Kakao (represented by Im Ji-hoon) announced on the 5th that the annual cumulative transaction amount of the mobile commerce platform 'KakaoTalk Gift' has exceeded 1 trillion won for the first time since its launch.

Since its first introduction in December 2010, KakaoTalk Gift is a KakaoTalk-based commerce platform that allows KakaoTalk users to easily send and receive gifts. It provides a specialized experience and service tailored to the meaning and purpose of 'gifts', distinguishing it from other online commerce services. With high accessibility and user-friendly features, the number of users has been steadily increasing, bringing about significant changes in the gift culture of South Korea.

Over the past year, 17 million people used KakaoTalk Gift, exchanging gifts totaling 1 trillion won. An impressive 80% of gifts were sent to friends, with 60% of them including heartfelt messages on message cards. The message card feature allows users to convey confessions, congratulations, and gratitude by selecting backgrounds and Kakao Friends characters to decorate the card, showing a high utilization rate.

Looking at the monthly transaction trends, it is clear that KakaoTalk Gift has established itself as a leading mobile commerce platform for special gift-giving occasions. Transactions saw significant increases on special days like Valentine's Day, White Day, Pepero Day, exam days, Christmas, New Year's, and Chuseok. The platform's popularity can be attributed to the ability to easily send gifts even without knowing the recipient's address, the availability of delivery items, and the specially curated 'Yellow Gifts' designed by Kakao.

KakaoTalk Gift continues to grow with its partners. Starting with 15 partners in December 2010, the number has now increased by over 250 times in 7 years, with approximately 4,000 partners currently selling products on the platform. As the number of partners and products grows, KakaoTalk Gift enhances its recommendation and curation features to increase the convenience for users in selecting gifts. It recommends gifts not only for birthdays, anniversaries, and moving days but also based on witty themes like 'Winter Delights,' 'Snacks Party,' and 'Moisturizing Gifts' to enhance satisfaction.

Son Dong-ik, the Chief Business Officer of Kakao, stated, "KakaoTalk Gift has steadily grown since starting as Kakao's first revenue model in 2010, creating a new gift culture" and "will continue to make every effort to provide users with a unique gift-giving experience."