Naver CEO Soo Yeon Choi delivers the opening remarks at “DAN25.” | Photo provided by Naver
Naver Corp. (CEO Soo Yeon Choi) recently held its unified TeamNaver conference, “DAN25,” unveiling two key AI strategy pillars: introducing AI agents across primary services and enhancing AX (AI transformation) competitiveness in core manufacturing sectors such as semiconductors, automobiles, and shipbuilding.
In her keynote opening, CEO Choi stated, “Over the past year, TeamNaver has integrated AI into major services such as search, shopping, local, and finance using proprietary technology, resulting in higher user satisfaction and driving revenue growth.” She added that Naver plans to sequentially implement advanced AI agents across its primary services—starting with shopping, then expanding to search and advertising—based on its accumulated experience and technological expertise.
The company announced that in the first quarter of next year, an AI shopping agent will be launched on the “Naver Plus Store,” followed by the introduction of an “AI Tab” in the second quarter, transforming integrated search through AI agent technology. “Users will no longer have to worry about what search terms to enter,” Choi explained. “By simply conversing with ‘Agent N,’ the AI agent will understand user intent, connect them with the desired content, products, or services, and even carry out actual actions.”
To support this, Naver has developed “Agent N,” a unified system that integrates data and technical infrastructure across all its services. Agent N, built on Naver’s “On-service AI,” enhances vertical AI capabilities to understand user context, predict subsequent actions, and provide end-to-end execution.
Beomjun Kim, COO, leading the “On-service AI to Agent N” upgrade project, previewed real-world use cases where Agent N drives purchase and payment flows. He noted, “Leveraging Naver’s unique advantage of collecting diverse metadata, the shopping agent has built a reliable data infrastructure—such as reviews only from verified buyers, inventory data linked directly to sellers—and a strong technical validation system to analyze it.”
Naver also plans to open an AI agent ecosystem for creators and business partners. Starting next year, it will sequentially introduce “Agent N for Business,” an integrated AI business agent. Advertising Business Head Jongmin Lee explained, “Naver Business Agent will serve all business operators across shopping, advertising, and local services. By integrating fragmented business solutions and data into a single AI-based hub, it will help businesses analyze their environment, diagnose performance, and make improvements easily.”
In addition, Naver will support creators in leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as AI and XR to experiment with new forms of content creation. Jaeho Lee, Head of Naver App Services, said, “AI and XR technologies will enable creators to expand their creative boundaries while providing users with hyper-immersive, ultra-realistic content experiences.” He added that Naver plans to strengthen partnerships with companies across gaming, music, and OTT industries to achieve this vision.
Naver also plans to aggressively expand its data center and computing investments to strengthen the competitiveness of its AI ecosystem. The company will invest over 1 trillion KRW in GPUs by 2026. It will soon begin operating a testbed connecting its second headquarters building, “1784,” and the Sejong data center for its “Physical AI” initiative.
Choi emphasized, “By combining Korea’s strong manufacturing base in semiconductors, automobiles, and shipbuilding with Naver’s unrivaled AI software capabilities, we will accelerate AI transformation and innovation across the entire industrial landscape. With our full-stack AI technology, Naver aims to help Korea become one of the world’s top three AI powerhouses.”
Naver Cloud (CEO Yuwon Kim) also announced its industrial AI strategy, focusing on specialized vertical AI and global market expansion. “AI is the core infrastructure that determines industrial competitiveness,” Kim said. “As a company that best understands our nation’s language, data, and industrial structure, Naver is developing industry-specific vertical AI models based on ‘Sovereign AI 2.0.’”
Naver Cloud is internalizing “Physical AI” technologies that operate in real industrial environments, such as manufacturing and defense, while rapidly expanding an industry-specific AI ecosystem. Kim explained, “We are collaborating with leading companies in shipbuilding, energy, and biotech to advance AI utilization throughout the manufacturing process, and we plan to expand these technologies to global markets such as Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Japan. We also aim to extend AI applications to lower-access sectors like healthcare and agriculture to drive AI innovation across industry and society.”
In closing, CEO Choi shared the direction of Naver’s “Naver Impact” program, based on a decade of experience in sustainable partnerships. “Through Naver Impact, we hope to create a ripple effect where partners share experiences and grow together through AI-driven innovation,” she said. “Naver will continue to bridge the gaps in AI education and technology, empowering SMEs, creators, and local businesses to boost productivity and expand into global markets.”
