
Naver Corporation is a South Korean internet company that offers a wide range of services. It was founded in 1999 by Lee Hae-Jin.
Naver's flagship service is its search engine, which is one of the most popular in South Korea. The search engine provides users with relevant and accurate results.
Naver also offers a variety of other services, including news, blogs, and maps. Its news service aggregates content from multiple sources and provides users with up-to-date information.
Naver's services are popular among South Korean users, who rely on the company's platforms for daily information and communication.
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Company History
Naver Corporation was founded by Lee Hae-jin in 1999. It was first established in June of that year under the name of Naver Comm.
Naver launched its search engine and web portal, but soon expanded into other areas such as email, maps, and cloud storage. The company also introduced various services like the instant messaging platform LINE and the video sharing app Snow in 2011.
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Here are the key milestones in Naver's early years:
- Naver was founded by Lee Hae-jin in 1999.
- The company launched its search engine and web portal in 1999.
- Naver merged with Hangame Communications Inc. and other companies in July 2000.
- Naver began its comprehensive search service in August 2000.
Naver's growth continued, and in 2008, it appeared on the Forbes Global 2000 list for the first time.
History
Naver Corporation was founded by Lee Hae-jin in 1999. He started the company with his engineer team.
Naver's early services included a search engine and a web portal. The company soon expanded into other areas, such as email, maps, and cloud storage.
In 1999, Naver launched its search engine, which marked the beginning of the company's journey. This was a pivotal moment in Naver's history.
Naver's first major expansion came in 2000, when it merged with several other companies, including Hangame Communications Inc. and Oneque.
Here's a brief timeline of Naver's early years:
- 1999: Naver Corporation was founded by Lee Hae-jin.
- 2000: Naver merged with several other companies.
- 2008: NHN appeared on the Forbes Global 2000 list for the first time.
Naver's comprehensive search service, which was launched in August 2000, allowed users to get a variety of results from a search query on a single page.
Splitting from NHN (2013–2015)
In 2013, NHN launched its subsidiary companies Camp Mobile and Line Plus, marking the beginning of a significant restructuring process.

NHN was split into two separate entities: Naver Corporation and NHN Entertainment, formerly known as Hangame. This move aimed to streamline the company's operations and focus on specific business areas.
NHN Japan also underwent a similar transformation, separating into Line Corporation for web services and Hangame Japan for game services. This allowed both entities to concentrate on their respective areas of expertise.
In June 2013, Naver made history by becoming the first web company in Korea to build and operate its own data center, Data Center GAK, located in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. This move showcased Naver's commitment to innovation and self-sufficiency.
In 2015, Naver launched Works Mobile, a platform designed for B2B collaboration businesses. The company also merged with Entry Education Labs, a software education platform company.
2016-2020: Expansion
In 2016, Naver's annual revenue reached 4.02 trillion won.
Naver spun off its app SNOW into a separate subsidiary company, Snow Corp, in August 2016. This move allowed the company to focus on its core business while also giving SNOW the freedom to innovate and grow independently.
Naver invested 100 million euros (US$112 million) into K-Fund 1, a European startup accelerator fund, in collaboration with its affiliate Line. This investment aimed to support and nurture new startups in the digital economy.
Naver established its subsidiary companies Snow, Naver Labs, and Naver Webtoon in 2017. This expansion enabled the company to diversify its offerings and explore new areas of growth.
Naver opened Space Green, a startup space, inside Station F, a renowned startup incubator space in France. This move allowed Naver to tap into the vibrant startup ecosystem in France and connect with innovative entrepreneurs.
Naver acquired Xerox Research Centre Europe in 2017, rebranding it as Naver Labs Europe. This acquisition brought new expertise and research capabilities to Naver's Labs division.
In 2018, Naver launched Naver Z Corp, a division focused on the Metaverse. This marked a significant step for Naver into the emerging field of virtual reality and online experiences.
Naver Z also launched the online game platform Zepeto in 2018. This platform offered a new way for users to engage with Naver's services and explore virtual worlds.
Services
Naver Corporation offers a range of services to its users. Naver Corporation was founded by Lee Hae-jin in 1999 and was first established in June 1999 under the name of Naver Comm.
The company launched its search engine Naver, along with a service for children named Junior Naver. Naver merged with Hangame Communications Inc. and several other companies in July 2000.
In August 2000, Naver began its 'comprehensive search' service, which allows users to get a variety of results from a search query on a single page, organized by type. This service provides a convenient way for users to find what they're looking for quickly.
Naver Mail is an e-mail service that anyone who is a user of Naver can use. Each person is given up to 5GB of storage, which is a generous amount of space for storing emails and attachments.
Naver Pay Connect is a beta service that was launched in September 2000.
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Papago
Papago is a mobile translator that uses Naver's AI technology to translate text and phrases in multiple languages.
It was launched by Naver in July 2017 and uses a large neural network technology called N2MT.
Papago can translate text and phrases in 15 different languages.
These languages include Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Spanish, French, German, Russian, Portuguese, Italian, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, and Hindi.
Papago analyzes context instead of relying on statistical analysis.
Pay
Naver Pay is a mobile payment service launched by Naver in June 2015, allowing users to make online and offline payments.
Naver Pay offers payments in over 97,000 stores, both online and offline.
It first started as a payment service for Naver Shopping, but has since expanded to support payments in various stores.
In December 2021, Naver Pay started supporting Zero Pay in-app, a government-funded payment service.
This means users can now make payments without worrying about exchange rates or currency conversions.
In May 2019, Naver Pay started supporting overseas payments in Japan via Line Pay, allowing users to make payments in stores without exchanging currencies.

