South Korean internet company Kakao, which runs messaging app KakaoTalk, closed at 34,250 won (US$22) on June 23, near its all-time low of 32,800 won (US$21), even after adding OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot to KakaoTalk chats on June 16.

Kakao said in its first-quarter 2026 earnings call that ChatGPT for Kakao had reached 8 million users, but usage time per user was short.

Critics also questioned the results of the company’s Kanana-based AI agents.

KakaoTalk had 48.19 million monthly active users in South Korea in August 2025.

Analysts said the ChatGPT feature may have limited near-term impact.

BrightEdge, a US marketing platform, reported that over 90% of AI referral traffic comes from desktop devices.

Kakao’s weak share performance also appears tied to broader concerns.

The company has underperformed both its industry and the wider South Korean market over the past year.

Third-party stock analysis has flagged one-off items, profit-margin pressure, and governance risks.

🔗 Source: Chosun Daily

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