Korean AI Services: HyperCLOVA X, Kakao, SKT, Exaone — 2026-09-18
Kakao has announced the discontinuation of its standalone AI app, Kanana, consolidating its AI strategy into KakaoTalk and a new "AI for Everyone" platform launching in beta this month. Meanwhile, the South Korean government finalized the selection of Naver Cloud as the sole operator for a 700-billion parameter sovereign cybersecurity AI model, leveraging 4,000 NVIDIA B200 GPUs.
Korean AI Services: HyperCLOVA X, Kakao, SKT, Exaone — 2026-09-18
Top developments
Kakao Ends Standalone AI App "Kanana," Shifts Focus to KakaoTalk
On September 15, 2026, Kakao confirmed it will shut down its standalone AI service, Kanana, on October 15, just 17 months after its launch. The company stated that AI experiments and user feedback from the app will be integrated into other services, primarily KakaoTalk, which serves as the main entry point for its new "AI for Everyone" agentic platform. This strategic pivot aims to streamline resources and leverage KakaoTalk’s massive user base for broader AI adoption rather than maintaining a fragmented ecosystem of standalone apps.
Naver Cloud Selected for 700B Parameter Sovereign Security AI
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) selected the Naver Cloud consortium as the final operator for the "Cyber Security Specialized AI Foundation Model Development" project on September 3, 2026. Naver will develop two 700-billion parameter models—one for defense and one for attack simulation—using HyperCLOVA X and LG’s EXAONE as base architectures. The project involves 32 industry-academia-research institutions and will utilize 4,000 NVIDIA B200 GPUs, with 256 allocated specifically for pre-training during the initial 10-month phase. This move underscores the government's push for sovereign security tools independent of foreign AI providers.
"AI for Everyone" Beta Launches Late September, Targeting 30 Million Users by 2030
Consortiums led by SK Telecom, KT, and Kakao are preparing to launch beta versions of the national "AI for Everyone" service by late September 2026, with a full nationwide rollout expected before year-end. The initiative aims to provide free, unlimited generative AI access to all 51 million citizens, with specific targets of 10 million monthly active users per platform within one year of launch. The services will be accessible via messenger apps, text, and phone, requiring at least 80% of the underlying models to be domestically developed to ensure data sovereignty.
Local view
Local media highlight the consolidation of Kakao's AI efforts as a pragmatic response to competition from global giants like ChatGPT. Digital Today reports that Kakao’s decision to retire Kanana reflects a broader industry trend where standalone AI apps struggle to retain users compared to integrated super-app features. Meanwhile, Seoul Economic Daily emphasizes the aggressive user acquisition targets for the "AI for All" project, noting that the 80% domestic model quota is a critical regulatory barrier designed to protect local firms like Naver and LG from being sidelined by foreign providers.
Context & numbers
- Compute Power: The Naver-led security AI project is preloading 4,000 NVIDIA B200 GPUs, signaling a massive hardware commitment to sovereign model training.
- User Engagement: SK Broadband reported that 1.7 million monthly active users utilized its "B tv A." service in September 2026, generating 21 million monthly conversations, demonstrating strong traction for AI in consumer media.
- Government Budget: The MSIT has requested approximately 3 trillion won for ICT research in the next fiscal year, with 384.9 billion won specifically allocated for physical AI and foundation model development.
- Market Share: While ChatGPT remains the leader in Monthly Active Users (MAU) with over 20 million users in Korea, local apps like Zeta and Wrtn are gaining ground in total usage time, particularly among younger demographics.
On the radar
- October 15: Final shutdown date for Kakao’s Kanana app; users must migrate their history if applicable.
- Late September: Beta rollout of "AI for Everyone" services by SKT, KT, and Kakao begins.
- Q4 2026: Full nationwide launch of the sovereign AI services is scheduled, with strict monitoring of the 80% domestic model usage quota.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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