Naver, Dunamu Pledge ₩10 Trillion for AI/Web3 Ecosystem Over 5 Years

Naver, Naver Financial, and Dunamu, three companies, have captivated global attention by announcing a large-scale corporate merger aimed at opening a new chapter in the future digital finance market. At a joint press conference held on the 27th at Naver 1784, the three companies announced their decision to incorporate Dunamu into the Naver group through a comprehensive stock exchange. This marks the beginning of an ambitious strategy to build a next-generation financial infrastructure combining AI and blockchain (Web3) technologies and to reshape the global platform order. Key executives, including Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin, Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon, and Dunamu Chairman Song Chi-hyung, gathered to share their vision for this merger. CEO Choi Soo-yeon stated, "The three companies aligned in their pursuit of global innovation amidst significant opportunities, namely the popularization of blockchain and the transition to agentic AI." Chairman Song Chi-hyung expressed his ambition to "create a global platform that encompasses not just payment and settlement, but all aspects of lifestyle services, using a next-generation financial infrastructure combining AI and blockchain." Chairman Lee Hae-jin emphasized the importance of swift decision-making, stating, "Naver's AI capabilities must synergize with Web3 to preempt the next-generation market." This merger is expected to bring together the core competencies of each company, creating powerful synergies. Naver will provide AI, search infrastructure, and extensive content and commerce capabilities; Naver Financial will contribute its user base of over 34 million and annual payment power worth 80 trillion won; and Dunamu will offer its global-level digital asset trading volume and proprietary blockchain technology (Giwa Chain). CEO Choi Soo-yeon declared that after the completion of this deal, they "will fully enter the global Web3 market with a complete lineup of users, data, technology, services, and capital," making global market preemption their top priority. Furthermore, the three companies revealed plans to make an unprecedented investment of 10 trillion won over the next five years to foster the AI and Web3 ecosystem, asserting their commitment to lay a strong foundation for Korea to become a leader in the borderless digital asset market. Dunamu CEO Oh Kyung-seok added that their strategy would focus on expanding into global markets and improving access to capital markets, rather than on further changes in governance. This alliance between Naver, Naver Financial, and Dunamu will redefine the future of digital finance and become a historical turning point that brings a new wave of innovation worldwide.