[Click eStock] "Effective in the Global Market"... The Secret Behind NAVER's Success

There has been an assessment that NAVER's artificial intelligence (AI) competitiveness will also prove effective in the global market.

The Naver headquarters in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Yonhap News

On June 2, Lee Seunghoon, an analyst at IBK Investment & Securities, stated, "NAVER is strengthening its AI technology beyond search."

Lee explained, "NAVER is building a consumer ecosystem that connects exploration to purchase by linking the 'AI Tab' service, which explores users' search intentions through conversation, with its AI shopping agent. In addition, the 'AI Briefing' service, which summarizes the core of search keywords, is expected to maximize conversion rates before purchase."

He added, "NAVER is beginning to realize synergies with its next-generation advertising platform 'ADVoost,' enhancing targeting efficiency for advertisers. Its proprietary large language model (LLM), HyperCLOVA X, maintains an overwhelming advantage over global competitors in terms of Korean-language data training volume."

NAVER's growth remains solid. In the first quarter of this year, consolidated revenue reached 3.2411 trillion won, and operating profit was 541.8 billion won, both in line with expectations. Lee commented, "The number of advertisers seeking to expand performance-based advertising through AI-based upgrades has increased, while robust growth in the total transaction volume (GMV) of Smart Store and the rapid expansion of the recommerce (C2C) segment drove overall growth."

However, Lee pointed out, "AI infrastructure investment costs—including the introduction of high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs)—soared 32.5% year-on-year to 250.8 billion won, creating short-term cost pressure. Additionally, marketing costs to secure sports broadcasting rights and defend commerce market share have also been reflected, resulting in an adjusted operating margin."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.