Kakao has unveiled plans to create a "Discovery area" in KakaoTalk and add a "short-form" (short video) feature to transform the platform into a super app. The intent is to enhance the revenue by increasing users' stay time.
Chung Shina, CEO of Kakao, noted during a conference call following the announcement of the financial results for the first quarter of 2025 on the 8th, "This second half of the year, we will create a 'Discovery' area in the third tab of KakaoTalk and provide short-form content as a feed-type service," adding that "the goal is to increase users' stay time in KakaoTalk by 20%."
KakaoTalk has a large number of domestic users, but shows a significant gap in usage time compared to leading platforms like YouTube. CEO Chung noted, "KakaoTalk, which has continued to grow as a messenger, will actively promote its evolution into a 'super app' by enhancing content services and social features," and added, "I believe users have the consumption potential to encounter an average of over 23 new pieces of content daily."
CEO Chung also stated, "This second half of the year, we will enhance the daily content sharing feature to improve the service experience," and noted that "we will introduce several advertising products tailored to new usage contexts and traffic characteristics this year to establish new revenue streams."
Kakao's consolidated performance for the first quarter of this year was reported as revenue of 1.8637 trillion won and an operating profit of 105.4 billion won. The operating margin stands at 5.7%. Compared to the same period last year, revenue decreased by 6.3%, and operating profit dropped by 12.4%.