Leading instant messengers South Korea 2023

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2023, around 98.6 percent of respondents stated that they used the instant messenger service KakaoTalk. Other popular instant messenger services included Facebook Messenger at about 22 percent and Instagram messenger at 19 percent.

KakaoTalk and the preference for domestic services

KakaoTalk, also known as KaTalk, is a mobile messaging app operated by South Korean conglomerate Kakao Corporation. Dominating all other instant messaging services, South Koreans across all age groups have a high usage rate of the mobile and desktop app. While large international companies and their services are generally popular in South Korea, domestic alternatives also enjoy high usage rates. Daum Communications, one of South Korea’s most accessed web services, merged with Kakao in 2014, allowing the corporation to extend its influence over the domestic internet sector and its related services.

Kakao Corporation

Kakao Corporation is one of several successful South Korean conglomerates active across multiple industries. Other prominent industries the corporation is successful in include entertainment, transportation, and banking. Kakao Bank, which launched in 2017, was South Korea’s first digital bank. Despite being relatively new, Kakao Bank has become a leading bank in Asia.