'Nekarakubae' Employment Academy Resembling a Goshichon

Lee Kang-min, CEO of Day One Company
'Latest' Content-Focused Classes
Thousands Apply for 15 Spots
'Verified Talent' Also Preferred by Employers

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] 'Nekarakuba.' This term refers to Naver, Kakao, Line, Coupang, and Baedal Minjok. It embodies the aspirations of job seekers who want to join at least one of these IT companies known for their high salaries and welfare benefits. Now, there is even a 'Nekarakuba Exam Class.' Day One Company, a startup specializing in adult education content, runs this class with a small elite group, and it has recently gained immense popularity, attracting thousands of applicants among job seekers and office workers.

The name of this course is 'I Will Definitely Go! Nekarakuba.' Classes are held five days a week for six months. The nickname 'exam class' comes from the Spartan-style study system, where students study 12 hours a day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Even this is said to be insufficient time for non-engineering majors. The curriculum is divided into five main parts and is strictly practice-oriented. Students learn the basics of programming and must complete hands-on exercises, including building web services themselves.

Application documents and interview preparation are also supported by current and former Nekarakuba members, and the program is completely free. In the first recruitment round last year, which selected 15 people, about 4,000 applicants applied. Among them, five were hired as developers at Naver, and two at Kakao. In the second round, hires were made at Kakao, Junggonara, eBay, and Today’s House, among others.

The Nekarakuba Exam Class is preferred not only by job seekers but also by employers. Lee Kangmin, CEO of Day One Company, said, "From a company's perspective, this curriculum allows them to hire verified talent through a long six-month training process before recruitment." He added, "For graduates with good grades, we sometimes provide recommendation letters to companies." He continued, "We operate a collaboration pool with over 200 companies, including Nekarakuba, and other companies tend to favor graduates from this class. From the job seekers' perspective, they can increase their market value in a short period, so everyone is very motivated."

Lee Kang-min, CEO of Day One Company

CEO Lee said that although there are many lectures in various fields such as stocks, real estate, entrepreneurship, and leadership, tech education content has recently gained significant attention along with the IT industry boom. He said, "Even if you attend humanities classes all day, the impact is not as tangible, but with Photoshop, you can do something immediately after just half a day of learning. The tech field changes rapidly, so continuous learning and updating are necessary, making it content we prefer from a market perspective."

What CEO Lee focuses on when creating educational content is 'up-to-dateness.' He recruits individuals who are currently the most prominent figures or possess the latest technology in a specific field to produce content. He avoids the method of signing long-term contracts with so-called 'star instructors' to produce content from a single person for years. He explained, "For example, in IT content, the top authority in version 1 does not necessarily perform at the same level in version 2. The reason we invite active professionals as instructors is that they are currently working in the field, so they can produce up-to-date and high-quality content. Once they become full-time instructors, the quality of the content inevitably declines."

Day One Company secured 35 billion KRW in Series D investment last month from Hanwha Life and Mirae Asset Securities, among others. CEO Lee stated, "Most of the investment will be used to improve the quantity and quality of educational content," and added, "Following the establishment of our Japanese subsidiary last year, we will accelerate our overseas market expansion by setting up a U.S. subsidiary this year."