[Asia Exclusive] "Client Growth and Market Expansion Drive Cafe24's Growth"... Education and Support Hyperconnected Services

Lee Jae-seok, CEO of Cafe24, on 'Mutual Growth'

Lee Jae-seok, CEO of Cafe24, is being interviewed by Asia Economy on the 7th. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] The 'post-COVID-19' strategy envisioned by Jaeseok Lee, CEO of Cafe24, is co-growth through a 'hyper-connected' society. With the spread of contactless culture, connections can be made infinitely, increasing the potential for collaboration between companies.

Cafe24 is realizing a hyper-connected society through the 'Cafe24 App Store.' The Cafe24 App Store is a platform where applications (apps) necessary for running online stores can be freely bought and sold, with the key point being that it is open to everyone.

The biggest advantage of the Cafe24 App Store is that external companies with technology can enter the Cafe24 App Store at any time to promote their technology to online store operators and integrate it. Online store operators benefit from being able to freely utilize the technologies needed to complement and develop their stores through the Cafe24 App Store.

CEO Lee explained, "Cafe24's platform can be used by anyone who has the will to do so," adding, "Companies that have developed good technology but have not found a way to utilize it can increase added value through technical communication with numerous online stores in Korea by entering the Cafe24 App Store."

Founded in May 1999 and celebrating its 22nd anniversary this year, Cafe24's steady growth is based on CEO Lee's management strategy. His philosophy is that for Cafe24 to grow, its clients must grow, and they must coexist through the expansion of the entire business model.

Cafe24 is conducting projects to support small business owners both online and offline. It provides free solutions so that anyone who wants to challenge online entrepreneurship can freely do so, and offers customized education at each stage?from startup preparation to marketing and overseas expansion?to help small business owners stabilize their businesses quickly. Additionally, support for early-stage entrepreneurs is provided through more than 60 Cafe24 Startup Centers nationwide.

CEO Lee said, "Through the hyper-connection strategy, online business operators using Cafe24 solutions can access the industry's best functions and services," adding, "The growth of our clients and the expansion of the e-commerce market is Cafe24's growth."

Supported by this management philosophy, Cafe24 has taken the lead in supporting exports of specialized online stores with the conviction that, as global Hallyu popularity and cross-border e-commerce activate, K-style products such as K-fashion and K-beauty will become global market leaders based on differentiated competitiveness. Starting with its entry into Japan in 2018 and Southeast Asia in 2020, Cafe24 aims to provide services that enable anyone worldwide to conduct online business.