Edkpop
Seoul, KR · 1 known investors
K-TOP (KPOP Training Online Program) offers structured online K-pop training in dance, vocal, expression, and stage, based on the Keens Seoul curriculum, aimed at international students who want to train toward becoming K-pop idols. Services include AI-graded assessments, trainer-written feedback, monthly subscription lessons, 1:1 coaching, and an in-person Seoul training camp.
Also known as bekpopidol.com · ED KPOP · K-TOP · Keens Academy
Founders & leadership
Investors · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Edkpop, now operating as Keens Academy, sells online K-pop idol training to international students from Seoul. Its core product, K-TOP (KPOP Training Online Program), is a subscription curriculum of more than 350 structured lessons covering dance, vocal, expression and stage work, derived from the Keens Seoul training system, plus a 100+ page "Audition Field Guide," on-demand practice modules ("Practice Hall" and "Vocal Room"), monthly new material and quarterly agency audition windows.
The offering is organized into four stages. Stage 1 is paid diagnostics: an "Expert Assessment" in which a submitted dance and/or vocal video is graded 0-10 by a Keens Seoul evaluator with written notes, action items and a K-TOP roadmap (96-hour delivery), and a cheaper "Idol Potential Test" requiring no video that returns a personalized report (described as 130+ pages), a Keens Seoul score and a country-specific agency casting guidebook. Stage 2 is the K-TOP subscription. Stage 3 is K-TOP 1:1, adding weekly video feedback from a Keens Seoul coach, a monthly 0-10 scored evaluation and priority in-house audition visibility. Stage 4 is a 14-day "Summer Intensive" at the Keens facility in Seoul, described as five minutes from SM Entertainment headquarters, with 10 full training days and a closing performance shoot on the Keens stage.
The company presents itself as the online extension of Keens Academy, which it describes as Seoul's leading K-pop academy with 15,000+ trainees globally, 800+ offline trainees in Seoul and a network of 21 agencies, and states a partnership with SM Entertainment. Evaluators are described as former SM, HYBE and JYP performance coaches, with named trainers credited with work for RIIZE, aespa, BLACKPINK's debut and other acts.
Founding story
The founder is Jae Shim (Shim Jae-won), described on the company site as Performance Director at SM Entertainment for twenty years, with credited work on EXO's "Growl," Girls' Generation's debut, Red Velvet's stagecraft and aespa's first world tour. According to the site he built Keens Academy to open up a training system that had previously been confined to a small number of Seoul agencies, making the curriculum, scoring rubric and trainer feedback accessible to international students online.
Business model
Direct-to-consumer sale of tiered training products rather than agency representation. Entry-level diagnostics are one-off purchases (Idol Potential Test at $19, discounted from $49; Expert Assessment at $49, discounted from $79), core training is a cancel-anytime monthly subscription (K-TOP at $150/month, discounted from $250; K-TOP 1:1 at $399/month, discounted from $499, capped at 30 coaching spots per month), and the top tier is a paid in-person camp in Seoul ($5,060, discounted from $7,060, with a $1,000 deposit and balance due 30 days before camp, limited to 25 trainees). An annual K-TOP plan at $1,197/year is listed as coming soon. The company states explicitly that payment does not buy an audition or a debut, and that audition visibility is merit-gated by score, progress, fit and partner audition windows. In its earlier ED KPOP form the model was a lower-priced subscription at $99.99/month with a 14-day free trial, plus per-class purchases at $12.99 and idol-taught classes bundled with short subscriptions at $19.99.
Revenue comes from one-time diagnostic product fees, recurring monthly subscriptions for the online curriculum and 1:1 coaching, and per-cohort fees for the in-person Seoul intensive; an annual prepaid plan is planned.
Traction
The company reports 15,000+ trainees globally, 800+ offline trainees in Seoul, a network of 21 agencies and more than 350 lessons in the online catalogue, with capacity constraints of 30 monthly 1:1 coaching spots and 25 trainees per Seoul camp. Named trainers and idol endorsements are used as social proof. The domain has been active since February 2020 and is registered through 2028; third-party analysis reports a low traffic rank. A directory listing reports no known external funding.
Latest developments
The site now operates under the Keens Academy brand, identifying ED KPOP as its former name, and lists a four-stage product ladder with promotional pricing across all tiers. An annual K-TOP plan at $1,197/year is marked as coming soon. The company advertises quarterly agency audition windows for K-TOP subscribers and states that past Seoul camp cohorts were visited by SM casting.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Presents itself as the online arm of what it describes as Seoul's number-one K-pop academy, claiming 15,000+ trainees globally, 800+ offline trainees in Seoul, a 21-agency network and a partnership with SM Entertainment. A startup ecosystem directory lists the company with no known external funding, and third-party website analysis reports a low traffic rank consistent with a small or niche site.
