Discovery of Play, First Kids Play App to Surpass 1 Million Members

Expansion of Services with Online Play Classes in Kids Activity Introduction

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Woongjin Group's kids play app 'Noriui Balgyeon' announced on the 28th that it has surpassed 1 million members.

This achievement came 2 years and 6 months after the service launch, with a net increase of 450,000 members in just one year. The average monthly transaction volume also expanded by more than 400%, from about 8,000 transactions in 2019 to approximately 33,000 this year. Noriui Balgyeon attributed the growth in members and transactions to the development of new services reflecting customer demand despite the spread of COVID-19.

At launch, Noriui Balgyeon provided a service introducing kids activities such as theme parks, kids cafes, and experiential learning across various regions nationwide, connecting customers to these activities.

Since last year, when outdoor activities were restricted due to COVID-19, the app expanded its customer base by introducing online play classes Live, allowing children to enjoy interactive real-time play lessons in art, music, and virtual travel from home. In particular, the system delivering play kits, which are class preparation materials, directly to users' homes received great response from users.

Additionally, in July, the company opened a kids-specialized accommodation reservation service, further expanding its scope. The company explained that with the easing of social distancing measures and the expected full recovery of daily life, the use of accommodation reservation services by families with children is expected to increase significantly.

Recently, they introduced ‘Jjakkkung Saem,’ a play and learning care service where teachers visit homes. ‘Jjakkkung Saem’ goes beyond childcare to provide education, growth, and emotional care. The program using English books available at home to spend time with children is especially popular.

Noriui Balgyeon holds an overwhelming collection of over 23,000 kids play contents, including about 10,000 activities by region nationwide, 6,000 live play classes, and 7,000 store products, making it the largest in Korea.

Kang Mingyu, Director of Noriui Balgyeon, stated, “We plan to continuously introduce differentiated services so that parents can gift their children the most enjoyable time anytime and anywhere without worry.”

Noriui Balgyeon started in April 2019 as a venture division of Woongjin ThinkBig. Last year, it successfully raised 20 billion KRW in investment from WooriQ Corporate Financial Stability Private Equity Partnership and was recognized with a corporate value of 60 billion KRW, establishing itself as a leading kids platform.