Naver (035420.KS), South Korea's largest internet platform, laid out its artificial intelligence-centered growth strategy at its annual shareholders' meeting, announcing plans to deploy "AI agents" across all service areas within this year. The company also signaled its intent to respond more swiftly to key business decisions — including the Naver Financial-Dunamu business combination — by appointing its chief financial officer to the board of directors for the first time in 10 years.
Naver presented its mid- to long-term AI-driven growth roadmap at its 27th annual general meeting held at Naver Green Factory in Bundang, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday.
"We will fully introduce AI agents across all Naver services this year," CEO Choi Soo-yeon said. "We will strengthen our competitiveness by expanding the AI capabilities accumulated on the Naver platform across all business-to-consumer and business-to-business areas."
As a first step, Naver plans to expand the scope of its "AI Shopping Agent" launched last month and roll out specialized vertical agents in search, finance, health and other areas within the year.
The company made clear its focus on monetizing its AI business. "The goal of the health AI agent is to provide accurate answers tailored to the Korean environment," Choi said. "It is also being connected to services where Naver can generate revenue through commissions, such as commerce and reservations, so monetization of the health AI agent will be possible."
Naver also said it would expand its enterprise AI business in sectors where security is critical, including the public sector, finance and defense, and use AI to boost organizational productivity.
At the shareholders' meeting, Naver CFO Kim Hee-chul was appointed as an inside director, marking the first time in 10 years — since 2016 — that a CFO has joined the company's board. The company said Kim's appointment would strengthen the link between Naver's financial strategy and board decision-making at a time when the company's global expansion and financial soundness have become key issues.
Naver put forward five agenda items at the meeting, including Kim's appointment as inside director and approval of executive compensation limits. All items were passed. Some shareholders raised concerns over the company's declining share price and low dividend payouts.