17 overseas buyers, including universities and publishers, attended the Seoul event

A domestic firm signed a $500,000 e-book solution deal with two Indonesian partners

South Korea ranked above OECD average in PISA digital problem-solving

KOTRA to provide follow-up matching and overseas expansion support

South Korean edtech companies and overseas buyers hold consultations at the 2026 Edtech Korea Fair Export Consultation Event at COEX in Seoul on Thursday. KOTRA and the Korea Edtech Industry Association hosted the two-day event Sept. 17-18. [KOTRA]
South Korean edtech companies and overseas buyers hold consultations at the 2026 Edtech Korea Fair Export Consultation Event at COEX in Seoul on Thursday. KOTRA and the Korea Edtech Industry Association hosted the two-day event Sept. 17-18. [KOTRA]

South Korean edtech companies are accelerating their push into overseas markets as AI-powered learning spreads and global interest in Korean culture grows. At an export consultation event held in Seoul, a domestic firm secured a $500,000 e-book solution contract with an Indonesian university and a major media group.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, known as KOTRA, said it co-hosted the 2026 Edtech Korea Fair Export Consultation Event with the Korea Edtech Industry Association at COEX in Seoul over two days starting Thursday.

This year's event drew 17 overseas buyers — including universities, private educational foundations and publishers — who held consultations with South Korean edtech companies. Two export contracts were signed on the spot.

The standout case involved Arasoft, an e-book solution company. Arasoft signed a contract worth approximately $500,000 to supply e-book solutions to Budi Luhur University in Indonesia and Kompas Gramedia, the country's largest media and publishing group.

The deal was the result of years of relationship-building rather than a one-off consultation. KOTRA had spent the past two years connecting Arasoft with Indonesian buyers and supporting follow-up negotiations. Inviting those buyers to this year's event brought the process to a close with a signed contract.

KOTRA launched its edtech export consultation event in 2019 and has held it annually since, connecting more than 150 overseas buyers with South Korean companies over the past eight years. Domestic education content and solutions have been exported to the United States, Japan, Qatar, Singapore and other markets.

South Korea's digital education capabilities are also cited as a foundation for overseas expansion. In the PISA 2025 results the OECD released this month, South Korean students scored an average of 538 points in computer-based problem-solving, above the OECD average of 500 and placing the country among the top performers among participating nations.

As the market for applying AI and digital tools in educational settings expands, South Korean companies are broadening their scope beyond simple content exports to offer e-book platforms and comprehensive learning solutions.

One overseas buyer who attended this year's event said the experience was worthwhile. "I found a good partner at last year's event and came back this year with high expectations," the buyer said. "It was valuable to meet so many competitive companies in one place that are hard to encounter back home. I was particularly impressed by the consistently improving quality of content and technological capabilities of Korean companies."

Separately from the consultations, KOTRA published a Global Edtech Market Trends Report, compiling information on industry developments, market size and regulations in major countries including the United States and China to help companies preparing to enter overseas markets.

KOTRA also plans to support follow-up negotiations between buyers and domestic companies for the trade leads identified at the event.

Kim Myung-hee, KOTRA's executive vice president and head of the industrial innovation and growth division, said the agency would expand systematic support — from consultation events to overseas road shows — to help globally recognized Korean edtech companies make active inroads into international markets.


kwater@heraldcorp.com