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As a Korean, the most surprising part of this article was that there was no mention of KakaoTalk. (But Naver was mentioned.)

KakaoTalk is literally the reason why people buy smartphones here. Seriously.

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I thought it might also be the other way around. Because everyone gets a free smartphone even with the cheapest contract, KakaoTalk has this huge market.

So it's the korean version of whatsapp ? funny how such 'simple' needs are the market driving force.

WhatsApp has a much more minimalist feel than KakaoTalk. Take a look at some screenshots[0]. On the upside, it supports PC, but idiotically, it's a desktop app (Windows-only), rather than a web app.

Their revenue streams are very different too. Whereas WhatsApp relies on subscription fees, KakaoTalk has a built-in gaming platform. It also sells "stickers," basically emoticons you can send to friends.

0: https://www.google.co.kr/search?tbm=isch&q=카카오톡+대화

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