Naver Launches Open Beta of New UGC Platform "Thingsbook," Targeting North American Market

A Text-Based Platform Centered on Documentation and Personal Taste

Naver announced on January 26 that it has launched the open beta service of "Thingsbook," a new user-generated content (UGC) platform targeting the North American market.

Naver operates a variety of services in North America, including webtoons, Wattpad (web novels), Band (community), and Poshmark (C2C). With Thingsbook, the company is now venturing into the social networking service (SNS) sector.

Thingsbook is a text-based platform that focuses on the fundamental social media values of documentation and personal taste. Users can create their own collections to record movies, books, music, travel destinations, daily experiences, and more, and connect with others based on shared interests.

Thingsbook provides an editor environment where users can record images, locations, ratings, and links alongside text, allowing them to express their experiences and perspectives. Moving beyond a simple chronological feed, the archiving structure enables users to systematically manage and expand their records as collections of personal tastes.

In particular, Naver plans to enhance usability by integrating Thingsbook with various local platforms it operates in North America, such as webtoons, Wattpad, and Band, allowing users to easily document experiences ranging from content consumption to community engagement and personal preferences.

To ensure a smooth global launch and advanced service quality for Thingsbook, Naver operated a closed beta service for three months starting in October last year, monitoring overall usability, usage patterns, and demand among North American users. Based on the extensive feedback collected during this period, the company has continuously improved service stability and key features, and aims to further enhance service completeness with this open beta launch.

Kim Seungeon, the leader overseeing the Thingsbook service at Naver, stated, "Through our global expansion, we will continue to enhance the service to build a meaningful content ecosystem and community culture in the era of artificial intelligence (AI)."