"Much Better" Written by Koreans Who Flocked to Japan's 'Ururu'... Even Surpassed Google

Naver AI-Based Translation App 'Papago'
Supports Interpretation and Translation in 13 Languages Worldwide
Frequently Used for Korean-Japanese Translation

This year, as the craze for traveling to Japan swept through South Korea, one product benefited significantly: Naver's AI-based translation application, 'Papago.' Some even say that Papago's Korean-Japanese translation function is better than Google Translate.

According to the domestic mobile data analysis platform 'Mobile Index' on the 13th, Papago's total monthly active users (MAU) from January to November this year amounted to 63,869,445.

Incheon Airport bustling with travelers

This is an increase of more than 13 million compared to the same period last year (50,753,906). Papago's MAU surged sharply in November alone. In November last year, 5,009,511 users visited the Papago app, but in November this year, the number rose by about 1.17 million to 6,177,100.

Notably, Papago's usage has surpassed that of Google Translate. In November last year, Google Translate's MAU was 2,149,736, and in November this year, it increased by only about 340,000 to 2,485,534.

Papago Logo [Image source=Naver]

Papago supports translation and interpretation in 13 languages worldwide, including Korean, Japanese, Chinese, English, and Spanish. Beyond simple translation, it can translate sentences captured by the camera from images or text.

As an AI developed by Naver, the largest portal company in South Korea, it is often regarded as surpassing Google in Korean-based translation. The Korean-Japanese interpretation function is especially outstanding. This is believed to be thanks to Naver accumulating Japanese language data through its 'LINE' service, which holds an 85% share of the Japanese mobile messenger market.

Papago's popularity has increased in tandem with the demand for overseas travel to Japan. According to data from the Ministry of Justice, the number of Korean nationals departing for Japan by air from January to September this year reached 4,859,770, a 2,771.5% increase compared to the previous year (169,239).