[Edaily Reporter Lee So-hyun] #Kakao and #Samsung Electronics have joined forces to cultivate developers who will lead the era of artificial intelligence (AI).

Kakao announced on the 15th that it co-hosted the “SSAFY X Kakao Tech Bootcamp AI Hackathon” with Samsung Electronics over two days, from the 13th to the 14th, at the Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

This event was the first joint hackathon organized by linking Kakao’s technical talent development program, “Kakao Tech Bootcamp,” with Samsung Electronics’ “Samsung Youth SW·AI Academy” (SSAFY). It was sponsored by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Both companies have been operating developer training programs through the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s K-Digital Training initiative. This event was planned as a first step toward expanding their collaboration beyond talent development and employment support to building a developer ecosystem.

A total of 12 teams, comprising approximately 90 participants selected through preliminary rounds from trainees of both companies, took part in the event. Six teams each from Kakao Tech Bootcamp and SSAFY participated.

The hackathon’s theme was the “Top 10 AI Projects for Public Welfare,” selected by the government. Participants chose one of various public welfare challenges—such as support for small business owners, countering voice phishing, protecting children and adolescents, and analyzing marine hazards—and spent two days and one night designing solutions using AI technology and implementing them as actual service prototypes.

On-site, expert mentoring and special lectures by Kakao’s in-house developers were provided to help participants gain a deep understanding of real-world problems and devise practical solutions. Officials from key government ministries responsible for the selected projects—including the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family—also participated as mentors, engaging in in-depth Q&A sessions with the participants.

Following final presentations and judging, a total of five winning teams were selected, receiving awards including the Minister of Employment and Labor Award, the Kakao CEO Award, and the Samsung Electronics CEO Award. Each team was awarded 3 million won, for a total prize pool of 15 million won.

The Minister of Employment and Labor Award went to the “Golden Time” team. This team received high praise for developing “DRIFT,” a service that uses AI to analyze various conditions at the scene of an accident and assist the Coast Guard in rescue operations, even when communications are cut off following a maritime distress incident. The Kakao CEO Award was presented to the “SSAIKA” team for implementing the “Mindam” service, which utilizes AI to streamline the receipt and processing of public complaints. The Samsung Electronics CEO Award went to the “Unlock” team, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman’s Award to the “Peanut” team, and the Korea Radio Promotion Association Chairman’s Award to the “Kavengers” team.

Participants reported that through this hackathon, they gained hands-on development experience and came to appreciate the importance of collaboration. Kim Dae-hoon, who currently works as a developer at Kakao, said, “It was meaningful to be able to solve social problems using AI technology—issues that are difficult to encounter in my day-to-day work,” adding, “I was able to gain new perspectives and ideas while planning and developing services with participants from diverse backgrounds.”

Participant Jang Ye-hoon said, “After serving as an Air Force officer, I wanted to work on solving everyday inconveniences, so I joined the Kakao Tech Bootcamp and chose the path of a developer.” He added, “By working on a project that used AI to solve real-life public welfare challenges during this hackathon, I was able to grow as a developer.”

Kwon Dae-yeol, Head of Sustainable Management at Kakao, remarked, “This hackathon is significant not only as an exemplary case of public-private partnership in education between the government and companies but also as a model that maximized educational impact through collaboration among private enterprises.” He added, “We will continue to expand hands-on projects and collaborative experiences to strengthen support for the growth of talent needed in the AI era and the development of the developer ecosystem.”

Meanwhile, since being selected as an operating institution for the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s K-Digital Training Digital Pioneer Academy in 2022, Kakao has trained a total of 660 technical professionals to date. Kakao Tech Bootcamp and SSAFY were introduced as representative examples of technical talent development in South Korea at the 2025 APEC Ministerial Meeting on Employment and Labor.