NHN KCP said it continued solid earnings growth in the first quarter on expanded transaction volume. The company reported consolidated revenue of 344.9 billion won and operating profit of 13.8 billion won, up 22.7 percent and 26.4 percent from a year earlier. Total transaction volume rose about 22 percent to 14.4 trillion won, while overseas volume climbed 68.3 percent to 2.6 trillion won.

Companies expect AI to lift productivity, but their approaches are narrowing to 2 paths: cutting staff to save costs, or keeping headcount while having existing employees do more with AI. The Wall Street Journal reported layoffs linked to AI have become more visible this year, citing Gartner survey results showing about 80 percent of firms using AI agents or automation are reducing staff. Some companies aim to maintain staffing while increasing output.