On February 4, 2025, OpenAI announced a partnership with South Korea’s Kakao Corp to develop artificial intelligence products tailored for the South Korean market. This collaboration aims to integrate OpenAI’s advanced AI technologies into Kakao’s diverse platforms, including its dominant messaging app, KakaoTalk, which boasts a 97% domestic market share.
Kakao has been focusing on enhancing its AI capabilities to drive future growth. In 2023, the company introduced features like summarizing unread messages and adjusting message tones in KakaoTalk, utilizing a lightweight language model developed by its subsidiary, Kakao Brain. Building on these advancements, Kakao is currently testing the integration of its large language model, KoGPT 2.0, into KakaoTalk.
OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, emphasized the significance of South Korea’s robust semiconductor and internet industries, viewing the country as a pivotal market for AI development. This partnership with Kakao marks OpenAI’s second major alliance in Asia within a week, following a collaboration with SoftBank in Japan.
Through this collaboration, both companies aim to deliver innovative AI-driven services, enhancing user experiences across Kakao’s platforms and solidifying their positions in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.