Kakao Healthcare said on Jan. 13 it signed a memorandum of understanding with premium fitness company Pap Gym for connected health business. The two companies will pursue a business that combines an AI-based health management solution with training services.

Employees including Kakao Healthcare's medical staff and Pap Gym trainers, nutritionists and physical therapists will develop a health management solution. They plan to roll out various businesses for hospitals and general users. The plan combines Kakao Healthcare's AI-based health management solution PASTA with Pap Gym's training and wellness services.

Pap Gym is a fitness consulting startup that operates 8 premium one-to-one personal training studios in key Gangnam areas of Seoul, starting with its Dogok branch in 2010. Its trainers, who hold master's and doctoral degrees, have licenses in fields including sports, physical therapy and nutrition. It provides data-based training services.

Changhyun Oh, chief executive of Pap Gym, said he expects the partnership with Kakao Healthcare will help expand Pap Gym's 15 years of wellness market experience into services for the public by combining it with IT technology, and he expects positive results from that.