Positioning rests on the Keens Seoul curriculum and scoring rubric being made available remotely, the credentials of its trainers (former SM, HYBE and JYP performance coaches, with credits including RIIZE choreography, aespa tour direction and BLACKPINK debut training), a stated partnership with SM Entertainment, physical proximity to SM headquarters for the in-person camp, and a merit-gated route to in-house and partner agency audition visibility that the company says is normally reserved for trainees based in Seoul.
Technology
Delivery is via an online platform combining on-demand structured video lessons, drill-loop practice modules and range builders, and human-graded video review in which students upload dance or vocal footage for a 0-10 rubric score with written notes; 1:1 subscribers receive weekly video feedback and a monthly scored evaluation. The earlier ED KPOP service ran live classes over Zoom with on-standby translators. The site is served from AWS with a domain-validated SSL certificate issued by Amazon.
Go-to-market
Self-serve online purchase through the company site, structured as a staged funnel in which low-priced diagnostic products (from $19) act as the entry point and lead into higher-priced subscriptions and the Seoul camp. Pricing is presented with discounts against list prices and scarcity limits on coaching and camp seats. Messaging is aimed both at prospective trainees and at parents, with the entry tests framed as low-risk diagnostics rather than audition purchases. Earlier ED KPOP-era distribution included a 14-day free trial, social media accounts (Twitter @edkpop_official, Instagram edkpoplive), idol-led guest classes as a draw, and word-of-mouth via student reviews.
International aspiring K-pop idols who cannot relocate to Korea, across skill levels and ages, plus the parents financing their training; also served offline trainees based in Seoul.
Geography
Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, with a physical training floor ("Keens Seoul") used for offline trainees and the 14-day intensive camp, and an online product sold to students internationally. Site infrastructure is hosted in the AWS Asia Pacific (Seoul) region and the domain is registered through a Korean registrar with a Gangnam-gu, Seoul address on the privacy-shielded WHOIS record. A 2021 user in England noted that live classes began at 3am local time, indicating Seoul-time scheduling for a global audience.
History
The edkpop.com domain was registered in February 2020 and previously redirected from bekpopidol.com, operating under the title "ED KPOP | Dance and Vocal Classes with KPOP Idols and Their Instructors" with an offering described as free and paid online dance, vocal and fitness classes. A 2021 user account describes ED KPOP as an online training agency running live Zoom classes in dance, fitness, vocals, makeup and styling, tiered by level, with feedback classes and guest classes taught by K-pop idols (including one by Kai of EXO/SuperM) supported by live translation. The current site is branded Keens Academy and identifies "ED KPOP" as the former name, with the offering restructured into a four-stage funnel from diagnostic assessment to online curriculum, 1:1 coaching and a Seoul camp. A startup ecosystem directory listing for Edkpop gives keensacademy.com as the company website and Seoul as headquarters, and reports no known external funding.
Risks & controversies
The offering sits close to the boundary of pay-to-audition services, and the company addresses this directly by stating that its paid tests do not buy an audition, agency access or a debut outcome and that audition visibility is merit-gated. A third-party website-reputation checker rates edkpop.com as very likely legitimate but flags privacy-shielded WHOIS ownership, a low traffic rank, hosting in a location it classifies as high-risk, and negative reviews received; its data was last refreshed some time ago. A 2021 customer account cited the monthly price and Seoul-time class scheduling as affordability and accessibility obstacles for overseas students.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 4
launches, deals, and filingsThe site operating on edkpop.com is branded Keens Academy and lists "ED KPOP" as its former name; a directory listing gives keensacademy.com as the company website.
The company site states it operates "in partnership with SM Entertainment" and that past Seoul camp cohorts were visited by SM casting.
Products offered: Idol Potential Test ($19) and Expert Assessment ($49) diagnostics, K-TOP online curriculum subscription ($150/month), K-TOP 1:1 coaching ($399/month), and a 14-day Summer Intensive at Keens Seoul ($5,060, 25 trainees per camp).
$150 source ↗
As ED KPOP, the company ran online live classes in dance, fitness, vocals, makeup and styling with level tiers, instructor feedback classes and guest classes taught by K-pop idols, including a session by Kai of EXO/SuperM offered at $19.99 with a 14-day subscription.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Edkpopedkpop.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Edkpop do?
- Seoul-based online K-pop idol training school (formerly ED KPOP, now Keens Academy) selling assessments, subscriptions and camps.
- Who founded Edkpop?
- Edkpop was founded by Jae Shim.
- Who are Edkpop's investors?
- Edkpop's investors include Colopl Next.
- Where is Edkpop headquartered?
- Edkpop is headquartered in Seoul, KR.