ChatGPT, the world’s most famous generative artificial intelligence service by OpenAI Inc., is now available on KakaoTalk, South Korea’s dominant mobile chat platform used by more than 90% of the population, marking the first tangible result of Kakao Corp.’s partnership with OpenAI, announced in February.
Kakao said Tuesday it has launched ChatGPT for Kakao, a program embedding OpenAI’s latest GPT-5 model directly into KakaoTalk.
The feature lets KakaoTalk users access ChatGPT through a new tab at the top of the chat interface to ask questions, generate text or images and share AI-created content in conversations without leaving the app.
“By making AI accessible to anyone, we expect AI use to increase sharply,” said Yong-ha Yoo, head of Kakao’s AI Agent Platform. “This launch will usher in the everyday-AI era.”
Korea already has the most paid users of ChatGPT outside the US.
AI IN EVERYDAY CONVERSATIONS
Existing ChatGPT users can sign in with their OpenAI credentials, while new users may register using their Kakao accounts.
Both free and paid options mirror ChatGPT’s global structure, meaning free-tier users will have limited access to premium AI features.
ChatGPT for Kakao also connects OpenAI’s generative AI with Kakao’s ecosystem through Kakao Tools, an in-app agent platform linking AI to services such as Kakao Map, Kakao Gift, Kakao Reservation and Melon.
For example, a user asking “Find a Starbucks store near Seoul City Hall Station” will automatically receive Kakao Map results within the chat.
To encourage adoption, Kakao is offering a subscription rebate for users who purchase the paid ChatGPT Plus plan through KakaoTalk by Dec. 31.
The Korean company said the new AI service prioritizes privacy, allowing users to choose whether to store chat histories or contribute data for AI training.
All user information will be handled under Kakao and OpenAI’s data-protection policies.
BUILDING AN AI ECOSYSTEM
The launch is part of Kakao’s broader strategy to develop an AI-agent ecosystem integrating messaging, content, commerce and navigation.
Alongside the ChatGPT service, Kakao plans to expand Kanana service.
Currently in beta testing, Kanana in KakaoTalk uses its proprietary on-device AI assistant, the lightweight Kanana Nano model, to understand chat context and proactively assist users by suggesting information, recommending places or products and providing daily briefings.
After reflecting user feedback, Kakao plans to roll out the service across Android devices in the first quarter of next year.
The Korean platform giant also plans to allow external partners to develop new content for the Kanana in the KakaoTalk service.
To support developers, Kakao has opened PlayMCP, a platform that allows third parties to create and register AI tools.
The new integration represents the first commercial collaboration between Kakao and OpenAI since their partnership was forged in February, aimed at embedding ChatGPT’s generative AI technology into Kakao’s broader AI framework.
Kakao shares climbed more than 4.5% on Tuesday afternoon, outperforming Korea’s benchmark Kospi index, which fell nearly 1.5%.
