-ABCDEdu·Seoul National University Student Venture Network Leader Talks About Education Innovation and Startup Ecosystem
Students who blindly believed in ChatGPT and copied their assignments are now critically reviewing AI results. Student startups that were just ideas are now catching the attention of investors. We checked out the scene of the changes brought about by CEO Han Seo-hyun.
When ChatGPT appeared in late 2022, the educational field was thrown into chaos. Students submitted answers written by AI as is, and teachers were confused because they could not tell the difference between the real and the fake. Classes that taught 'how to use AI tools' were created one after another. However, there was no education that understood AI and used it responsibly.
Three years later, students who took the ABCDEdu class are reviewing the ChatGPT results once again and reconstructing them from their own perspectives. At the Seoul National University Student Venture Network (SNUSV) Demo Day, student startup teams surprised investors with their mature business strategies.
At the center of this change is CEO Han Seo-hyun. He leads AI education startup ABCDEdu and is also the president of SNUSV. He says, “AI education and entrepreneurship are one connected identity,” and suggests a paradigm for the education and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Korea.
From Daechi-dong Star Instructor to AI Education Innovator
CEO Han Seo-hyun was confident from the very first words. “What can we learn about AI and use it for? One of the answers is starting a business.”
His journey was unpredictable. He started out as a math instructor for college entrance exams in Daechi-dong, but he changed his career path after witnessing the development of AI and the issue of low birth rates.
“I decided that there was no vision in entrance exam math education. I needed a new way to study.”
The turning point came in graduate school. He received a master's degree with a thesis on 'Mathematical Principles of AI' for middle and high school students, the first of its kind in Korea, and proposed a class to the Seoul National University Lifelong Education Center.
After the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, the course 'Mathematical Foundations of ChatGPT' gained explosive popularity, and a business opportunity was captured.
“Just as Chairman Son Ju-eun turned Daechi-dong’s famous lecture into Megastudy, I had a strong (albeit naive) belief that we could commercialize our unrivaled expertise in AI education for middle and high school students.”
The core of ABCDEdu is the 'ABCD Project'. Students define real problems in their respective fields of interest and experience the entire process of creating real value by combining AI, big data, and coding knowledge. It teaches 'responsible use' based on 'AI operating principles' rather than simple AI theory or tool usage.
“A student who was interested in climate change analyzed local temperature and precipitation data to create a visual presentation of eco-friendly energy policies. He said that not only his data interpretation skills but also his attitude toward social issues improved.”
The educational effect is clear. Students say, “Unlike in the past when we would just believe what ChatGPT said and write assignments, we now critically review the results.” They have grown from being users who blindly trust technology to “thinking users” who understand technology and use it responsibly.
Creating a practical link to Seoul National University’s startup ecosystem
Another identity of CEO Han Seo-hyun is the chairman of SNUSV. The 'SNUSV AZIT Bridging Event' he recently led showed new possibilities for the Seoul National University startup ecosystem.
“We wanted to go beyond simple networking and build a real bridge that would closely connect Seoul National University’s entrepreneurial talents. During the preparation process, we accurately identified the gaps in the ecosystem and what student entrepreneurs actually needed.”
There was active exchange between student entrepreneurs and alumni investors, and there were many cases where follow-up meetings were held right on site.
SNUSV’s differentiating factor is its ‘density of connections.’ Unlike existing incubators or public support organizations, it designs a structure that connects ‘real partners’ who will walk the entrepreneurial journey together. Examples include collaboration with domestic accelerator Primer and partnership with Stanford’s startup club ASES.
“There are many channels for information about entrepreneurship, but creating an environment where you can actually work together with trusted partners is a different matter. Small but strong connections are an asset to the entrepreneurship community within the university.”
The 36th SNUSV Demo Day held at the end of June broke the prejudice that ‘student startups are limited to ideas.’ What attendees felt in common was the mature strategies and execution capabilities of the student startup teams.
“What they have in common is that they focus on the essence of the problem, define the problem they want to solve clearly, and show tremendous execution power to verify the hypothesis. This is possible because SNUSV serves as a laboratory for student entrepreneurs.”
For CEO Han Seo-hyun, AI education and entrepreneurship are not separate areas. “The more people who understand AI and can apply the technology appropriately, the more diverse and practical problem-solving startups can emerge.”
In fact, the use of AI in the startup ecosystem has become extremely high. AI supports everything from drafting business plans to market research and customer interview analysis. The more appropriately a team utilizes this, the faster the market response and growth it will show.
“The ABCDEdu name was originally ‘AI, Bigdata, Coding, Domain Education,’ but has now expanded to ‘AI, Bigdata, Coding, Domain with Entrepreneurship.’ It’s important to not stop at learning technology, but to design for yourself what kind of value you can create with that technology.”
He doesn't define his identity as either "AI educator" or "entrepreneurship community leader."
“The two roles are one connected identity to me. The starting point was a sense of problem in education. It started with the thought that in the AI era, students should not be mere consumers, but should become subjects who understand and handle technology.”
The future he envisions in five years is clear. ABCDEdu will take root in the Korean public education system and grow into an educational platform recognized in the global market. And the Seoul National University startup ecosystem will become a ‘platform of opportunity’ where more student entrepreneurs can make an impact on the world.
“The core of my identity is ‘a person who creates opportunities for change through education.’ The method of that change is sometimes expressed through AI education, and sometimes through designing a startup ecosystem.”
Students who blindly believed in ChatGPT are now thinking critically, and student startups that were just ideas are receiving attention from investors. The changes made by CEO Han Seo-hyun go beyond simple educational innovation and show new possibilities for Korean society.
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