KaKao

- Kakao CEO Shina Chung and other affiliate CEOs share their post-spin-off vision, growth strategies, and plans for collaboration

- Doyoung Kim, CEO-designate of Kakao X, highlights synergies across techfin, content, and mobility, along with investment in future businesses, to enhance corporate value

 

[October 14, 2026] Kakao Group held its first group-wide analyst meeting on October 13 at Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do. CEOs from Kakao and major affiliates, including Kakao Pay, KakaoBank, Kakao Entertainment, SM Entertainment, and Kakao Piccoma, attended the event and delivered presentations in person. This marked the first time Kakao Group had held a group-wide IR event.

 

The meeting was organized ahead of the spin-off to share growth strategies for Kakao and its major affiliates with key capital market participants, including securities analysts. The CEOs outlined the post-spin-off vision for Kakao AI and Kakao X, plans to generate synergies, and each affiliate’s growth strategies and execution plans. Analysts also raised a wide range of questions, leading to an active Q&A session. 

 

Shina Chung, CEO-designate of Kakao AI, outlined plans to develop KakaoTalk from a platform for everyday connections into an “integrated agentic AI interface” that understands users’ requests and context and carries out tasks on their behalf.

 

Presentations followed from the CEOs of major affiliates that will become part of Kakao X. As an investment company focused on future value, Kakao X will encompass three core business groups: techfin (including KakaoBank and Kakao Pay), content (including Kakao Entertainment, SM Entertainment, and Kakao Piccoma), and mobility (Kakao Mobility).

 

In the techfin sector, Kakao Pay CEO Wonkeun Shin outlined strategies to deliver hyper-personalized financial services powered by AI agents and establish a digital asset ecosystem with stablecoins as a key component. Hoyoung Yoon, CEO of KakaoBank, another key player in techfin, introduced the company’s transition toward becoming an AI-native bank and its strategy for a future financial platform. Yoon also outlined plans to build AI capabilities based on its proprietary large language model (LLM) and drive new financial innovation through global business expansion.

 

In the content sector, Kakao Entertainment Co-CEO Jeonghee Ko identified three key growth drivers: supporting the global growth of intellectual property (IP) through partnerships, connecting fan experiences by advancing its platforms, and expanding live entertainment globally. Ko also shared the company’s vision of driving the next phase of growth for Korean IP. Meanwhile, SM Entertainment Co-CEO Cheolhyuk Jang emphasized diversifying the company’s portfolio by continuously creating new IP, expanding its global fan base, and accelerating growth in its concert business. Kakao Piccoma CEO Jaeyong Kim outlined ambitions to grow beyond its position as a reading platform and become Japan’s No. 1 multimedia content platform, with AI-generated video and merchandise serving as key growth drivers.

 

Doyoung Kim, CEO-designate of Kakao X, stated, “The mobility business group also has promising growth prospects through the expansion of autonomous driving and physical AI. By connecting the powerful platforms, foundational technologies, and customer touchpoints across our core business groups—techfin, content, and mobility—we will create new growth opportunities and translate those achievements into enhanced long-term corporate value for Kakao X.”

 

Kakao is making active, sustained efforts to communicate with shareholders about the spin-off. Following its first meeting with retail shareholders in September, Kakao plans to hold a second meeting on October 20 at the Financial Investment Center in Yeouido, Seoul. A Kakao representative stated, “We will continue to communicate with shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders by regularly sharing the vision and strategies for creating synergies across Kakao Group and its affiliates, along with detailed growth plans related to the spin-off.” (E.O.D.)