South Korean internet company Kakao signed a strategic partnership with OpenAI on Tuesday, becoming the first domestic company to partner with OpenAI. The agreement, announced at a joint press conference at The Plaza in Seoul, aims to enhance AI accessibility and drive advancements in AI-powered services. Kakao CEO Shina Chung and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attended the event and announced the collaboration between the two companies.
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Integrating OpenAI’s Tech into Kakao’s Ecosystem
Under the partnership, Kakao will integrate OpenAI’s latest AI technology API into its key platforms, including KakaoTalk, the region’s most popular messaging app, and the upcoming Korean-language AI agent service, Kanana. Additionally, Kakao plans to adopt ChatGPT Enterprise to accelerate its transformation into an “AI-native company.” The collaboration will also involve joint product development, leveraging Kakao’s deep understanding of Korean users and OpenAI’s AI expertise.
According to the official release, Kakao plans to use both its own language model and OpenAI’s model for the Kanana service, which is currently in development.
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Kakao’s Vision for AI
“We will lead the popularisation of AI services by collaborating with OpenAI, which has global technological competitiveness, to provide innovative customer experiences,” Kakao CEO Shina Chung said in the keynote presentation.
“Through this collaboration, Kakao will further advance its orchestration strategy and mark a turning point in Kakao’s efforts to bring the future closer,” Chung added.
“Kakao has a deep understanding of how technology can enrich everyday lives, and they’ve consistently delivered innovative experiences for their users,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said at the press event. “We’re excited to bring advanced AI to Kakao’s millions of users and work together to integrate our technology into services that transform how Kakao’s users communicate and connect.”
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OpenAI’s Expanding Alliances
The partnership follows OpenAI’s USD 3 billion agreement with Japan’s SoftBank, announced Monday, as the company strengthens alliances in an AI market disrupted by the unexpected rise of Chinese competitor DeepSeek.
