South Korea’s two dominant internet platforms are preparing to transform how users shop online. Naver and Kakao both announced concrete timelines for AI shopping agents this month. Consequently, conversational commerce is about to become mainstream in the country’s digital ecosystem.
Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon disclosed the company’s plans during a February sixth earnings call. The shopping AI agent has reached closed-beta readiness and will begin internal testing immediately. Furthermore, a public release is targeted for late February. This accelerated timeline demonstrates Naver’s competitive urgency.
The agent processes natural-language requests and searches across multiple e-commerce platforms. It identifies matching products and can complete checkout without user intervention. For example, users can request a specific body lotion with particular attributes. The AI then handles the entire transaction seamlessly.
Naver plans to expand beyond shopping later this year. Travel and financial services agents will follow as development progresses. All these tools will reside in a new AI Tab on Naver’s homepage and app. This feature launches in the first half of 2026.
Kakao is pursuing a different integration strategy. Rather than building standalone tools, the company embedded AI directly into KakaoTalk. The agent, called Kanana in KakaoTalk, reads conversation context within the messaging app. Consequently, it offers proactive recommendations based on chat content.
CEO Chung Shin-a detailed the service during Kakao’s February twelfth earnings call. The iOS-only beta will conclude and launch on both platforms this quarter. Early adoption data shows remarkable user engagement. More than eighty percent of invited testers completed the required AI model download.
Approximately seventy percent of testers continue using the service regularly. This retention rate significantly exceeds typical beta engagement metrics. On March ninth, Kakao will consolidate services under a single brand. It will fold existing AI shopping features into Kanana in KakaoTalk.
Technical limitations currently restrict the service’s availability. The AI runs locally on devices rather than in cloud servers. Therefore, it currently requires iPhone 15 Pro or newer models. Android support will arrive with the full public launch.
This domestic race mirrors global developments already underway. OpenAI introduced Instant Checkout in ChatGPT last September. US users can now purchase from Etsy and Shopify merchants without leaving the chatbot. Similarly, Google unveiled Universal Commerce Protocol in January, built with Walmart, Target, and Shopify.
Shopping represents the natural entry point for AI agents because results are measurable. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy revealed compelling data last year. Customers using Rufus, Amazon’s shopping AI, were sixty percent more likely to complete purchases. This performance validates the strategic focus on conversational commerce.
The Korean platforms’ approaches reflect their distinct corporate DNA. Naver builds dedicated tools for specific functions within its ecosystem. Kakao weaves capabilities into existing messaging conversations where users already spend time. Both strategies leverage their respective strengths.
Industry observers note that conversational commerce eliminates friction from online shopping. Users no longer toggle between apps, compare prices manually, or navigate checkout forms. The AI handles these routine tasks invisibly. Consequently, the shopping experience becomes dramatically more efficient.
Privacy considerations accompany this technological shift. Local AI processing addresses some concerns by keeping data on devices. However, the systems still require significant user information to function effectively. Companies must balance convenience against appropriate data protection.
The launch timelines suggest intense competition between the platforms. Naver aims for February release while Kakao targets this quarter. Both recognize that early mover advantage matters in establishing user habits. Conversational commerce could fundamentally reshape how Koreans interact with these platforms.
Looking ahead, successful deployment will depend on AI accuracy and reliability. Mistaken purchases or poor recommendations would undermine user trust. Therefore, extensive testing precedes public launch. The closed beta phase allows refinement before wider release.
In conclusion, Naver and Kakao are racing to bring conversational commerce to South Korean users. Their AI agents promise to transform routine shopping into seamless conversations. This technological leap eliminates friction while raising questions about privacy and reliability. The coming months will reveal which approach resonates most with consumers.
