What Does Kim Beom-su, Chairman of Kakao, Say Instead of "Back in My Day"?

Kim Beom-su, Chairman of Kakao

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] "I trust that crews who have more contact points with users will have more ideas and know-how, so now I just leave everything to them and simply say 'Do well'."

On the 24th, Kakao's brand communication channel 'Kakao Now' revealed behind-the-scenes stories of an interview with Kakao Chairman Kim Beom-su held on the 17th of last month to celebrate the 10th anniversary of KakaoTalk. When asked if there are times he swallows the phrase "Back in my day," which has recently become popular, Chairman Kim responded like this.

Chairman Kim said, "In the case of KakaoTalk, I used to actively come up with ideas in the early days, but now I keep my mouth shut a lot," adding, "At first, I was impatient, wondering 'Why isn't this working?' but now I wait. I believe there must be something more important that differs from my thoughts."

Regarding his usual beliefs, Chairman Kim said, "The name Kakao should not be limited, so I constantly think about new adventures," and added, "I like the expression 'everyday adventure' because I think it means trying at least one new thing in daily life."

He continued, "In the early days, I downloaded and used many applications (apps), but now I don't think about that. Rather, I find new types of content or ingenious ideas more interesting," adding, "I am stimulated by new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, and new challenges such as the idea of 'going to Mars.'"

Chairman Kim also revealed his daily routine maintained for 10 years. He said, "I go to bed between 9 p.m. and midnight and wake up between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. These days, I start my day by walking my dog," adding, "After returning, I do stretching and some exercise, then shower?a routine I have never missed for 10 years."

He also said, "I listen to music and read books throughout the day, and I watch subscribed content for information acquisition and entertainment," adding, "For information, I enjoy economic trends, current affairs, and news summaries; for fun, I watch golf videos, which is my hobby, or content showing various data through graphs."

The sentence that inspired Chairman Kim the most in his 20s was "Between stimulus and response, there is a space." He explained, "Instead of reacting unconsciously when stimulated, if I can choose that response, I believe my identity becomes more solid," adding, "The stimulus here can be someone's word or action."

He continued, "The turning point was when I left Naver," adding, "I had many concerns about what to do next. While pondering, I encountered the sentence, 'A ship is safest when docked at the harbor. But that is not the reason for the ship's existence.' This sentence became my driving force."

Chairman Kim emphasized that Kakao will be used to solve social problems. He said, "I realized that Kakao cannot do as much as I thought in the current situation of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)," adding, "In that context, I want to pay more attention to social issues and actively find ways to solve those problems." He added, "If a company has good intentions, it can certainly get closer to making the world a better place."