Kakao to focus on AI, fandom platforms for growth in 2026

Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a said the company will focus on AI and global fandom platforms as key areas for growth in 2026.

Kakao, a major internet firm based in South Korea, plans to develop agentic AI technology and expand partnerships for infrastructure investment.

Chung outlined these priorities in a New Year address to employees, highlighting plans to create a global ecosystem for fans of Kakao’s intellectual property such as webtoons, TV shows, and video games.

She said these initiatives aim to drive the company’s development over the next 15 years.

🔗 Source: Yonhap

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Kakao’s AI push risks a costly Big Tech rerun without clear compute or partners

Q3 operating margin hit 10%, a four-year high 1. Capex was 178.4 billion KRW, but no AI infrastructure outlook appeared in highlights 1, which keeps investors guessing on ability to match richer rivals.
ChatGPT for Kakao drew 2 million users in 10 days 1. Kanana is an AI service Kakao is rolling out, and metrics will follow after rollout 1. Operating costs climbed from outsourcing and infrastructure for AI launches 1, so path to revenue remains unclear.
Leaders pitched an “agentic AI ecosystem” with outside partners 1, defined as AI that can act autonomously toward goals. They named no infrastructure vendors or cloud providers or GPU suppliers 1. That leaves execution and any edge over Naver hard to judge.

Berriz expansion opens near-term work for payments and localization

Berriz, Kakao Entertainment’s global fandom platform, connects fans with creators and intellectual property (IP). It launched in 18 languages 2, with nearly half of users overseas 3. That reach supports cross-border sales of Season’s Greetings merchandise (annual holiday packages from K-pop acts) 4 and IP from webtoons, dramas, and K-pop acts like IVE and IU 3.
Payment firms can offer multi-currency checkout and fraud tools to Kakao Entertainment, as Kakao Pay’s cross-border Total Payment Volume rose 16% year over year 5.
CDN vendors and moderation tools face rising demand from Berriz live streams and AI persona chats (chatbots that emulate a creator or character) 3. Real-time sessions need low-latency global infrastructure across time zones.