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Kakao Entertainment appoints Ko Jung-hee as new co-CEO

Published: 27 Feb. 2026, 15:11 Updated: 01 Mar. 2026, 17:44

KIM MIN-YOUNG
[email protected]

Kakao Entertainment co-CEOs Ko Jung-hee, right, and Joseph Chang [KAKAO ENTERTAINMENT]

Kakao Entertainment has nominated Ko Jung-hee, formerly the head of KakaoBank’s AI Group, as its new co-chief executive officer. This move transitions the company to a dual leadership structure led by Joseph Chang and Ko.

The nominee is set to be formally appointed through upcoming shareholders’ and board meetings, officially taking office in late March. This change follows the departure of Kweon Ki-su, who stepped down as co-CEO due to personal reasons.

Ko first joined Kakao in 2002 and has a history of overseeing community-driven businesses, including Daum Cafe and various blog services, as well as operations for the company’s Japan unit. She later served as KakaoBank’s chief service officer and chief strategy officer before most recently leading the bank’s AI group.

During her tenure at KakaoBank, Ko was credited with "revamping the platform into a financial service tailored to users with greater convenience and stability," according to the press release.

Kakao Entertainment logo [KAKAO ENTERTAINMENT]

Ko plans to focus on advancing and innovating Kakao Entertainment’s platform and service strategies to secure a distinct competitive edge.

Chang will focus more on intellectual property (IP) and global operations. Chang has already been “instrumental in diversifying overseas activities” for artists under both Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment, according to the press release.

“Kakao Entertainment has built a strong IP value chain through premium IP and differentiated platform services,” Chang and Ko were quoted as saying in the press release. “Building on that, we will deepen synergies across our businesses and cement our position as a key player in the global entertainment industry.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]