Kakao has set a 2030 revenue target of more than 6 trillion won ($4.3 billion) for its planned KakaoAI business as it prepares to bring AI agents directly into KakaoTalk and separate its investment operations into KakaoX.
Summary
- Kakao has targeted more than 6 trillion won in KakaoAI revenue by 2030, including roughly 1 trillion won from AI services.
- The company plans to demonstrate several KakaoTalk AI agents in October that can execute and complete services within the messaging app.
- Kakao wants its AI services to reach 20 million daily active users while increasing time spent on KakaoTalk by 50%.
- KakaoX is targeting 10 trillion won in 2030 revenue, with virtual assets, fintech, content, mobility and physical AI among its planned business areas.
Yonhap reported on Sept. 16 that Kakao Group Investment Strategy Office head Kim Do-young disclosed the target during an online meeting with minority shareholders, putting KakaoAI’s planned revenue above the 2.7 trillion won recorded by the relevant businesses in 2025.
Revenue generated specifically from AI services is expected to reach roughly 1 trillion won by 2030. Kakao plans to build the business around its KakaoTalk messaging platform, connecting AI with advertising, commerce, maps and other existing services.
The company has set a target of more than 20 million daily active users for its AI services while seeking to increase the time users spend on KakaoTalk by 50%.
Kakao expects to show some of those services as early as October, when it plans to demonstrate several KakaoTalk-based AI agents at its developer conference.
KakaoAI plans to turn KakaoTalk into an AI agent platform
Kakao’s planned AI system is designed to understand a user’s intent from conversations and usage context, then connect that request with services capable of carrying out the required task.
Jeon Hyun-soo, Kakao’s business leader, said several agents would be demonstrated at the October developer conference. The company wants users to be able to execute and complete different services from inside KakaoTalk without moving to separate applications.
The plan builds on Kakao’s previously disclosed strategy for turning KakaoTalk into an agentic AI interface. The messenger has roughly 50 million users, giving KakaoAI an existing distribution channel for services covering search, recommendations, purchases and payments.
Kakao expects to combine its own large language models with outside specialist agents as it expands the system. Some AI functions will be processed on-device where possible, keeping the processing on a user’s smartphone as the company seeks to address privacy concerns.
The company has previously identified agent-based advertising, commerce and subscriptions among the revenue sources planned for the AI business. Its 2030 targets include more than 6 trillion won in total KakaoAI revenue and over 1 trillion won from AI services.
Kakao’s restructuring plan, approved by its board in August, separates the company into KakaoAI and KakaoX. The split is scheduled for Jan. 1, 2027, with KakaoAI expected to relist on the Korea Exchange on Jan. 27.
KakaoAI will hold the KakaoTalk platform and businesses covering AI, advertising and commerce, while KakaoX will retain the group’s investment functions and major interests in fintech, content and mobility.
Existing shareholders are set to receive shares in both businesses based on the planned split ratio, with 36% allocated to KakaoAI and 64% to KakaoX.
Kakao is preparing an integrated membership service
Kakao is separately developing a group-wide membership program built around KakaoTalk that would connect services spanning mobility, content and commerce.
Jeon said the company wants users to accumulate benefits while using different Kakao services and then access those benefits from one place.
“The goal is to allow users to use benefits accumulated across multiple services in one place,” he said, adding that Kakao is designing and testing the business model before a formal launch.
Details covering the benefits offered through the program and its launch schedule have not been finalized. Kakao said it would disclose them once decisions have been made.
The company presented the membership plan as one way cooperation between its businesses could continue after the split through commercial services and contracts, despite KakaoAI and KakaoX becoming separate companies.
Such cooperation could extend across businesses that will sit on different sides of the new structure. KakaoX is expected to retain the group’s fintech operations, including KakaoBank and Kakao Pay, along with its content and mobility businesses.
Kakao’s fintech operations have already been exploring digital asset services. Crypto.news previously reported in July that Kakao partnered with Circle to study stablecoin payments, blockchain settlement and digital asset infrastructure in South Korea.
Kakao Group, Kakao Pay and KakaoBank agreed to examine areas including Korean won-based digital assets, cross-border payments, merchant settlement and tokenized financial services under that agreement. Kakao said at the time that its KakaoTalk-centered ecosystem could be combined with Kakao Pay’s payments business, KakaoBank’s banking operations and Circle’s blockchain infrastructure.
KakaoX targets 10 trillion won in 2030 revenue
KakaoX has set a separate target of 10 trillion won in revenue by 2030, with its existing businesses grouped around fintech, content and mobility.
The company identified virtual assets, live entertainment, global fandom platforms, robotaxis, robot trucks and physical AI among the areas where it plans to pursue new business and investment opportunities.
Its digital asset exposure already extends beyond payments. KakaoBank has been examining stablecoin issuance and custody services as part of a group-level digital asset strategy. The bank reviewed stablecoin entry plans in 2025 while working with a Kakao Group stablecoin task force that included Kakao Pay.
KakaoBank later moved into won-pegged stablecoin development, including hiring blockchain specialists with smart contract experience. The bank has previously participated in the Bank of Korea’s central bank digital currency experiments, covering wallet creation, asset exchange and remittance trials.
The group’s investment portfolio has undergone changes this year as well. In May, Hana Bank agreed to buy a Dunamu stake from Kakao Investments for roughly 1.003 trillion won, or about $670 million at the time. The transaction involved 2.28 million shares in the parent company of South Korean crypto exchange Upbit, giving Hana a 6.55% holding.
Kakao Investments was set to retain about 1.4 million Dunamu shares, representing a 4.03% stake, following the transaction.
Under the planned corporate structure, KakaoX will manage its investment operations while developing its techfin, content and mobility businesses toward the 10 trillion won revenue target. Kakao said the two companies will operate independently after the split, while service and contractual relationships can continue between group businesses.
