Willing to Face Lawsuits Worth Hundreds of Millions and Transfer... How Much Does a 'Iltagangsa' Earn?

Instructor Ju Yeji conducting a problem-solving lecture. Photo by Skyedu YouTube capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Seoyoung] A math instructor who violated an exclusive contract with a major entrance exam academy and moved to a competitor was ordered to pay a large sum in damages.

On the 9th, the Civil Division 15 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Min Sungcheol) ruled in the first trial of the damages claim lawsuit filed by Megastudy against math instructor Joo Yeji, ordering "to compensate the plaintiff approximately 780 million KRW," partially ruling in favor of the plaintiff. In September 2017, Joo signed a lecture contract with Megastudy and planned to release online lectures. The contract at that time included a clause stating that "online and offline lectures cannot be provided through media not directly operated or approved by Megastudy."

However, in August 2019, when Megastudy suggested postponing the release to the following year due to concerns about the completeness of the lectures, Joo notified that she would not film online lecture videos with Megastudy and produced online lectures at a competitor, SkyeEdu. In response, Megastudy filed a lawsuit claiming damages of over 1 billion KRW, arguing that "Joo violated the contract by contracting with a competitor and providing online lectures without the company's approval."

The court recognized that Joo breached the contract and ordered her to compensate for damages corresponding to the remaining contract period and to return the research activity support funds of 2 million KRW per month received from Megastudy. The court also stated, "Joo moved to a competitor immediately after expressing Megastudy's refusal to release the online lectures, and there were no unavoidable circumstances in the process, so it is judged to be highly intentional." However, the court ruled that part of the over 1 billion KRW claimed by Megastudy constituted duplicate penalties.

Meanwhile, instructors with high recognition in the private education sector or those highly preferred by examinees, like Joo, are often called 'Ilta Gangsa' (top instructors). Their lectures are the first to fill up in specific subjects or record the highest sales, and they are the first to be featured on online lecture sites.

Instructor Lee Myung-hak appeared on tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block.' Photo by tvN YouTube capture

Currently, Ilta Gangsa in Korea have very high income levels. Lee Ji-young, an Ilta Gangsa in the social studies field affiliated with Etoos, attracted attention by revealing a bank balance exceeding 13 billion KRW during a YouTube live broadcast, stating, "This only shows the balance of my main bank account and does not include real estate, stocks, or funds." Also, Hyun Woojin, an Ilta Gangsa in the math field at Megastudy, is known to reside in an apartment complex in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, which has the highest official price in the country.

Their income is not fixed like a regular salary. Most of their earnings come from a portion of the lecture fees paid by students to offline academies or online lecture sites.

Additionally, Ilta Gangsa earn substantial income from royalties on textbooks. Since they mostly design their lecture curriculum based on self-produced textbooks, students inevitably have to purchase these textbooks. Transfer fees between platforms are also significant. Most Ilta Gangsa tend to move between academies or lecture platforms every few years. Therefore, companies find it highly beneficial to offer higher transfer fees to secure contracts with them.

However, Ilta Gangsa must devote great effort to preparing their lectures. Because they have many students and significant influence, even minor errors can cause huge problems. They not only analyze past exam questions but also invest considerable effort in developing new problems, often hiring multiple teaching assistants to manage students and conducting their own mock tests. Lee Myunghak, an Ilta Gangsa in the English field at Daesung MyMac, appeared on tvN's 'You Quiz on the Block' last year and revealed, "I spend at least 10 hours a day preparing for lectures."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.