Naver offers a free email service called Naver Mail, which comes with up to 5GB of storage for each user. This is a generous amount of space for storing emails, documents, and other digital files.
Naver Mail is accessible to anyone who is already a user of Naver, making it easy to manage your online presence and stay connected with others. You can use it to send and receive emails, as well as store and organize your digital files.
In addition to its email service, Naver offers a range of other services, including its popular webtoon platform, which has been a huge success since its launch in 2004.
Internet Services
Naver Corporation's internet services have been expanding since its establishment in 1999. Naver Corporation was founded by Lee Hae-jin in June 1999 under the name of Naver Comm.
In 2000, Naver merged with several companies, including Hangame Communications Inc. and Search Solutions. This merger marked the beginning of Naver's comprehensive search service, which allows users to get a variety of results from a search query on a single page.

Naver's comprehensive search service was launched in August 2000 and has since become a key feature of the company's internet services. This service allows users to organize their search results by type, such as blogs, webpages, images, and cafes.
Naver's internet services have been recognized globally, with NHN appearing on the Forbes Global 2000 list for the first time in 2008.
Here are some notable events in Naver's internet services:
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At Naver, they're working hard to create a diverse and inclusive work environment. They offer competitive salaries, flexible working hours, and comprehensive medical and dental insurance.
One of the ways they support their employees is through various development programs, including leadership education and mentoring. This helps employees grow and develop in their careers.
Naver also prioritizes equality in the workplace, implementing initiatives like flexible work arrangements and equal pay for equal work.
Foundations and Labs
Naver Labs is a key part of Naver Corporation's R&D efforts, focusing on future technologies like autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.
Established in 2017, Naver Labs has a clear goal of achieving Ambient Intelligence. Its CEO, Song Chang-Hyeon, has led the team's work in various areas, including AI-powered translation and robotics.
One notable project is the autonomous robot Around, which showcases the lab's capabilities in developing innovative products.
Labs

Naver Labs is a key player in the development of future technologies. It was established in 2017 as a subsidiary of Naver, with the goal of achieving Ambient Intelligence.
Naver Labs was initially set up as an R&D division within Naver in 2013. This move marked the beginning of a new era in innovation for the company.
The lab has been working on various projects, including autonomous driving and artificial intelligence. These areas are crucial for achieving Ambient Intelligence, a goal that Naver Labs is striving to reach.
One of the notable projects developed by Naver Labs is the Papago app, which uses AI-based translation technology. This app is a great example of how AI can be used to improve communication across languages.
Naver Labs has also been working on the development of robots and other innovative products. The autonomous robot Around is one such product that has been developed by the lab.
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Connect Foundation

The Connect Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization established by Naver in 2011. It focuses on promoting IT education, basic science, and engineering education projects.
One of the key programs offered by the Connect Foundation is public online classes. These classes aim to make education more accessible to a wider audience.
The Connect Foundation also provides software training, math/science education, and design courses. These programs are designed to equip students with essential skills in various fields.
Naver has made significant donations to the Connect Foundation, with a total of 12 billion won (approximately 10.6 million dollars) donated as of September 2017.
Project Flower
Naver's Project Flower is a long-term initiative that aims to support small businesses and content creators. Launched in 2016, the project has already made significant strides in providing platform services to its users.
Naver has a vast network of local businesses on its platform, with over 1.6 million registered businesses. This is a testament to the company's commitment to empowering small enterprises.

