Kakao

Kakao Corporation is a South Korean internet conglomerate headquartered in Jeju City, formed through the 2014 merger of Daum Communications and the original Kakao Inc. The company was founded in 1995 and operates KakaoTalk, South Korea's dominant messaging application with approximately 90% domestic market share. Beyond messaging, Kakao has diversified into a broad ecosystem: KakaoBank (internet banking), KakaoPay (digital payments and insurance), Kakao Mobility (ride-hailing, navigation, and delivery), Kakao Entertainment (webtoons, music, films), Kakao Games (game development and publishing), and Kakao Enterprise (cloud services). The group employs approximately 3,992 people and reported revenue of ₩8.1 trillion (approximately USD 7.08 billion) in 2025. Kakao is publicly traded on the Korea Exchange (KRX: 035720).