Life Summary
Kim Beom-soo is the head of Kakao’s Future Initiative Center.

After creating and growing KakaoTalk, known as the “national messenger,” he rapidly expanded the company’s business areas into finance, content, and mobility.

He was born on March 8, 1966, in Damyang, Jeolla Province, as the eldest son among two sons and three daughters.

He graduated from Konkuk University High School attached to the College of Education in Seoul and from the Department of Industrial Engineering at Seoul National University. He earned a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Seoul National University’s graduate school.

After working at Samsung SDS, he founded the game company Hangame in 1999.

After merging Hangame with Navercom to establish NHN, he served as co-CEO, but later left the company due to differences of opinion with Naver GIO Lee Hae-jin and moved to the United States.

After returning to Korea to pursue a mobile business, he launched the mobile messenger KakaoTalk.

He merged with Daum Communications and changed the company’s name to Kakao.

Due to health issues, he stepped down from his positions as chairman of Kakao’s board of directors and head of the management reform committee and withdrew from frontline management.

He is standing trial without detention on charges of stock price manipulation related to SM Entertainment.

He has a bold and easygoing personality, but also a competitive spirit, which leads him to make quick and decisive decisions.

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