Kakao Bank (323410) has unveiled a blueprint for advancing into a global comprehensive financial platform. Based on its deposit competitiveness, the company is preparing to provide new investment and payment services. It is also reviewing entry into the retirement pension market and acquisition of a capital company.
The challenge is that the platform is becoming more complex. To solve this, Kakao Bank is implementing an 'AI Native' environment incorporating conversational artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The goal is to enable customers to conveniently access services while simultaneously developing AI into a financial assistant that proactively suggests services customers need.
On the 8th, Kakao Bank held '2026 Press Talk' in the Yeouido area and unveiled its future growth strategy centered on two pillars: artificial intelligence (AI) and global territorial expansion. The event was attended by CEO Yun Ho-young, along with the CEO of Indonesia's Superbank and the CEO of Thailand's virtual bank Bank X, who shared the outcomes of global cooperation with Kakao Bank.
First, Kakao Bank announced plans to expand its financial service areas into investment and payment based on its overwhelming deposit competitiveness. Kakao Bank launched in July 2021. In its ninth year since launch, 27 million people—representing 90% of Korea's economically active population—are using Kakao Bank. It also possesses deposit competitiveness of 70 trillion won.
Starting this quarter, new services will be introduced consecutively. In the second quarter, an 'Investment Tab' for comparing and investing in various financial products will be launched, and in the third quarter, a 'Payment Home' for managing scattered payment information all at once will be released. In the second half of the year, the company plans to launch new cards including customized benefits check cards, cards exclusively for teenagers and foreigners, and a second private label credit card (PLCC).
Additionally, pension products have been selected as a new growth driver for deposits. The company is currently preparing to launch retirement pension services. It is also knocking on the door of the capital business to expand into investment and payment areas. Both options of directly acquiring a capital company and obtaining a license are being considered.
Kakao Bank's aspiration to become a comprehensive financial platform leads to concerns about increasingly complex user experience (UX). CEO Yun said, "The strategy of incorporating all financial functions into one platform can increase customer fatigue with complex menus," adding, "Kakao Bank has been preparing to solve such problems through AI."
Kakao Bank has already introduced a conversational interface within its app. The consultation chatbot is a prime example. Currently, the consultation chatbot handles 70% of all consultations. Furthermore, the company announced plans to apply 'conversational AI' across all service areas. Kakao Bank has named this innovation 'AI Native.'
In Kakao Bank's AI Native environment, AI can serve as each customer's personal financial assistant. Kakao Bank plans to implement hyper-personalized services by combining its accumulated App-Only data with a finance-specialized large language model (LLM). AI will be able to proactively suggest financial services that customers need.
CEO Yun stated, "Kakao Bank aims for AI services that break down boundaries across all financial areas including banking, payment, and investment," and projected, "We will first identify and solve complex financial problems that even customers are not aware of."
Kakao Bank also announced plans to enter Mongolia on this day. This is its third global territorial expansion following Indonesia and Thailand. Its first investment destination, Indonesia's 'Superbank,' listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange at the end of last year and established itself as the number one digital bank by market capitalization locally. 'Bank X,' a joint venture established with Thailand's SCBX Group, is set to begin virtual banking operations in the first half of next year.
The specific strategy for entering Mongolia is scheduled to be announced tomorrow. Going beyond simple service exports, the plan is to spread 'inclusive finance' by applying a credit scoring model (CSS) utilizing non-financial data locally.
CEO Yun said, "Kakao Bank was able to grow loans to middle and low-credit borrowers by advancing its CSS," and added, "We will cooperate with local agencies in Mongolia to implement this model and export Kakao Bank's inclusive finance capabilities to the world."
