POP PILATES™

POP PILATES™ is Korea’s first classical Pilates studio and the world’s only Pilates guide agency.

POP PILATES™ Agency

POP PILATES™ AG matches guides’ temperament and expertise to the right opportunities, maintaining a balance between client satisfaction and guide rights, and introduces Pilates through expanded possibilities and collaboration.

POP PILATES™ AG guides are specialists in the field, trained in the original method through an apprenticeship system and officially certified as second-and third-generation guides.

POP PILATES™ Studio

POP PILATES™ Studio is a classical Pilates studio composed solely of specialists who carry on the values of Joseph Pilates.

POP PILATES™ Studio offers classes through the original classical Pilates system. What POP PILATES™ Studio takes pride in is the expertise of its guides.

POP PILATES™ Studio’s guides are professionals who continuously pursue their learning based on verified qualifications and experience, and consist of top experts with 8 tot 20 years of experience.

POP PILATES™ Studio has clinically recorded and analyzed approximately 90,000 sessions over the past 13 years, to ensure that the original Pilates system can deeply and effectively integrate into each client’s body, delivering its full excellence and completion as intended.

POP PILATES™ Studio is a classical Pilates specialist studio that pursues “Return to Pilates for Return to Life.” Each class is conducted using an appropriate Pilates system according to the client’s condition and physical function, producing dramatic results.

POP PILATES™ Studio was the first in Korea to begin classes with the complete original system of classical Pilates, including all necessary apparatus and accessories. The original structure and system will provide optimal conditions for your Pilates classes.

“Above all, what matters most in Pilates
is the respect and attentiveness required
when working with the human body.
The seasoned dedication and passion
of our professional guides
will be reflected in every program.”

Director Jihye Kim

Jihye’s movement journey began with rhythmic gymnastics in childhood, later expanding into various fitness modalities to enhance her physical conditioning. She excelled in her academic pursuits, graduating at the top of her class with both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Dance Kinesiology, and she is currently pursuing her doctoral research in Physical Education. Her career flourished as she won top awards at international dance festivals as a professional dancer and choreographer.

In 2004, she began her career as a Pilates instructor after obtaining her first certification, a natural extension of her life in motion. During her time as both an artist and a Pilates instructor, she completed three comprehensive Pilates training programs, the PMA, and many other fitness certifications.

In 2011, feeling disillusioned with her life as an artist, she decided to retire and revisit the various physical disciplines she had engaged in, both as a leader and a participant. This period included training in Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis, among numerous other methods, while her desire for functional movement continued unabated.

In 2015, her journey led her to Los Angeles, where she met Jay Grimes. This meeting became the luckiest moment of her movement life. At Vintage Pilates, where Jay Grimes was the director and Sandy Shimoda the owner, she rediscovered her passion and quenched her thirst for movement.

She was the first from Asia to be selected for and graduate from the Master’s program under Jay Grimes, continuing to embrace a philosophy of lifelong learning. She was also recognized as one of the 2nd generation guides in the classical Pilates lineage. She believes that her experiences at Vintage Pilates have been the most effective and functional in her movement life, and she was the first to introduce the full Pilates system and original classes to the Korean market.

She is the author of the books ‘My Second Passion’ and ‘We’re Each Other’s First,’ and she seeks to share the positive physical and mental transformations of Pilates with others as both a guide and participant.

Currently, she is the director of POP PILATES™ and the Apprentice of Contrology®, continuing her passion for sharing her expertise.