projects, including those organized by the Overseas Koreans Agency, Korea Polytechnics (Incheon Campus), and Miraieum Songdo, Incheon. The company is also raising its public profile through social contribution activities such as hosting a Korean language education fair in partnership with the Koryoin Global Network.
How did CEO Song come to start the company? “Last May, I was invited as a Korean language instructor and academy director to give a lecture at HSE University in Moscow. There, I met over 300 Russian students and saw firsthand their thirst for Korean learning as well as the challenges they face. They expressed that it is difficult to find accurate information and nearly impossible to access a systematic education. I was driven by a desire to solve this problem and provide the quality Korean language education they deserved, which is what compelled me to found this company.”
As a current resident of SNU Campus Town, CEO Song is reducing operational overhead and focusing that energy on solidifying the company’s revenue model. Looking ahead, she aims to expand beyond the Russian-speaking world into the English and Chinese-speaking markets. To achieve this, she plans to participate in various investment programs and is preparing investor relations materials for upcoming funding discussions.
After founding the company, CEO Song said, “I feel the most fulfilled when I directly see positive changes in Korean language learning through HANI. When more than 100 Koryo-saram and Russian-speaking learners participated in the Korean language education fair we hosted with the Koryoin Global Network last May, I truly felt that our efforts had been worthwhile.”
“I feel delighted every time I see our students making progress,” said CEO Song. “One of them is a Russian man in his 50s who runs a leather workshop. He began by learning the Korean alphabet from scratch and has advanced so much that he now produces his own YouTube videos in Korean. At times I found his constant questions a little overwhelming, but I believe it was precisely that persistence and dedication that enabled him to achieve such remarkable growth in such a short time.”
Regarding future plans, CEO Song said, “We plan to develop online courses for TOPIK preparation, create game-based learning content, and enhance our study-abroad consulting services to deliver the wide range of content and support that learners need. We will also take an active role in domestic demo days and international conferences to attract investors, build global partnerships, and broaden our collaborations.” She added, “Building on our success in the Russian-speaking market, we aim to expand into other language markets—starting with the English-speaking world—and grow into a truly global ed-tech company.”
Date of Establishment: January 2023
Core Business: Korean language education and Korea settlement solution services for the Russian-speaking market.
Key Achievements: Reached over 4,000 cumulative students. Operating top-tier influencer channels in the field with a total of 800,000 followers. Produced over 150 original Korean language educational content modules. Selected as a resident company of the 2023 Startup Didimteo incubation center. Signed a social contribution partnership with the Koryo-saram Global Network. Participating in government-led projects with the Overseas Koreans Agency, Incheon Polytechnic, and others.
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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