KOREA WHO

Hong Eun-taek is the CEO of Kakao. He also serves as the chairman of the Kakao Impact Foundation.

As the co-director of the 'Community Alignment Center (CAC)', which serves as the control tower of the Kakao Community (affiliates), he also oversees the ESG management of the Kakao Community.

Born on December 10, 1963, he graduated from Chungkyung High School and the Department of Oriental History at Seoul National University.

He worked as a reporter for Dong-A Ilbo, a producer for American radio station KBIA, and editorial director for Oh My News International before entering the IT industry when he joined NHN, the predecessor of Naver.

In 2012, he joined Kakao as Vice President of Content Services and launched Kakao Page and Kakao Makers, a joint ordering platform. He was promoted to senior vice president after serving as Daum Kakao content team leader, social impact team leader, and Kakao chief operating officer.

Since 2018, he has served as CEO of Kakao Commerce and has increased Kakao Commerce's transaction volume by more than four times.

He was promoted to Chairman of the Kakao Impact Foundation and Vice Chairman of Kakao in 2022, and then appointed CEO in July of the same year. From October 2022, he has been leading Kakao as its sole CEO.

He is working with Bae Jae-hyun, head of investment, to restructure Kakao's affiliates and reorganize their business structure.

Although he is one of the oldest Kakao Group executives, he is an exercise fanatic who completed a triathlon and is also said to be a 'free spirit'.

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