PoplarPlanet will provide customized AI language education and optimal learning paths.
PoplarPlanet will provide customized AI language education and optimal learning paths.
Posted September. 29, 2025 15:10,
Updated September. 30, 2025 09:37
- PoplarPlanet offers AI-based language education services, including
'SmileWriting' for elementary school students and 'Aigo Korean' for career-
specific language learning.
- The company aims to expand its services to other high-demand languages and
markets, focusing on practical language skills for real-world applications.
- PoplarPlanet leverages AI to provide personalized learning paths and data-
driven feedback, enhancing the learning experience for users.
Language is the oldest tool of humanity. If language is the seed, writing is the act of cultivation. We connect with the world by learning to speak and affirm our existence by learning to write. While technology may have lessened the frequency of our writing, its fundamental importance remains—for it is through language that the depth of our thoughts is revealed.
It is from this philosophy—that “writing is more than a simple learning tool; it holds the power to connect people and the world”—that ed-tech startup ‘PoplarPlanet’ was born. The company offers two core services powered by artificial intelligence (AI): ‘SmileWriting,’ a literacy-based AI writing diagnostic service for elementary school students, and ‘Aigo Korean,’ a career-specific Korean language learning service. By leveraging AI, Poplarplanet provides users with personalized learning paths and data-driven feedback. The company aims to not only secure a domestic customer base but also to tap into the overseas market for Korean language education, a sector buoyed by the rising global interest in K-content.
CEO Yejin Kim, a graduate of Korea University's Department of Linguistics, witnessed the power of language education firsthand while teaching reading and essay writing to elementary school students. This experience inspired her to found PoplarPlanet in 2024 with colleagues she met at the Apple Developer Academy@POSTECH. "I want to help learners grow themselves and the world, enabling them to prove and expand their own value through language," Kim stated.
‘SmileWriting’: A Fusion of Offline Textbooks, Online Content, and AI Feedback
Developed by PoplarPlanet, ‘SmileWriting’ is an AI-based home-learning program for elementary school reading and essay writing. It provides a grade-level curriculum that encompasses all elementary school subjects and current events, allowing children to engage with writing content tailored to their interests and skill levels. An AI provides real-time corrections and feedback, and learners can track their literacy development through visualized data.
SmileWriting uniquely enhances the learning effect by integrating physical textbooks, online content, and AI feedback. "A key feature is its design, which empowers parents to become their child's 'best teacher' at home," Kim added. "We are actively incorporating feedback from parents and children who have used the service to continuously improve it." To accommodate its users, SmileWriting is offered as a web-based service.
Within the program, the AI generates customized reading materials based on proficiency and provides real-time edits and feedback to maximize learning outcomes. "Writing education isn't about simply marking what's right or wrong, but about suggesting the next step a child can take to improve," Kim explained. "That’s how children can develop an interest in writing and continue to grow."
She continued, "At PoplarPlanet, our AI serves to help learners clearly understand what they've learned and connect it to the next stage of learning. Our biggest challenge is to deliver data-driven feedback that is both accurate and warm."
‘Aigo Korean’: Practical, On-the-Ground Korean Language Training
Aigo Korean is a language service designed for workers in the manufacturing and caregiving sectors from Southeast Asia who are preparing for employment and immigration to Korea. While typical language apps focus on daily conversation or hobbies, Aigo Korean concentrates on the specific vocabulary and document-creation skills that professionals need in the actual workplace.
For example, a caregiver can intensively learn colloquial expressions necessary for communicating with the elderly, alongside the formal writing skills required for record-keeping. "For foreign professionals coming to Korea for work, proficiency in job-related documentation is just as crucial for career advancement as conversational Korean," Kim noted.
The core of the service is to provide differentiated value to learners with the clear goal of employment. "Many workers from Southeast Asia are moving to Korea, but their language studies are often focused solely on passing tests, leaving them unprepared for the linguistic demands of the workplace," Kim said. "We focus on building practical language skills for actual job duties, from communication to documentation."
Optimized for mobile use, Aigo Korean can be accessed anytime, anywhere. As a career-specialized service, its AI provides guidance and feedback tailored to real-world work scenarios. "This strategy considers the learning environment of professionals who are often on the move," Kim said.
Official Launch This Year, Aiming for Global Markets
Founded in 2024, PoplarPlanet is actively gathering user feedback through a pilot run of SmileWriting ahead of its official launch. Based on continuous service improvements, the company plans to release the web-based service within the year and secure a stable customer base by next year. "Feedback like, 'My child who used to hate writing now enjoys it,' is our greatest reward," Kim shared.
Aigo Korean is also undergoing development and verification and is scheduled to launch alongside SmileWriting by the end of the year. Preparations for overseas expansion are underway. "We are preparing for technology validation in Southeast Asian markets like Vietnam and Singapore, as well as in the United States," Kim said. "We plan to gather insights from potential users abroad to develop the most effective educational methods." In the long term, the company aims to build career-specific language datasets through partnerships with local overseas firms. This September, PoplarPlanet will demonstrate Aigo Korean at the Edutech Fair Korea.
This year, PoplarPlanet was selected as a resident company through the Dongguk University Campustown Program. "As an early-stage startup, we faced operational challenges, but the program provided us with office space, essential training, and mentorship. Networking with other startups at a similar stage has also been a great source of strength," Kim said.
Looking ahead, PoplarPlanet plans to expand its services to other high-demand languages, such as Japanese, and introduce a revenue model that covers the entire educational process from vocabulary to speaking. "Language has the power to grow individuals and society," Kim concluded. "At Poplarplanet, we are committed to realizing that power through technology and education."
