Naver Surpasses 12 Trillion Won in Revenue with AI-Powered Growth

*Editor's Note: 'AI PRISM' (Personalized Report & Insight Summarizing Media) is an 'AI-based customized news recommendation and summary service' developed with support from the Korea Press Foundation. It selects and provides six customized news items for each reader type.

1. AI-Powered Naver Expands Robot Territory

- Key Summary: Naver recorded revenue of 12.035 trillion won and operating profit of 2.208 trillion won last year, growing 12.1% and 11.6% year-on-year respectively to achieve its highest results since founding. The driving force behind stable growth was the successful integration of AI with existing businesses—AI contributed 55% of platform advertising revenue growth, while Smart Store achieved 10% transaction value growth through AI recommendation services. Naver plans to launch a shopping AI agent and AI tab this year, and will accelerate expansion into North America, Saudi Arabia, and Japan by extending its robot delivery system outdoors using Nvidia Omniverse. Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon stated, "We will build Naver's unique business model in the AI robot era," adding that the company will pursue Web3 finance and stablecoin businesses while returning 25-35% of free cash flow to shareholders over the next three years.

2. Hanwha Aerospace and KAI Form Defense and Aerospace Alliance

- Key Summary: Hanwha Aerospace and Korea Aerospace Industries signed a joint cooperation agreement on future core business for strengthening K-defense global competitiveness on the 6th, combining engine and airframe capabilities to capture next-generation markets. The two companies will pursue joint development and export of unmanned aerial vehicles, advanced engine development for KF-21 follow-on models, unmanned aircraft technology for Next-generation Air Combat System (NACS), and space industry ecosystem building including satellites and launch vehicles. Breaking from closed industry practices, they will share supply chains of materials, parts, and equipment partners while supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in the Gyeongnam aerospace cluster through joint R&D and technical support to increase localization rates. Meanwhile, KAI signed a 101.4 billion won Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) contract with the Philippine Department of National Defense for FA-50PH on the same day, providing support through 2028.

3. Fund-Type Retirement Pension System Introduced After 21 Years

- Key Summary: The labor-management-government task force for strengthening retirement pension functions agreed on the 6th to mandate retirement pensions for all workplaces and introduce fund-type retirement pensions, signaling the biggest change since the system's introduction in 2005. With only 26% of all workplaces currently having retirement pensions, the tripartite body will pursue phased mandatory adoption considering workplace size and conditions while guaranteeing worker options including mid-term withdrawal and lump-sum payment. The new fund-type will apply to defined contribution (DC) plans and operate through three models: private financial institution open type, consortium type, and public institution open type, with the National Pension Service able to participate in the public institution open type. Employment and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon stated, "We have reached agreement for the first time on core issues that remained unresolved for over 20 years since retirement pension introduction," and pledged to promptly prepare institutionalization measures.

4. LG Energy Solution Acquires Canadian JV Stake Worth $1 Billion for $100

- Key Summary: LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) announced on the 6th it will acquire the 49% stake in Nextstar Energy, a Canadian joint venture with Stellantis, for $100 to convert it into a wholly-owned subsidiary. Stellantis contributed approximately $980 million but is withdrawing while absorbing the loss due to prolonged EV market stagnation, with the stake acquisition scheduled for June 30. LG Energy Solution has been converting its EV battery lines to energy storage system (ESS) production since November last year, and expects improved cost competitiveness and profitability by receiving Canadian government investment subsidies and production subsidies at US Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit (AMPC) levels on its own. This secures its third North American ESS base following Michigan's Holland and Lansing plants, strengthening its capacity to handle 140 GWh of global projects ordered from Teragen, Excelsior Energy Capital, EG4, and Hanwha Qcells.