Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (2024)

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uBitto Blog What is Kakaotalk? Why do Koreans love Kakaotalk? 1. It is a free app! 2. FUBU -For Us, By Us 3. Special Features Comparing to Other Texting Apps 4. Wide Range of Emoticons/Stickers 5. Mobile Game Platform 6. Online Payments with KakaoBank Download free Korean Starter Kit to start your journey to fluency Like this post? Share it! We help you learn and practise Korean, the right way Practice with Conversations Follow uBitto Follow Yoon Ssam Why Are There Many Cafes in South Korea? Why do Korean Men Wear Makeup? Who is Korean “Engineering Man”? 공대남이라는 단어를 들어본적 있어요? How Did Women From Joseon Dynasty Live Their Lives? 5 Best Apps To Learn Korean for Beginners Korean Words In Historical Dramas You Should Know Exclusive Tips To Study In Korea 한국에서 공부할 때 꼭 알아두어야 할 점 Top 10 Best Street Food in Myeongdong! (2021) 9 Weird and Exotic Korean Food You Didn’t Know Existed in South Korea 한국에서 이런 음식 먹어봤니? Concerts And Events In Korea Cancelled Or Postponed Due To Concerns of Coronavirus 6 Great Halal Korean Restaurants In Malaysia 8 Interesting Korean Myths How to Eat Korean Food on a Strict Keto Diet 케토 다이어트 Top 10 Historical Korean Dramas You Should Watch Fun Korean Debates That Many Koreans Play 예능에서 자주 보는 밸런스 퀴즈 게임 6 Most Trendy Korean Stationery Brands 한국에서 제일 잘 나가는 문구류 브랜드 18 Korean Food To Try in Korea Besides Korean BBQ New Korean Class Intake for Beginners in Malaysia Starting This October 2019 Guide To Studying in South Korea for Malaysians Top 6 Overused K-Drama Clichés 한국 드라마에 자주 나오는 클리셰 How To Practise Speaking Korean Without a Korean Friend 5 Unique Team Building Ideas for Your Company in Penang FAQs

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Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (1)

What is Kakaotalk?

Kakaotalk or sometimes know as the “KaTalk” is a free instant messagingapplicationforsmartphonesthat has the free text and free call feature and is operated byKakaoCorporation.

Kakaotalk was released on 18th March 2010. The app is currently available oniOS,Android,BlackBerry,Windows Phone,Nokia Asha,Windows, andmacOS. The app is available in 15 languages.

This app is so popular that it is used by 93% of smartphone users in South Korea thus becoming the number messaging app for the country.

If you want to know why is Kakaotalk so popular in South Korea then keep reading!

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Why do Koreans love Kakaotalk?

1. It is a free app!

Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (2)

Who doesn’t love anything free right? Koreans began using the Kakaotalk app as it was a free application. They could save money through the app as normal texting costs money. It is not that Koreans hate using normal texts, but why pay when you can text for free?

As far as other texting services, some of them required a fee or they just didn’t manage to market themselves well to the Korean consumer.

2. FUBU -For Us, By Us

Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (3)

Whatsapp, Line, Wechat might be nice to use by why use it when there is a local product to replace it?

One of the important reasons why Kakaotalk is so popular is because South Koreans have a great deal of pride for local products.

They are nationalistic to the extent where they are willing to pay more for a locally built product even though you can find it cheaper somewhere else.

An example to this would be Samsung products. South Koreans have to pay more money in their country comparing if it is bought in other countries where it is way cheaper.

3. Special Features Comparing to Other Texting Apps

Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (4)

Another reason for the Kakaotalk application lies in the many features that it offers and it’s user-friendly design.

Besides providing free texts and messages, the app also allows the user to see if people read their messages or not.

Before Whatsapp or Facebook introduced the concept of “seen” or “read”, Kakaotalk has already had this system.

For example, if I posted a message in a group chat consisting of 5 people, the number 4 will appear. As one by one group members begin to read, you will notice that the number will disappear as well.

That is how you will know that all of them have read it.

Kakaotalk is a platform where you can share everything – texts, calls, photos, videos, voice recording, free conference calls (with support for up to 5people) called VoiceTalk.

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4. Wide Range of Emoticons/Stickers

Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (5)

In 2017, Kakaotalk made about $198 million just from KakaoTalk’s emoticon marketplace. This just proves how much the Koreans love the emoticons and stickers from the Kakaotalk app that they are willing to invest money to buy them.

Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (6)

5. Mobile Game Platform

Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (7)

Another reason why Kakaotalk is popular is because of its mobile game platform. For example, the game Anipang became one of the most successful games in 2012.

The majority of the South Koreans who were staring down at their phones in the subways or buses were definitely playing Anipang.