The platform has also attracted a large number of professional content creators, including 400 webcomic authors, 150 web novel writers, 10,000 illustrators, and 3,300 indie musicians.
Naver's Grafolio platform has been expanded to include not only illustrations but also photography, design, art, and background music. This diversification of content has helped to attract more creators to the platform.
Naver holds regular events, such as Creators' Day, to showcase the work of its content creators. This helps to build a community around the platform and provides opportunities for creators to connect with each other.
The company's goal is to attract over 10,000 new small businesses to its platform every year, with a prediction that over 1,500 of them will earn more than 100 million won each in annual sales. This is a significant achievement, and it demonstrates the potential of the project to drive economic growth.
Here are some key statistics about Naver's Project Flower:
Corporate Affairs
Naver Corporation has a strong focus on corporate social responsibility, with a dedicated team working to address social issues through various initiatives such as disaster relief and education support.
The company's headquarters is located in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, and it has a significant presence in the Asian market.
Naver Corporation has a diverse and talented workforce, with a high percentage of employees holding advanced degrees, contributing to the company's innovative spirit and success.
Whale
Naver Whale is a game-changer in the world of web browsers. It's an omni-tasking browser that uses AI technologies to support diverse features.
Released in October 2017, Whale has been in development for 5 years, with a beta version already available in March 2017.
Corporate Affairs and Culture
Naver has a strong commitment to supporting indie musicians, launching a support program in 2010.
The Naver Cultural Foundation officially established in 2009, has been a driving force behind this initiative.

In 2010, the foundation introduced an online platform called 'Onstage' to showcase new and up-and-coming indie bands.
This platform has been a great way for Naver to give back to the music community and discover new talent.
As of 2021, Naver has a diverse workforce of 4,595 employees, excluding subsidiaries.
In 2014, Naver was recognized for its commitment to equal employment, receiving the Presidential Award for Excellent Enterprise in this division.
Equities
The world of equities can be complex, but let's break it down in simple terms. The end-of-day quote for Korea S.E. Other stock markets on October 2, 2025, is 253,000.00.
The 5-day change in the market is a -0.59% decrease. This might be a concern for investors, but it's essential to keep things in perspective.
If we look at the 1st January change, we can see that the market has actually increased by 27.20% since then. This is a significant improvement and a good sign for the market's overall health.
Here's a summary of the market's performance over the past few days:
Overall, the Korea S.E. Other stock markets have shown resilience and growth over the past few months.
6. Management Editing

Naver's management team has had several CEOs over the years.
The first CEO was 이해진, who served from 1999 to 2003.
Here's a list of Naver's CEOs:
The current CEO of Naver is 최수연, who took over in 2022.
List of Related Companies
Naver Corporation has several related companies, one of which is A Holdings, the parent company of Line Yahoo.
A Holdings is a joint venture between Naver and SoftBank, with each holding a 50% stake. This joint venture was formed as a result of the merger between Line and Yahoo! Japan in 2019.
The merger was done to ensure smooth business operations in Japan despite the issues in the Japan-Korea relationship at the time. The merged company, LY Corporation, is still led by a Japanese representative and has a high degree of localization.
Here's a brief overview of the key players involved:
Yahoo-related companies
Naver Corporation has a significant partnership with A Holdings, which is the parent company of Line Yayhoo (also known as LY Corporation). This partnership is a 50-50 joint venture between Naver and SoftBank.
A Holdings was established as a result of Naver's Line service being upgraded from Naver Talk, which was previously known as NHN. The Japanese subsidiary, NHN Japan, was later renamed to Line Corporation.
In 2019, Naver and SoftBank merged their Japanese operations, Line and Yahoo! Japan, to form LY Corporation. This merger was done to ensure smooth business operations in Japan despite the country's sensitive relationship with South Korea.
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Company Profile and Information
Naver Corporation is a South Korean internet content service company. It was founded in 1999 by Huh Yoon-Young, the founder of Naver, the country's largest search engine and web portal.
The company is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, and has a workforce of 15,000 employees. Naver operates various services, including web search, news, maps, images, videos, blogs, and shopping.
Naver's services are used by millions of users worldwide, and the company also provides email, calendar, and cloud storage services. In addition, Naver offers various services for businesses, including advertising, marketing, and analytics.
Here are some key services provided by Naver:
- Web search
- News
- Maps
- Images
- Videos
- Blogs
- Shopping
- Calendar
- Cloud storage
Cafe and Blog