By Ye-ji Kim (yj@itdonga.com)
'SmileWriting' for elementary school students and 'Aigo Korean' for career-
specific language learning.
- The company aims to expand its services to other high-demand languages and
markets, focusing on practical language skills for real-world applications.
- PoplarPlanet leverages AI to provide personalized learning paths and data-
driven feedback, enhancing the learning experience for users.
Language is the oldest tool of humanity. If language is the seed, writing is the act of cultivation. We connect with the world by learning to speak and affirm our existence by learning to write. While technology may have lessened the frequency of our writing, its fundamental importance remains—for it is through language that the depth of our thoughts is revealed.
Yejin Kim, CEO of PoplarPlanet / source=IT dongA
It is from this philosophy—that “writing is more than a simple learning tool; it holds the power to connect people and the world”—that ed-tech startup ‘PoplarPlanet’ was born. The company offers two core services powered by artificial intelligence (AI): ‘SmileWriting,’ a literacy-based AI writing diagnostic service for elementary school students, and ‘Aigo Korean,’ a career-specific Korean language learning service. By leveraging AI, Poplarplanet provides users with personalized learning paths and data-driven feedback. The company aims to not only secure a domestic customer base but also to tap into the overseas market for Korean language education, a sector buoyed by the rising global interest in K-content.
CEO Yejin Kim, a graduate of Korea University's Department of Linguistics, witnessed the power of language education firsthand while teaching reading and essay writing to elementary school students. This experience inspired her to found PoplarPlanet in 2024 with colleagues she met at the Apple Developer Academy@POSTECH. "I want to help learners grow themselves and the world, enabling them to prove and expand their own value through language," Kim stated.
‘SmileWriting’: A Fusion of Offline Textbooks, Online Content, and AI Feedback
Developed by PoplarPlanet, ‘SmileWriting’ is an AI-based home-learning program for elementary school reading and essay writing. It provides a grade-level curriculum that encompasses all elementary school subjects and current events, allowing children to engage with writing content tailored to their interests and skill levels. An AI provides real-time corrections and feedback, and learners can track their literacy development through visualized data.
SmileWriting, AI home-learning program / source=IT dongA
SmileWriting uniquely enhances the learning effect by integrating physical textbooks, online content, and AI feedback. "A key feature is its design, which empowers parents to become their child's 'best teacher' at home," Kim added. "We are actively incorporating feedback from parents and children who have used the service to continuously improve it." To accommodate its users, SmileWriting is offered as a web-based service.
Within the program, the AI generates customized reading materials based on proficiency and provides real-time edits and feedback to maximize learning outcomes. "Writing education isn't about simply marking what's right or wrong, but about suggesting the next step a child can take to improve," Kim explained. "That’s how children can develop an interest in writing and continue to grow."
She continued, "At PoplarPlanet, our AI serves to help learners clearly understand what they've learned and connect it to the next stage of learning. Our biggest challenge is to deliver data-driven feedback that is both accurate and warm."
‘Aigo Korean’: Practical, On-the-Ground Korean Language Training
Aigo Korean is a language service designed for workers in the manufacturing and caregiving sectors from Southeast Asia who are preparing for employment and immigration to Korea. While typical language apps focus on daily conversation or hobbies, Aigo Korean concentrates on the specific vocabulary and document-creation skills that professionals need in the actual workplace.
Aigo Korean, Korean language learning service / source=IT dongA
For example, a caregiver can intensively learn colloquial expressions necessary for communicating with the elderly, alongside the formal writing skills required for record-keeping. "For foreign professionals coming to Korea for work, proficiency in job-related documentation is just as crucial for career advancement as conversational Korean," Kim noted.
The core of the service is to provide differentiated value to learners with the clear goal of employment. "Many workers from Southeast Asia are moving to Korea, but their language studies are often focused solely on passing tests, leaving them unprepared for the linguistic demands of the workplace," Kim said. "We focus on building practical language skills for actual job duties, from communication to documentation."
Optimized for mobile use, Aigo Korean can be accessed anytime, anywhere. As a career-specialized service, its AI provides guidance and feedback tailored to real-world work scenarios. "This strategy considers the learning environment of professionals who are often on the move," Kim said.
Official Launch This Year, Aiming for Global Markets
Founded in 2024, PoplarPlanet is actively gathering user feedback through a pilot run of SmileWriting ahead of its official launch. Based on continuous service improvements, the company plans to release the web-based service within the year and secure a stable customer base by next year. "Feedback like, 'My child who used to hate writing now enjoys it,' is our greatest reward," Kim shared.
Yejin Kim, CEO of PoplarPlanet / source=IT dongA
Aigo Korean is also undergoing development and verification and is scheduled to launch alongside SmileWriting by the end of the year. Preparations for overseas expansion are underway. "We are preparing for technology validation in Southeast Asian markets like Vietnam and Singapore, as well as in the United States," Kim said. "We plan to gather insights from potential users abroad to develop the most effective educational methods." In the long term, the company aims to build career-specific language datasets through partnerships with local overseas firms. This September, PoplarPlanet will demonstrate Aigo Korean at the Edutech Fair Korea.
This year, PoplarPlanet was selected as a resident company through the Dongguk University Campustown Program. "As an early-stage startup, we faced operational challenges, but the program provided us with office space, essential training, and mentorship. Networking with other startups at a similar stage has also been a great source of strength," Kim said.
Looking ahead, PoplarPlanet plans to expand its services to other high-demand languages, such as Japanese, and introduce a revenue model that covers the entire educational process from vocabulary to speaking. "Language has the power to grow individuals and society," Kim concluded. "At Poplarplanet, we are committed to realizing that power through technology and education."
By Ye-ji Kim (yj@itdonga.com)
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