[Edaily Reporter Han Kwangbeom ] Kakao(035720)announced that the production-inducing effect generated through its platform ecosystem is approaching 20 trillion won. The company stated that it has contributed not only to macroeconomic ripple effects—such as saving over 95 million hours in online payment processing time—but also to tangible benefits for users.

On the 6th, Kakao disclosed these “socio-economic value” figures on its ESG website. The company presented quantitative data on the macroeconomic ripple effects generated by its platform ecosystem and the tangible benefits experienced by users and partners.

While existing platform companies have focused on metrics showing simple growth in scale—such as monthly active users (MAU) or gross merchandise value (GMV)—this announcement is notable for comprehensively presenting the company’s contribution to the national economy based on the Bank of Korea’s input-output tables, along with user time and cost savings, and contributions to the social safety net. This is seen as an attempt to reaffirm the legitimacy and practical utility of platform services amid the transition to Agent AI.

According to an analysis of economic ripple effects as of 2025, the total production induced directly and indirectly across all domestic industries through the Kakao platform reached 19.9 trillion won. This figure significantly exceeds the direct effect of 11.2 trillion won—representing final demand for Kakao’s services themselves—and demonstrates the economic ripple effect generated in related industries through the Kakao ecosystem.

◇Benefits Felt by Users Go Beyond Macroeconomics… “Time and Cost Savings” Proven by the Numbers

The value-added effect—which represents the contribution to gross domestic product (GDP)—was calculated at 9.3 trillion won, while the employment effect—the scale of direct and indirect job creation across domestic industries—was estimated at 57,000 jobs. This analysis was conducted based on the Bank of Korea’s 2022 Input-Output Tables and Kakao Group’s projected 2025 operating revenue, following consultation and verification by faculty members from the economics departments at Sogang University, Yonsei University, and Hanyang University.

Kakao conducted the analysis by categorizing its operating revenue into six sectors: information services, other financial infrastructure, insurance, and video and audio production and distribution. It classified games, music, and webtoons under the content industry; finance, insurance, and securities under the financial industry; and other operating revenue under the platform industry, thereby demonstrating from multiple angles the economic ripple effects extending beyond IT to the digital and non-digital industries as a whole.

The most significant feature of the revised metrics is that they quantify the time and costs saved by users through Kakao services, as well as the reduction in risk factors, using specific figures.

In the area of user benefits, the analysis showed that users saved a total of 95.74 million hours through Kakao’s online payment services. Small business owners saved 40.4 billion won per month by utilizing KakaoTalk Channel marketing, and the reduction in non-partner fees for designated recipient transfers via kakaopay totaled 1.5 trillion won.

Additionally, the cumulative number of taxi calls for foreign tourists via KakaoT reached 6 million; the purchase confirmation period was shortened by 2.38 days through kakaopay’s “Send a Gift” feature; and the reduction in customer fees when using KakaoBank Corp.’s international money transfer service compared to other providers reached up to 60%. In the maps and transportation sector, providing bus location information updated to the second reduced vehicle waiting times by 28 minutes.

◇15.7 Trillion Won in Loans for Small Business Owners and Mutual Growth Support… Building an Ecosystem for Shared Growth with Partners

Indicators of shared growth with the partner ecosystem were also detailed. KakaoBank Corp.’s loan volume for borrowers with medium to low credit scores reached 15.7 trillion won, while its loan volume for youth housing stability loans totaled 10.7 trillion won. The volume of guaranteed loans for sole proprietors also reached 2.9 trillion won, expanding the bank’s role in inclusive finance.

In terms of support for small business owners and local commercial districts, the cumulative transaction volume for social and environmental products on Kakao Makers totaled 1.1 trillion won, while transaction volume supporting sales channels for small and medium-sized businesses through Talk Store amounted to 52.8 billion won. The number of creators generating revenue through Kakao Webtoon surpassed 3.7 million, and the benefits users gained from KakaoBank Corp.’s ATM fee waivers totaled 441 billion won. Mutual growth projects, such as support for the digital transformation of traditional markets (227 locations) and the “Regular Customer Street” initiative (2,847 locations), continue to expand.

Achievements in building a social safety net—including the prevention of financial fraud and crime—have also increased significantly. More than 170 million accounts have been protected from fraud risks, such as identity theft, through KakaoBank Corp.’s Financial Guardian service; the average daily number of suspicious transaction detections (FDS) stood at 41,000; and the annual number of detected anonymous virtual asset wallets reached 290,000.

◇From Public Innovation to Crime Prevention… Securing the Platform’s Legitimacy in the AI Era

In the public sector, the number of government and public institutions adopting KakaoTalk’s “AlimTalk” service rose to 2,362, a 31% increase from the previous year. The number of Kakao Certificate holders reached 43.5 million, and monthly users of local government services based on Kakao Maps exceeded 15 million.

Cumulative donations through the social contribution platform “Gatigachi” reached 105 billion won, with 72 million transactions. Agricultural, livestock, and fishery products sold at fair market prices through sales channel support via “Makers” totaled 8,551 metric tons, and the amount of mid-credit loans additionally disbursed through KakaoBank Corp.’s alternative credit assessment reached 1 trillion won.