Why is Korean chatting app KakaoTalk suddenly surging in Russia?

KakaoTalk might be Korea's dominant instant messenger service, with a near-stranglehold on the local market, but for more than a decade, it struggled to find a foothold on foreign shores.

2026-04-01

North-sponsored cyberattacks utilize KakaoTalk to distribute malware

A North Korea-linked hacking group has used stolen KakaoTalk accounts to spread malware in a series of recent cyberattacks, highlighting a new distribution tactic, a report showed Monday.

2026-03-16

Ignore late messages from the boss? Maybe, if new 'right to disconnect' legislation gets approved.

The government plans to address the right to disconnect, alongside legislation aimed at reducing actual working hours in the first half of the year, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Thursday.

2026-03-09

KakaoTalk, Youtube dominate smartphone app usage in Korea

While Koreans turned to KakaoTalk most often to connect, they spent the most time watching videos on YouTube this year, reflecting a clear divide in how different apps are used throughout the day.

2025-12-30

Nearly 200 million gifts sent through KakaoTalk this year, says company

KakaoTalk's gifting service was used nearly 200 million times this year, Kakao Corp. said Thursday. Data from the company showed approximately 189 million gifts were sent through Dec. 17, translating to an average of 540,000 gifts per day.

2025-12-25

Singer MC Mong, Cha Ga-won deny affair allegations

Singer MC Mong and Cha Ga-won, chairperson of his former agency One Hundred Label, have denied reports suggesting they were having an affair and said they plan to take legal action.

2025-12-24

Kakao reverts back to list-style 'Friends' tab after intense backlash

KakaoTalk on Tuesday rolled back its newly introduced feed-style Friends tab after strong user pushback against the update to Korea’s largest messaging app, used for both professional and personal communication.

2025-12-16

KakaoTalk's Friends tab restoration to roll out next week

KakaoTalk will restore its original Friends tab as early as Monday, following user backlash over a controversial redesign introduced in September, according to ICT industry sources on Tuesday. The update will roll out gradually starting next week.

2025-12-10

KakaoTalk rolls out 'send quietly' feature for a more discreet messaging experience

KakaoTalk introduced a new, quieter way to message others on Tuesday, rolling out a “send quietly” feature that lets users deliver texts, photos and videos without triggering notifications on the recipient’s phone.

2025-11-19

KakaoTalk to double down on AI with ChatGPT, in-house chatbots

KakaoTalk will introduce a ChatGPT-powered chatbot along with a model of its own designed to analyze user conversations and suggest relevant products in real time.

2025-10-28

korea joongAng daily