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.
On October 1, 2026, Kakao announced the decision to wind down its Tapas platform after more than a decade of operation, confirming the fate of webtoons hosted on the site following news of its impending shutdown the previous week. Earlier on the same day, Kakao Group, alongside its affiliates KakaoBank and Kakao Pay, signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea Investment & Securities to develop services for issuing and distributing digital assets. Also on October 1, Kakao began accepting applications for its "Kakao Membership," a new monthly subscription service priced at 4,900 won, which bundles services from its key affiliates, including emojis, points, and Melon perks. Previously, Kakao linked National Pension Service functions to its "AI Public Assistant" conversational public service platform, enabling users to check enrollment records and file applications entirely through KakaoTalk chats, a service being piloted with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
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