Naver reported record revenue and operating profit for 2025, with the company pointing to its in-house artificial intelligence technology as a major growth driver. The South Korean technology company said AI integration across its core services helped boost both advertising performance and user engagement.
The results highlight how Naver is leaning heavily on AI to strengthen its search ecosystem and expand into new markets.
Record Revenue And Profit
Naver said its 2025 revenue reached 12 trillion won ($8.18 billion), a 12.1 percent increase compared with the previous year. Operating profit rose 11.6 percent to 2.2081 trillion won.
Both figures represent the highest annual results since the company was founded.
The company attributed much of the revenue growth to AI integration within its services. Naver said AI accounted for 55 percent of the increase in advertising revenue during the year.
AI Briefing Strengthens Search Experience
A key contributor to the growth was Naver’s “AI Briefing” feature. The service identifies user intent and generates structured answers designed to make search results easier to understand.
Naver applied AI Briefing to its search service in March 2025. The feature aims to improve the search experience by providing summaries and follow-up suggestions.
CEO Choi Soo-yeon said user engagement metrics have been strong since the launch. The number of clicks on AI-generated follow-up questions increased sixfold compared with the early period after the feature was introduced.
User satisfaction with AI-generated summaries has also helped keep overall time spent on the service steady.
Competition With ChatGPT
Naver addressed concerns that generative AI tools could weaken its position in the search market. Reports have suggested that competition from ChatGPT has affected usage trends.
According to market research firm OpenSurvey, ChatGPT usage increased to 54.5 percent in December 2025 from 39.6 percent in March 2025. Over the same period, Naver’s usage rate declined from 85.3 percent to 81.6 percent.
Despite the decline in usage share, Naver said improvements in service quality helped drive revenue growth.
AI Agents And New Services Planned
Looking ahead, Naver plans to introduce AI agents designed to perform tasks directly for users. One of the first upcoming features is the “AI Tab,” expected to launch in the first half of 2026.
The AI Tab will connect Naver services such as shopping, maps, and finance with a chatbot capable of handling reservations, purchases, and payments.
The company will begin rolling out specialized AI agents through its shopping platform. An internal closed beta test for a shopping agent was scheduled to start in early 2026, with a public launch planned for late February.
Additional agents are expected to expand to maps, finance, and travel services.
Expansion Into Sovereign AI
Naver is also targeting the growing sovereign AI market by offering specialized AI models to governments and institutions. The company has already deployed a medical-focused AI model for Seoul National University Hospital.
In January 2026, Naver also supplied a finance-focused AI model to the Bank of Korea.
Choi said the company plans to expand sovereign AI initiatives in international markets including Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Japan.
Sources: Naver, OpenSurvey, News1, and company statements reported by local media.
