JLS

JLS — formally 정상JLS (Jeongsang JLS) and incorporated as (주)정상제이엘에스 (JLS Co., Ltd.) — is a South Korean education company that provides offline, practice-oriented English-language education, primarily for elementary and middle-school students. It began in September 1986 as Daechi Jeong-sang Language Academy (JLS) in Seoul's Daechi-dong, an area famous as the heart of Korea's private-education (hagwon) industry, and grew into a multi-branch academy network. The company describes its mission as raising students into the "top 0.1% Global Leaders." JLS organizes its teaching around branded programs. For elementary students it runs CHESS, a program built around a "1,000-hour English exposure mission" that emphasizes speaking and expression. For middle-school students it offers ACE, which targets three outcomes: exam-level English ability (aiming at top Grade 1 on the CSAT), strong school-record (naesin) management, and student-led career and admissions guidance. It also runs H-Group and high-school programs such as LIVE, plus overseas offerings including managed study abroad and overseas camps. Admissions are handled through online pre-tests for the elementary and middle-school tracks, and the company operates an online learning-support center and a textbook mall (Jeongsang Mall). Beyond the core academy business, the JLS family of sites includes Jeong-sang Math Academy, the fluenC premium live-class platform, Kids English for young learners, CHESSPlus for after-school programs, a study-abroad center, and Carameltree, a media/community brand tied to student work videos. The company is headquartered at 227 Yeongdong-daero, Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and can be reached through its learning-support center at 1644-0500. It holds ISO 27001 information-security certification for its online education services and textbook-mall operations. Historically, JLS was founded in 1986 and in December 2007 was backdoor-listed through a merger with the telecom-equipment company Woori Byeol Telecom. In 2019 the National Tax Service conducted a high-intensity tax investigation of the company. Today JLS operates many branches across South Korea and presents itself as the No. 1 in elementary English education, middle-school outcome English, and entrance-exam goal achievement.

JLS began in September 1986 as Daechi Jeong-sang Language Academy (JLS), established under Korea's Academy Law and Lifelong Education Law to conduct language education, online education and related academy businesses. It was founded in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul — the district that became synonymous with Korea's private English-education boom — and the name "JLS" (Jeong-sang Language School/Academy) became the brand under which its branches operated. Through the 1990s and 2000s the academy expanded into a multi-branch network serving elementary, middle-school and high-school students, and it developed branded curricula rather than a single generic course. In December 2007 the company achieved a backdoor listing on the Korean stock market by merging with Woori Byeol Telecom, a telecom-equipment company. This gave JLS a listed corporate vehicle while it continued to operate its academy business. In 2019 the National Tax Service carried out a high-intensity tax investigation of the company, a notable event in its corporate history. Over time the JLS group broadened beyond the original language academy: it added Jeong-sang Math Academy, the fluenC premium live-class platform, Kids English for young learners, CHESSPlus for after-school programs, a study-abroad center, and Carameltree, a media/community brand connected to student work videos. It also built an online learning-support center and the Jeongsang Mall textbook store, and obtained ISO 27001 certification for its online education services and textbook-mall operations. Today JLS describes itself as the No. 1 in elementary English education, middle-school outcome English, and entrance-exam goal achievement, and it operates many branches across South Korea. Its elementary CHESS program is built around a "1,000-hour English exposure mission," while its middle-school ACE program targets CSAT Grade 1 ability, school-record (naesin) management, and student-led career and admissions guidance. The company is headquartered at 227 Yeongdong-daero, Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and presents itself under the slogan of raising students into the "top 0.1% Global Leaders."

• 2019

  The National Tax Service conducted a high-intensity tax investigation of the company.

• 2007

  Backdoor-listed in December through a merger with telecom-equipment company Woori Byeol Telecom.

• 1986

  Founded in September as Daechi Jeong-sang Language Academy (JLS) in Daechi-dong, Seoul.

Premium, results-oriented English education for Korean elementary and middle-school students, marketed as the No. 1 in elementary English, middle-school outcome English, and entrance-exam achievement.

• CHESS

  Elementary English program built around a 1,000-hour English exposure mission emphasizing speaking and expression.

• ACE

  Middle-school English program targeting CSAT Grade 1 ability, school-record (naesin) management, and student-led career and admissions guidance.

• H-Group

  A JLS middle-school program track listed alongside ACE.

• LIVE

  High-school program track offered by JLS.

• Online Pre-Test

  Online admissions assessment for the elementary CHESS and middle-school ACE tracks.

• fluenC

  Premium live-class education platform in the JLS family of sites.

• Kids English

  Young-learner English activity program.

• CHESSPlus

  After-school English program.

• Jeongsang Mall

  Online textbook store operated by JLS.

1. 1정상어학원 / 정상JLS official websitegojls.com
2. 2JLS on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3정상JLS on Korean Wikipediako.wikipedia.org