Kakao membership could launch as early as October, bundling taxis, music and shopping

Kakao could launch its own integrated membership service as early as October, bringing together taxi rides, music, shopping and other benefits through KakaoTalk. The company is preparing a beta version centered on its newly established Kakao AI unit, according to industry accounts.

Kakao confirmed that it is preparing a membership service linking its various offerings and benefits, but said the launch schedule and participating services have not been decided. The subscription fee also remains unsettled. Rival South Korean platforms such as Naver and Coupang charge roughly 4,900 to 8,000 won a month, a range that could influence Kakao’s pricing. Different membership tiers could also carry different fees.

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We are indeed preparing a membership service linking Kakao’s various services and benefits, but the specific launch date and participating services have not yet been decided.

Kakao already operates paid services across its businesses. KakaoTalk offers Emoticon Plus, which allows unlimited use of emoticons for 3,900 won a month. Kakao Mobility runs Kakao T Membership, priced at 4,900 won a month, with taxi, bicycle and parking discounts and points. Kakao Entertainment offers separate memberships for Melon, Kakao Webtoon and Kakao Page.

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As the company already has a strong user base through KakaoTalk, which is used nationwide, it appears to be seeking a new growth model on that foundation.

The possible expansion would reach beyond those existing products. Industry observers have mentioned Kakao Pay, Kakao Shopping and Kakao Style’s Zigzag as potential participants. Kakao recently said its AI assistant, Kanana in KakaoTalk, would connect with the food-delivery platform Coupang Eats, raising the possibility of broader partnerships with outside platforms.

One industry official said Kakao already has a strong user base through a service used nationwide and appears to be seeking a new growth model. The company’s eventual direction is still unclear: it could build an ecosystem centered on its own services, like Coupang, or rely more heavily on outside partnerships, like Naver.

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It remains to be seen whether Kakao will expand its membership ecosystem around its own services, like Coupang, or design it mainly around partnerships with outside platforms, like Naver.