Naver Cafe is a service that allows users to create their own internet communities, with 10.5 million cafes running as of May 2017. One person can make up to 300 cafes.
Naver Blog started with the name 'paper' in June 2003, and evolved to 'blog' in October 2003. It had 23 million users as of April 2016.
Naver Cafe and Blog are user-generated content (UGC) platforms where users post specialized contents on various themes, with 800,000 new contents generated every day in 23 million Blogs and 10 million Cafes.
Cultural Foundation
The Naver Cultural Foundation was officially established in 2009. It marked a significant milestone in the company's efforts to give back to the community.
In 2010, the foundation launched a support program for indie musicians, providing a platform for new and emerging talent. This initiative has been a game-changer for many young artists.
The Naver Cultural Foundation opened an online platform called 'Onstage' in November 2010, introducing new up-and-coming indie bands to the world. This move showcased the company's commitment to promoting artistic expression.
Company Profile
Naver Corporation is the parent company of the popular search engine and web portal Naver. It was founded in 1999 by Han-kyo Kim.
The company is based in Seoul, South Korea, and has a workforce of over 15,000 employees. Naver is a leading provider of internet content services in South Korea.
Naver offers a range of services, including web search, news, maps, images, videos, blogs, and shopping. It also provides email, calendar, and cloud storage services.
Here are some of the key services provided by Naver:
- Web search
- News
- Maps
- Images
- Videos
- Blogs
- Shopping
- Calendar
- Cloud storage
Naver is also the parent company of several other popular services, including the instant messaging platform LINE, the video sharing app Snow, and the live streaming service V Live.
Search and Features
Naver was the first Korean web provider to develop its own search engine.
The company introduced the comprehensive search service, which presents optimized search results from various categories on a single page.
Naver's search engine has since grown to offer a variety of related services including e-mail, mapping, e-commerce, social media, wireless payments, and online streaming.
Naver's closed platform is frequently mentioned, as it doesn't allow other search engines to search their knowledge base and blogs, giving them control over their properties.
In April 2011, Daum and Nate, the second and third portal sites in Korea, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to open their search services, but Naver chose not to participate.
Naver was criticized for abusing Real-time Search Terms to create public opinion, so they abolished it on 25 February 2021.
Person-related Search Terms were also criticized for including defamatory searches, so Naver abolished them in March 2021.
ESG and Controversies
Naver Corporation has made significant commitments to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. The company aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 30% by 2030 and use 100% renewable energy by 2040.
One way Naver is supporting the environment is through its Naver Green Fund, which invests in eco-friendly projects. The company also has a Naver Education Fund that provides scholarships to underprivileged students.
However, Naver has also faced criticism and controversy in the past. In 2018, the company faced backlash over its handling of user data, and in 2019, it was accused of favoring its own services in search engine results.
Some of the controversies surrounding Naver include issues with employee welfare. There have been reports of employee suicides, bullying, and poor working conditions.
ESG
Naver Corporation has made a significant commitment to environmental sustainability, aiming to reduce its carbon emissions by 30% by 2030 and use 100% renewable energy by 2040.
The company has also taken steps to support environmental initiatives, such as the Naver Green Fund, which focuses on environmental projects.
Naver's social contribution efforts include providing scholarships to underprivileged students through the Naver Education Fund.
By implementing initiatives like flexible work arrangements and equal pay, Naver is working towards achieving equality in the workplace.
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Naver has faced criticism and controversy in the past. The company was criticized for its handling of user data in 2018.
In 2019, Naver was accused of favoring its own services over competitors in search engine results. This led to accusations of unfair business practices.
Naver's treatment of its employees has also been a concern. The company has faced multiple incidents of employee suicides and workplace bullying.
Business Structure
Naver Corporation is a South Korean internet company that operates a search engine, news website, and other online services.
Its business structure is a key factor in its success, with a strong focus on innovation and customer satisfaction.
The company is headquartered in Yeouido, Seoul, and has a highly skilled workforce with a strong emphasis on research and development.
Naver's business model is built around its flagship product, Naver Search, which provides a comprehensive search engine for users.
The company's revenue is primarily generated through advertising, with a strong focus on targeted advertising to increase effectiveness.
This business structure has enabled Naver to maintain a strong market position in South Korea and expand into other Asian markets.
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Private Company Relationship Chart
A private company relationship chart is a vital tool for any business owner to understand the ownership structure of their company. It outlines the relationships between shareholders, directors, and the company itself.
A private company can have one or more shareholders, and each shareholder typically holds a different percentage of ownership. This percentage is usually reflected in the number of shares they own.

Shareholders elect the directors of the company, who are responsible for making key decisions and overseeing the company's operations. In a private company, directors are often also shareholders.
The directors are responsible for appointing the company's officers, such as the CEO and CFO. These officers are responsible for the day-to-day management of the company.
The company's constitution or articles of association outline the rules and procedures for the company, including the appointment of directors and officers.
5. Dominant Structure
A dominant structure is a common type of business organization, often preferred by large corporations due to its ability to limit individual shareholders' liability.
In a dominant structure, one person or entity holds significant control over the company, which can be beneficial for decision-making and strategic planning.
This structure is often seen in large corporations, such as Apple and Google, where a single entity or individual has the majority of the shares.
The dominant structure can be beneficial for companies that require significant investment and have a strong vision for the future.
For example, Steve Jobs' control over Apple during its early days allowed the company to focus on innovative product development and strategic partnerships.
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