It’s been raining~ a lot in Korea lately, but instead of going insane, we’ve been busy at work with a number of exciting new ventures. This edition of the Roundup features updates on Kakao Bank, the opening of a Kakao Friends flagship store and details of Kakao’s next O2O service.
[bs_icon name="glyphicon glyphicon-ok"] Kakao Bank gears up for official launch
Since receiving its preliminary license last Nov., Kakao Bank has been hard at work, preparing to launch one of the first internet-only banks in Korea. On July 5th, the Bank shared their current progress with the Financial Services Commission and other stakeholders in a briefing at their Pangyo HQ. Kakao Bank is expected to officially open in the first quarter of 2017.
Kakao Bank will do full range of finance activities (Korea JoongAng Daily)
[bs_icon name="glyphicon glyphicon-ok"] Kakao Friends take over Gangnam… in a big way
Without a doubt, our Kakao Friends have blown up big time and are now one of the most recognizable and popular characters in the country. That’s lead directly to huge fan receptions whenever a Kakao Friends store opens, and the latest one in Gangnam is by far the biggest. Despite the rain, hundreds of eager fans waited in line for the opening. ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ ☔ The store is 3 floors Kakao Friends awesomeness and even features a Ryan Café, so make sure to stop by when you’re in town!
Kakao opens flagship store for mobile characters in Gangnam (The Korea Herald)
[bs_icon name="glyphicon glyphicon-ok"] Kakao officially announces Kakao Games Europe and Kakao Games USA
With the massive success of Pearl Abyss’ MMORPG Black Desert Online, Kakao is looking to expand our presence as a global game publisher. As part of this effort, we rebranded Daum Game Europe as Kakao Games Europe and also announced the opening of our US offices. BTW, If you’re a fan of Black Desert Online, Make sure to check out the Valencia Part One expansion!
Publishers of Black Desert Rebrand to Kakao Games Europe (GameSinners)
[bs_icon name="glyphicon glyphicon-ok"] Kakao Homeclean to offer on-demand housekeeping service
No one likes a messy house, but when you’ve got a packed schedule, it’s definitely not easy to keep it as clean as you want. If that describes you, or someone you know, Kakao Homeclean just might be what you’re looking for. Expected to launch by the end of the year, Homeclean will deliver the same level of convenience and peace of mind found in Kakao’s other O2O services. Prior to the launch, Kakao formed partnerships with three women's resource development centers to ensure top quality training and recruiting.
Kakao gears up for house cleaning service (The Korea Times)