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SEOUL – Naver, South Korea's internet giant, has announced its next major phase in artificial intelligence (AI) integration with the launch of 'Agent N,' a sophisticated AI agent designed to move beyond simple search and suggestion to actual task execution. The initiative was unveiled at the "DAN 25" integrated conference held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Integrating Search, Shopping, and Services
For the past year, Naver has successfully implemented its "On-Service AI" strategy, embedding AI across its core services like search, shopping, local information, and finance. This strategy proved effective, contributing to increased user satisfaction and driving significant revenue growth, including Naver’s first-ever quarterly revenue exceeding 3 trillion won in the third quarter of this year.
Building on this success, Naver's CEO, Choi Soo-yeon, stated during her keynote address that the company is ready to introduce advanced agents across its key services—shopping, search, and advertising—in a sequential manner.
"The positive signals we’ve seen, such as increased user satisfaction and revenue growth, from applying AI to our major services over the past year using our proprietary technology have paved the way for this next step," said CEO Choi.
Personalized Integration and Task Execution
'Agent N' is described as a personalized, integrated agent that unifies Naver's diverse services, content, and data. Its core function is to proactively understand the user's intent, connect them with the desired content, products, or services, and critically, carry out the actual actions required.
Key milestones for the rollout include:
Q1 2026: Introduction of the 'AI Shopping Agent' to the Naver Plus Store.
Q2 2026: Launch of the 'AI Tab,' where integrated search meets the AI agent.
2026: Release of 'Agent N for Business,' tailored for merchants and business users.
Kim Beom-joon, Naver's Chief Operating Officer (COO), who led the Agent N project, illustrated the agent's capabilities with a practical scenario. For a user recently interested in running, the agent would proactively identify their interest, suggest nearby running courses, provide tips for beginners, offer guidance on joining local running clubs, and even recommend and facilitate the purchase of beginner-friendly athletic wear.
COO Kim summarized the shift, explaining, "The significance of Agent N is that Naver is changing its identity from a service that ‘finds what you want’ to one that ‘performs what you want.’"
CEO Choi emphasized Naver's unique advantage, noting, "While many AI services will emerge, few companies can connect the entire user experience—from search to execution—within a single platform as seamlessly as Naver. We are confident that Naver’s direction will become the benchmark for user experience in the AI era."
Commitment to Sovereign AI
In a broader statement, Naver also reiterated its commitment to supporting 'Sovereign AI' in South Korea and driving the nation's AI transformation. The company plans to invest over 1 trillion won in Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) by next year to accelerate AI adoption and boost competitiveness across major domestic industries, including semiconductors and automotive manufacturing.
Regarding the recent acquisition of 60,000 GPUs from Nvidia, Kim Yu-won, CEO of Naver Cloud, confirmed that the exact supply schedule is still under discussion, stating, "The precise timeline has not yet been finalized."
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