Top executives from Naver, Naver Financial and Dunamu gathered at Naver's second headquarters in Seongnam to unveil their vision a day after approving a merger that brings Upbit operator Dunamu into the Naver group. The three firms pledged to invest about 10 trillion won ($6.82 billion) over five years to cultivate domestic AI and Web3 ecosystems.
"Naver's AI capabilities must create synergy with Web3 to capture the next-generation market," Naver founder Lee Hae-jin said. "We must pursue ventures that global players have yet to attempt if we are to survive the competition."
Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon said the convergence of mainstream blockchain adoption and the emergence of agentic AI — systems capable of autonomous decision-making — presents a critical technological inflection point. She emphasized that the combined entity would build a "full lineup" of users, data, technology, services and capital to mount an aggressive push into the global Web3 arena.
Web3 is an umbrella term for technologies like blockchain, decentralizing data ownership to give users more control over their data and online interactions.
Dunamu Chairman Song Chi-hyung said the three companies aim to architect next-generation financial infrastructure that bonds AI with blockchain, spanning payments, broader financial services and everyday life. Vice President Kim Hyung-nyun added that the partnership would position South Korea at the forefront of the borderless digital asset market as tokenization gains traction worldwide.
Following the integration, the firms plan to prioritize overseas expansion and improved capital market access. The companies said they would forge a collaborative culture centered on global growth rather than pursue further governance restructuring.
Dunamu CEO Oh Kyoung-suk said the deal's core objective lies in leveraging the global technology inflection point as an opportunity rather than a threat, enabling both companies to achieve a greater leap forward together.
reporter
Kim Dong-young
davekim0807@ajupress.com
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