Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Norway

Let’s Talk About KakaoTalk!

Asli Altunøz

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If you hear any Korean person talking about “kakao”, they most likely are not talking about the hot, sweet, chocolate drink that first comes to mind when we say “kakao” in Norwegian. KakaoTalk is the most popular messaging app in Korea. According to the Korean language and culture blog Fluent U, around 94% of communication by phone in Korea is through KakaoTalk. That’s a lot!

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I experienced this first­hand on my first ever visit to Korea. As soon as the plane landed in Seoul, and we were allowed to connect to the internet again, all I could hear was the sound “katalk”, which is the sound of someone getting a message on KakaoTalk, from phones everywhere around me. For a good five minutes, no other phone sounds could be heard other than this message notification sound, which shows just how common it is to use KakaoTalk in Korea.

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In Norway, the most common apps used to communicate and message each other, is Facebook’s messenger app and Snapchat’s chat function. Not many people have heard about KakaoTalk. So what is really the deal with KakaoTalk? Why is the app so popular among Korean people, but so unheard of in Norway?

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I can’t say I have any hard facts about this, but I do have some insight about what makes the KakaoTalk app so unique!

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1. We all know about, and use emojis on our phones, but KakaoTalk emoticons are a little bit different. When you download “Kakao Friends” on the app, you can encounter diverse and cute emojis. There are a lot of very popular animals, and they even have their own backstories! They are also bigger than your normal emoji, which makes them even funnier.

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2. Fun and open chatrooms are also a big part of KakaoTalk. You can join these chats according to your own interests. The chats vary from discussions about politics to sharing music and discovering new artists. These chatrooms are social and often very welcoming. You can make new friends by simply discussing a topic you like!

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3. The fact that a Korean company created KakaoTalk app is an important reason why I think this messaging app appeals more to Koreans. The company may have just hit the right buttons to make the messaging app fit in the daily lives of many Koreans, as it knows the Korean culture. I would suggest that KakaoTalk is a messaging app that embraces Korean culture more than any other foreign apps can do, and therefore it is easy and convenient to be used by Koreans.

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Bonus!

If you are looking for a fun and easy way to learn Korean, KakaoTalk could be the perfect app for you as well. First, if you have a Korean friend, make sure to add them on KakaoTalk. All you need is their number or KakaoTalk ID, and voila! You have the perfect opportunity to practice Korean, or create a stronger bond between your friends in an authentic, Korean way. Another way you can incorporate KakaoTalk in your language learning is by joining chatrooms as I mentioned earlier. Practice by discussing different topics that the chatrooms offer – in Korean!