[Financial News] Kakao announced on the 25th that as it marks the 14th anniversary of its emoticons, the total number of individual emoticons released has reached 850,000, and the cumulative number of times they have been sent has surpassed 300 billion.
This year, Kakao has continued to introduce emoticons based on new intellectual property in collaboration with various creators, while also striving to provide users with a broader experience of these emoticons.
Since June, Kakao has introduced a regular free emoticon giveaway event, through which 153 types of emoticons were provided, with cumulative downloads exceeding 68 million, enriching user chat experiences. The “Emoticon Plus” service, which allows unlimited use of Kakao emoticons, has held several trial events and has been experienced by 20 million users.
To celebrate the 14th anniversary of the launch of its emoticons, Kakao is hosting an event page with a birthday party concept, featuring various participatory events.
Popular emoticon artists from this year, such as those behind characters like “Mangled Bear,” “Ganadi,” “Shuya and Toya,” “GOrangutan,” “Tosimi,” “Paradise Quokka,” “Onigiri,” “Squinty Eyes,” “Gwak Cheol,” “Kyakdugi,” “Guinea Sniff,” “Tiny Little Dog Dorung-i,” “Major Fart,” and “Helangi Seal,” have revealed special birthday celebration images that highlight the unique personalities of each character.
Additionally, there is a “Birthday Cake Baking Game” where users can participate by placing a birthday cake to celebrate the 14th anniversary in the oven and taking it out precisely at 14 seconds to complete the mission successfully.
Kakao’s Emoticon Leader Kim Ji-hyun stated, “The continued love for Kakao emoticons over 14 years has been thanks to the unique works of the creators and the affection from users,” adding, “We will continue to enhance our services for new opportunities for creators and greater enjoyment for users.”