On September 25, 2025, the digital landscape in South Korea witnessed a seismic shift as Kakaotalk, the nation’s ubiquitous messaging app, rolled out the most sweeping update in its 15-year history. The move, announced at the ‘If Kakaotalk 25’ event and further detailed at a Copyright Office briefing, has sparked a wave of user backlash, investor jitters, and spirited debate among tech experts and everyday users alike. While Kakaotalk’s parent company, Kakao, pitches the overhaul as a bold leap into the artificial intelligence era, many users are struggling to adjust—and they’re not shy about saying so.
The heart of the controversy? A complete redesign of the ‘Friend Tab,’ once a straightforward list organized by name and status message. Now, it’s a grid-like feed displaying profile pictures, backgrounds, and even user posts, drawing clear inspiration from social networking platforms like Instagram. For some, the change is a welcome modernization. For many others, it’s an unwelcome disruption to a daily routine that millions have relied on for over a decade.
According to SBS’s ‘Pyeon Sang-wook’s News Briefing’ on the day of the update, “Users have expressed dissatisfaction with the new paid features and inconvenient interface after the update.” The program featured Kim Gwang-seok, an adjunct professor at Hanyang University, who explained, “Kakaotalk is not just a private commodity—it’s a public utility.” He went on to underscore that the app is used by all age groups for everything from casual chats to official government communication. “Such a radical change, rather than a gradual evolution, has caused discomfort across the board,” he added.
The update’s most ambitious feature is the integration of AI technology throughout the app. Kakao’s proprietary AI model, ‘Kanana,’ now powers various functions, including a built-in ChatGPT service. This means users can access advanced AI chat features and summary tools directly within Kakaotalk, without the need for additional plug-ins or external apps. The roadmap, unveiled on September 25, lays out four stages for further AI integration and usability enhancements, aiming to position Kakaotalk as a central hub for messaging, navigation, gifting, music, and more—all powered by smart agents.
But the innovation comes at a cost, both literal and figurative. The official subscription fee has jumped by 15%, now standing at 86,000 KRW annually, according to coverage by Gyeonggi Newspaper. Some analysts, such as Lee Joon-ho, have noted that the fee increase is closer to 8% when averaged across various tiers. Regardless, the new pricing and the introduction of paid features—like customized profile backgrounds and character types—have left many users scrambling for workarounds. App store forums and social media are awash with guides on how to disable automatic updates or revert to previous versions, though users are warned that once the new version is installed, there’s no going back.
“I don’t know why they’re doing this to a messenger app,” read one frustrated comment highlighted on SBS. Others complained of increased advertising and privacy concerns, with the new feed-style interface making personal updates more visible than before. For older users, the changes have been especially jarring. “My parents barely knew how to use Kakaotalk before, and now they’re struggling even more,” another user lamented. Kim Gwang-seok explained, “The direction of this update reflects the preferences of younger generations, who are already comfortable with AI and Instagram-like features. For seniors, though, it’s a much steeper learning curve.”
The backlash hasn’t been confined to online forums. Immediately after the update was announced on September 23, Kakao’s stock price plunged by over 4%, continuing a downward trend for two days. Yet, by September 25, the market showed signs of recovery. Financial analysts remain cautiously optimistic. According to Gyeonggi Newspaper, Daishin Securities raised Kakao’s target price by 15%, citing higher revenue projections from its ‘Talk Biz’ division and the anticipated expansion of the AI-powered user base, potentially reaching international markets by 2027. Samsung Securities also upgraded its rating for Kakao from ‘neutral’ to ‘buy.’
Despite the turbulence, Kakao’s leadership remains steadfast. CEO Jeong Shin-ah stated, “There has never been a change of this magnitude in Kakaotalk’s history. We are committed to listening to user feedback and responding swiftly.” The company’s vision is to unify its sprawling ecosystem—messaging, maps, gifting, music—under a single, AI-driven platform. The hope is that, over time, users will come to see the benefits of the new features and that initial resistance will fade, much as it has with other technological shifts in the past.
Kim Gwang-seok, in his SBS interview, offered a broader perspective: “All platform companies, not just Kakao, are in a race to adopt AI. This update is Kakao’s way of showing that innovation is possible even without its founder at the helm, as Kim Beom-soo faces legal challenges.” He also pointed out that the initial drop in user engagement and stock price is consistent with established models of technology adoption. “When a new product or technology is introduced, there’s always resistance at first. But as people become accustomed to it, usage and satisfaction often rebound.”
Still, the professor cautioned that Kakaotalk’s unique status as a quasi-public good means the company has a special responsibility to its users. “I wish they had first gauged public opinion and moved more gradually. The app is so essential to daily life in Korea that any major change affects everyone, from students to seniors.”
Looking ahead, Kakao plans to continue refining the app, with a focus on minimizing inconvenience and maximizing the utility of its AI features. The company’s roadmap includes making all major functions accessible without plug-ins and expanding AI integration across the board. As Kim Gwang-seok put it, “Ultimately, even if the changes are unpopular at first, Kakaotalk is so deeply embedded in Korean society that people will keep using it. The real test will be whether Kakao can adapt quickly enough to turn initial skepticism into long-term loyalty.”
As the dust settles, one thing is clear: Kakaotalk’s transformation is more than just a software update—it’s a test of how much disruption users are willing to accept in the name of progress, and a glimpse into the future of digital communication in Korea and beyond.
