Kakao, also known as Daum Kakao, is a privately owned company headquartered in South Korea. Founded in 2010, the company employs approximately 2,530 individuals and specializes in IT services and IT consulting, operating as a tier 1 media tech buyer. Functioning as a mobile platform company, Kakao provides services spanning messaging, mail, search, news, advertising, gaming, e-commerce, music, and maps.
Kakao's board approved a plan on August 21, 2026, to implement the largest restructuring of its corporate governance since its founding, splitting the company into Kakao AI, a newly established entity, and Kakao X, the surviving entity. This overhaul aims to strengthen its artificial intelligence capabilities and achieve a higher valuation. The company clarified that Kakao AI will manage artificial intelligence businesses, including its "Kakao Talk" service, while Kakao X oversees other operations such as finance and mobility. Through this restructuring, Kakao emphasized artificial intelligence as the key driver for its future growth, focusing on life-friendly AI services, particularly leveraging its 50 million Kakao Talk users, rather than investing heavily in large-scale AI data centers. Earlier on August 21, the company resolved employee tensions that arose from a surprise town hall meeting by confirming the maintenance of employment conditions and working environments following the decision to split the company.
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