Once someone started playing, the game invitations were sent to their family and friends through the Kakaotalk app. Kakaotalk also allows you to invite your friends to compete with them

6. Online Payments with KakaoBank

Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (8)

The users of Kakaotalk can also make online payments using the Kakaobank. The app allows the user to send money to their family or friends without needing their bank account number.

Have you used the Kakaotalk app before? What was your favorite thing about the app? Let us know in the comment section below!

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Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (9)

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Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (12)

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Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (15)

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Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? (2024)

FAQs

Why is Kakaotalk so Popular in South Korea? ›

KakaoTalk – South Korea's Most Effective Communication Tool with Many Features. At least 93% of Korean Internet users, use KakaoTalk and find it very convenient to use. KakaoTalk features are free, with the app having a user-friendly interface, making users have a great experience from signup to daily communication.

Is KakaoTalk popular in Korea? ›

KakaoTalk (or KaTalk) is a popular messaging app in South Korea.

Does everyone in Korea use KakaoTalk? ›

As of December 2022, around 98.2 percent of surveyed mobile messenger users in South Korea in their thirties answered to use KakaoTalk. Across all age groups, far more than 90 percent of people answered to use that service.

Why do Koreans use KakaoTalk instead of Imessage? ›

Koreans began using the Kakaotalk app as it was a free application. They could save money through the app as normal texting costs money. It is not that Koreans hate using normal texts, but why pay when you can text for free?

Do Koreans use KakaoTalk or LINE more? ›

South Koreans tend to prefer KakaoTalk over LINE because of its many privacy features and large user base in Korea.

Which country uses KakaoTalk most? ›

Operated by the South Korean Kakao Corporation, it is particularly popular in its homeland. In fact, of the 50 million global KakaoTalk users, more than 47 million were based in South Korea.

What chat app do Koreans use the most? ›

The most widely used messaging service in Korea is KakaoTalk,which is utilized by practically everyone.By default,its Korean users shorten it to"KaTalk"or simply"Kakao."If you intend to stay in Korea for an extended period of time,you must have this app.

Can KakaoTalk be used in USA? ›

Is KaKaoTalk free internationally? Yes, if you have internet access, which means KakaoTalk is free to use for sending messages, photos, and videos along with making voice and video calls.

Can I make Korean friends on KakaoTalk? ›

Kakao Talk

To make new Korean friends, you can go to the Open Chat tab and meet new people. Pros: Even though this is a Korean messaging app, you can register from all around the world as you do not need a Korean phone number, an email address is enough!

What is the red dot on KakaoTalk? ›

You will also notice the red dots on your friends' profile which means they have updated their profile. If you happen to see a red dot, but don't see any sign of an update, your friend may have added a new activity or posted something new on Home.

What does the yellow 1 mean on KakaoTalk? ›

Here are a few examples of such torture: Being in the middle of a chat back and forth with someone when the messages just stop coming in. You then notice the little yellow “1” which indicates that the other has not “read” your message.

Can foreigners use KakaoTalk? ›

You don't need a Korean mobile phone number to use KakaoTalk – but many functions like # and shopping / gifting may not work without a Korean phone number. Also, always back up your chats if you change numbers / device etc! You cannot ever change the email address that is associated with your KakaoTalk account.

Which country owns KakaoTalk? ›

KakaoTalk (Hangul: 카카오톡), commonly referred to as KaTalk (Hangul: 카톡) in South Korea, is a mobile messaging app for smartphones operated by Kakao Corporation. It was launched on March 18, 2010, and it is available on mobile and desktop platforms.

What app do Korean use to take pictures? ›

App App NameStore Rank App's store ranking in the chosen store; country, category and leader board updated daily.
1SNOW - AI Profile1
2FaceApp: Face Editor2
3EPIK - AI Photo Editor3
4Collage Maker | Photo Editor4
46 more rows

What do Koreans call KakaoTalk? ›

The Korean word for KakaoTalk is 카카오톡 (Kakaotok). They use it to send messages, do phone calls, and more. For non-Koreans, Kakaotalk might seem just another typical messaging app like Messenger, Viber, WhatsApp, or WeChat. But, with Kakaotalk, you can do more.

How popular is KakaoTalk? ›

According to Kakao Corp, in Q1 2023, around 53.5 million active users worldwide and more than 47.7 million were based in South Korea. On average, 1 billion messages are sent daily through KakaoTalk.

Does BTS use KakaoTalk? ›

On January 16, BTS's V decided to go on a late night internet adventure with ARMY, but things didn't go as planned. Around 3 AM, when most of the world was asleep, this night owl entered a KakaoTalk chatroom to chat with ARMYs. Join the chat, talk to fans.

Which is better Naver or Kakao? ›

Hence, it's better to also download NAVER Map or KakaoMap. NAVER Map is said to be more accurate and detailed, whereas KakaoMap has a friendly interface and easy navigation.

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