[AI Revolution](214) The Student Behind 'CoronaNow' Becomes CEO of an AI Advertising Firm After Serving as a Toss PO

Edit&Arc: "Connecting Great Brands with Consumers"

"There are so many great brands in our country, but the key is how to effectively communicate them to consumers. I want to become a 'problem solver for everyone' for these brands."

In a recent interview at the company's headquarters in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Hyungbin Choi, CEO of Edit&Arc, said, "I want to create a service that helps high-quality Korean consumer goods reach, and connect with, consumers through AI-powered personalized solutions." Edit&Arc operates "Edit," an AI-based advertising service.

Hyungbin Choi, CEO of Edit & Ark, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Dongju Yoon

CEO Choi, who founded Edit&Arc, was born in 2005 and is a 21-year-old young entrepreneur this year, but his experience is extraordinary. In 2020, when he was in his third year of middle school and the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading rapidly, he gained attention by launching "CoronaNow," a website that provided real-time updates on the number of confirmed cases. At a time when there was no AI-powered code generation like "vibe coding" available today, he taught himself web programming and, after a week of focused effort, created and operated both the website and the app. While running the site, Choi personally entered data on confirmed cases and movement paths manually, showing his dedication to the site's operation. He recalls, "As the number of users grew, I felt a growing sense of responsibility, and that became the driving force to continue."

Later, as a high school student, he joined Toss as its youngest product owner (PO), where he led the launch of services for minors. With support from the company, he focused on his studies during the school term and worked remotely, going to the office only during school vacations. After leaving Toss, he developed and launched his own apps, including "Kkokkio Alarm," an alarm app designed for quick naps ("power nap" users).

Afterwards, Choi enrolled at the computer science department of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), but he left to pursue a new challenge—entrepreneurship. Edit&Arc, his start-up, develops AI solutions that connect brands with consumers. Its main solution, Edit, assists companies in planning and executing "organic content" advertising that promotes businesses through informational posts on social network services (SNS) and magazines. It combines the most effective content and promotional channels to maximize brand exposure. Although the service officially launched only last July, the company has already secured clients among leading department stores and food & beverage (F&B) companies.

He started his advertising solutions business based on experience gained from developing mobile platforms. While creating mobile services, he carried out projects to effectively deliver messages and value to users and realized that applying this process to other brands in Korea could create significant opportunities. He emphasized, "I see a particularly big opportunity in the K-culture sector," adding, "I want to become a 'connector' who bridges the gap between good brands with compelling stories and consumers."

Hyungbin Choi, CEO of Edit&Arc, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Dongju Yoon

Edit&Arc is making active use of AI in every aspect of its business. The company's AI-based advertising analysis tool, "EditLens," enables clients to easily see the performance of advertising on each channel at a glance. It leverages a Model Context Protocol (MCP) so businesses can integrate EditLens with their existing AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Claude. The AI engine powering these tools was developed in-house by company members.

Another unique feature is that there is no official "developer" job title at the company. Instead, all employees, whether in operations, design, or other areas, create their own custom work tools using AI agents through "vibe coding." CEO Choi noted, "There are as many as 30 to 40 AI tools used in-house, and we operate in a completely AI-native way."

Edit&Arc remains committed to its goal of being a connector between brands and consumers. Choi said, "I really feel proud when brands succeed through campaigns we deliver," and added, "We are continuously striving to be a company that serves as an effective bridge, delivering messages well between brands and consumers."

Hyungbin Choi, CEO of EditNArc, is posing. Photo by Dongju Yoon

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