South Korea’s Kakao is preparing a paid membership tentatively called Kakao Membership, centered on KakaoTalk and designed to connect benefits across its affiliated services. Kakao plans to release a beta version as early as next month, according to platform-industry information on Sept. 2, although the service configuration, pricing and official launch date have not been finalized. Potentially linked offerings include KakaoTalk emoticons and gifting, Kakao Mobility’s taxi service, Kakao Entertainment’s Melon, webtoons and web novels, Kakao Style’s fashion platform, and Kakao VX’s screen golf. The model could charge a monthly fee in exchange for free access to selected services, discount coupons or other benefits. Kakao also operates paid products such as Emoticon Plus at 3,900 won ($2.85) a month and Kakao T membership at 4,900 won. Its broader membership strategy could support engagement across an ecosystem serving nearly 50 million KakaoTalk users, though analysts say the benefits must be sufficiently distinctive to justify another subscription. Kakao is also working with OpenAI on ChatGPT for Kakao within KakaoTalk, while CEO Chung Shin-a recently discussed plans for an AI-agent collaboration between Coupang Eats and KakaoTalk that could connect recommendations, ordering and payment.