[Edaily Reporter Lee So-Hyun ] Naver (NAVER(035420)) is spotlighting creators of high-quality user-generated content (UGC) featured in its AI Briefing and will provide monthly grants of 10 million won to leading creators in each field.

Naver announced on the 15th that it has launched a beta version of its AI fellowship program, “Naver Mate,” and has announced the first group of “Special Naver Mate” creators in various fields.

Naver Mate is a program that spotlights UGC creators who are building a high-quality content ecosystem based on subject-specific expertise and diversity. Approximately 3,000 creators are selected each month based on criteria such as the number of times their content is cited in AI Briefings, subject-specific expertise, and activity levels.

The Special Naver Mates unveiled this time consist of representative creators and outstanding creators from each field—selected from among those chosen as Naver Mates—who have consistently documented their experiences and know-how over the past month, thereby adding value to the AI ecosystem.

The categories include 10 fields: Travel, Food, Recipes, Style, Tech, Lifestyle, Culture, Media, Insights, and Hobbies. A total of 110 creators will be selected—one representative creator and ten outstanding creators per category.

Category representatives will receive a special monthly grant of 10 million won in addition to a basic activity allowance of 300,000 won. Outstanding creators in each category will receive an additional 3 million won per month.

The category representatives for June are: △Naildong: Japan Travel Cafe (Travel) △Mandi’s Food Blog (Food) △MJ’s Quick & Easy Recipes~♥(Recipes) △GO OUT CASUALLY DRESSED (Style) △Photographer Shin Nam’s IT World (Tech) △Moms Holic Baby (Life) △Old Spice Iumse (Culture) △The Viewer (Media) △Investment Notes (Insight) △Game Info (Hobbies), among others.

These blogs have been widely cited in AI briefings from January through the present and are recognized for adding expertise and diversity to Naver’s AI ecosystem.

In fact, blogs such as “Mandi’s Food Blog” and “The Observer” have consistently built up content including trend analyses, firsthand experiences, and information sharing on specific topics. In online communities like “Naildong: Japan Travel Cafe” and “Moms Holic Baby,” users with common interests—such as travel and parenting—have accumulated answers to everyday questions and situation-specific know-how through their interactions.

Through this program, Naver plans to revitalize Saramin experience, expertise, and community-based information—which serve as the foundation for improving the quality of AI search and briefings.

Lee Il-gu, Head of Naver’s Content Services Division, stated, “Together with Naver Mates, we are exploring various approaches to further invigorate the UGC ecosystem, which is becoming increasingly valuable in the AI era as it embodies human experience and insight.” He added, “Starting with the ‘Special Naver Mates’ announced for the first time, we will continue to expand the shared appreciation for talented creators and quality content among users, while pursuing various initiatives to enhance creators’ influence and reputation.”

Meanwhile, Naver also released the list of active Naver Mates for July on the 1st. The July Naver Mates consist of approximately 3,000 individuals—ranging from professional creators to newcomers—who have consistently documented their experiences and expertise. As the topics for AI Briefing Q&A sessions have diversified, creators from various fields have been highlighted, and about half of the creators on the list are new additions to the Naver Mates roster.