'KakaoTalk Ads' will debut in Japan next month. Kakao is set to expand its advertising business in Japan, leveraging the demand from local users in their 20s-30s and those highly interested in Korean culture, including K-pop, beauty, and content.
According to industry sources on the 2nd, Kakao will officially begin displaying ads on KakaoTalk Japan starting October 1. This marks the company's second overseas advertising market, approximately 1 year and 6 months after its entry into the North American market in April last year.
Most KakaoTalk Japan users are local Japanese speakers, with a majority in their 20s-30s. Kakao views the large number of users interested in Korean culture as a key competitive strength for its advertising business in Japan.
Kakao initially launched display ads and plans to expand its product lineup to include chat list ads and post-call ads. It also intends to introduce channel messages in the future. Beyond simply selling ad space, Kakao aims to support advertisers by leveraging various user touchpoints within KakaoTalk, enabling them to achieve their objectives effectively.
Key advertisers are likely to be Korean companies targeting the Japanese market. Through KakaoTalk, these businesses can enhance brand awareness locally and drive offline store visits or e-commerce purchases. Advertising demand is expected to concentrate in sectors with high interest in Korean brands, such as K-beauty, fashion, and food.
Inbound marketing targeting Japanese visitors to South Korea is another major use case. Airlines, hotels, travel agencies, businesses operating domestic pop-up stores and flagship stores, and services related to payments, transportation, and travel information can run pre-visit ads targeting Japanese users.
Kakao's decision to prioritize Japan as its next global advertising market—after the U.S.—appears strategic, combining the country's high digital ad growth potential with its interest in the Korean Wave (Hallyu).
According to Dentsu, Japan's largest integrated marketing firm, the Japanese advertising market is projected to reach JPY8.0623 trillion in 2025. Internet ad spending alone is expected to grow 10.8% year-on-year to JPY4.0459 trillion, surpassing JPY4 trillion for the first time. Social media ads, in particular, grew 18.7% to JPY1.3067 trillion, accounting for 39.5% of total internet ad spending. The trend reflects expanding demand centered on video and social media platforms.
The local market landscape is not without challenges. LINE, with over 90 million users, along with Instagram and YouTube, already dominate Japan's messenger ad market. In its early stages, Kakao is expected to focus on niche strategies targeting K-culture consumers and inbound tourism demand.
A Kakao representative confirmed, “It is true that we are launching KakaoTalk ads in Japan,” adding, “This is part of our global advertising business, expanding domestic ad capabilities to the Japanese market by leveraging local KakaoTalk users—particularly young people in their 20s-30s and those interested in K-culture.”
