Recently, global big tech companies such as Amazon, OpenAI, and Anthropic have been successively launching artificial intelligence (AI)-based health management tools and medical administration processing tools, intensifying competition in the “AI healthcare” space. Naver and Kakao, the two major domestic information technology (IT) companies, are also expanding their AI healthcare-related businesses as future growth engines.

Since appointing Choi In-hyuk as CEO of its Tech Business division in May last year, Naver has been accelerating the expansion of its healthcare business. Naver is developing its AI healthcare business based on business-to-business (B2B) services that support medical staff in their work. It uses the in-house affiliated clinic at its headquarters as a “test bed” for most of its healthcare services. A representative example is “Smart Survey,” an AI pre-consultation solution. When a patient records symptoms in an online application (app), the AI asks tailored questions, converts the resulting consultation details into medical terminology, and records them in the electronic medical record (EMR) system.

Naver is also operating “Patient Summary,” which proposes comprehensive opinions for health check-up consultations. Using CLOVA Optical Character Recognition (OCR), an AI-powered character recognition function, the solution classifies, organizes, and analyzes a patient’s past check-up results so that they can be viewed at a glance, and then recommends appropriate examinations. In addition, services such as “Smart Balance,” which helps physicians manage individual patients’ lifestyle habits, enable medical staff to focus solely on treatment. In November last year, Naver acquired more than a 90% stake in Seracle, a cloud-based EMR service company, strengthening its data-driven health management services.

By contrast, about 70% of Kakao Healthcare’s revenue comes from “PASTA,” an AI-based mobile health management solution. Its business-to-consumer (B2C) operations, which can be used directly by consumers, form the foundation of its healthcare business. Launched in February 2024 as a blood sugar management solution, PASTA has since added functions such as weight management, sleep management, and stress measurement, and is expected to evolve into a comprehensive health management app by including blood pressure management in the first quarter of this year (January–March).

On the 3rd, in partnership with Novo Nordisk Pharma Korea, Kakao introduced an “obesity patient support service” in the PASTA app for patients prescribed obesity treatments. Patients using obesity drugs can receive guidance via the PASTA app on necessary injection methods, storage methods, and medication dose escalation schedules. In particular, a “dose reminder” function has been added so that patients can take their medication at scheduled times.

Kakao has recently been restructuring its healthcare equity holdings and moving to expand its partner network. In November last year, through a share swap, CHA Bio Group became the largest shareholder of Kakao Healthcare. Subsequently, last month, CHA Biotech attracted a KRW 10 billion equity investment from LG CNS, bringing LG on board as a partner for “AI, cloud, and data integration” collaboration. Industry observers say that a clear triangular cooperation structure linking “LG–CHA Bio Group–Kakao” has now emerged.

Meanwhile, based on their ongoing businesses, Naver appears to be moving into B2C, while Kakao is targeting the medical data platform market. In November last year, Naver added a medication management service to its “Naver Healthcare” page and has been introducing “CLOVA CareCall,” which supports care for middle-aged and elderly single-person households, to local governments. Kakao, for its part, had linked the PASTA app with electronic health records (EHR) at nine hospitals by last year and plans to connect it with four additional hospitals, including Kangbuk Samsung Hospital.

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