NHN is pushing to operate an AI data centre of about 100 MW by the end of next year to expand its AI graphics processing unit (GPU) business. After posting a record quarterly performance on growth in its games, payments and cloud businesses, it plans to strengthen its growth base through AI infrastructure expansion and next-generation payments.

NHN on Monday set out its main management direction on an earnings conference call, citing expansion of AI data centres and its GPU business, AI agent payments and efficiency improvements in its games business.

Third-quarter consolidated revenue was 758.3 billion won, up 21.2 percent from a year earlier. Operating profit rose 112.6 percent to 58.8 billion won. Both revenue and operating profit were record quarterly highs. Net profit climbed 115.8 percent to 38.9 billion won.

By business, revenue was 131.0 billion won from games, 397.6 billion won from payments and 171.7 billion won from technology, up 10.7 percent, 21.5 percent and 53.6 percent, respectively, from a year earlier. The technology business posted the highest growth rate, helped by rising demand for AI GPUs.

AI data centre targets 100 MW of operations; expands private-sector GPU business

NHN Cloud set a target of operating about 100 MW of AI data centres by the end of next year, including existing facilities and newly secured sites.

NHN Chief Executive Jeong Woo-jin (정우진) said NHN Cloud will flesh out its plan to secure AI data centre infrastructure and obtain additional data centre floor space, aiming to become an operator running about 100 MW of data centres by the end of next year.

To do so, it plans to lease 20 MW at the Pohang AI data centre and build 10 MW of infrastructure on its own in the Gwangju Research and Development Special Zone. Separately, it plans to lease the 26-MW Jangseong Pine AI data centre being built in Jangseong, South Jeolla Province.

In data centres in the Seoul metropolitan area such as Seoul's Gasan and Incheon's Gajwa, it will deploy more than 1,700 Nvidia B300 GPUs. It plans to start services in stages from January and begin recognising revenue.

NHN Cloud's third-quarter revenue rose 75.5 percent from a year earlier, maintaining a profit-making trend. At the Seoul Yangpyeong data centre 'FactoryX', which it runs under a government GPU buildout project, it sold out all GPU capacity earmarked for external customers over the next five years. It also added new B300 GPUs at the Gwangju National AI Data Center, and revenue recognition from Krafton's GPU cluster project began in earnest.

NHN Chief Financial Officer Ahn Hyun-sik (안현식) said of GPU business profitability that, while based on direct costs, it continues to generate close to 30 percent profit, and he expects business efficiency to improve as GPU performance advances. He added it is difficult to provide a specific outlook for future revenue 규모 because there are many variables.

NHN Cloud CEO Kim Dong-hoon (김동훈) said the company is preparing with participation in mind regarding the possibility of joining a government GPU project next year.

Kim said the newly secured data centres have equipment capable of accommodating Nvidia's next-generation GPU, 'Vera Rubin'.

NHN Cloud will also strengthen cooperation with Innogrid, which was incorporated as a subsidiary in July. It plans to boost competitiveness in the private cloud market, where security requirements are high, including public, defence and finance.

Web board games keep growing; prepares AI payments and stablecoin

In its games business, the company will focus capabilities on its competitive domestic web board games and operating mobile games in Japan. It is restructuring by winding down some low-profit businesses and boosting operational performance of existing games.

Third-quarter web board game revenue increased 16.2 percent from a year earlier. It was influenced by higher average revenue per user due to regulatory environment changes, the Chuseok holiday effect and the success of the offline tournament 'Hangame Poker Tour (HPT)'. 'Hangame Mobile Poker' posted its highest monthly revenue for two consecutive months in September and October.

Jeong said of the web board game business next year that the revenue lift from regulatory easing in 2026 will be maintained into 2027, but he expects the real growth trend to moderate.

NHN plans to pursue additional growth by securing a customer base different from existing poker users through hold'em tournaments such as HPT. As a new title, it plans to release the Korea-Japan collaboration project 'Puchipoyo of the Fantasy World' in the first half of next year.

In its payments business, it is responding to a new payments environment while expanding its existing merchant base. NHN KCP's third-quarter total transaction value was 17.3 trillion won, up 30.5 percent from a year earlier. Overseas merchant transaction value rose 75.4 percent, and its share of total transaction value hit a record high of 25.3 percent.

NHN is pushing to build related infrastructure to respond to an environment in which AI agents purchase goods and make payments on behalf of users. NHN KCP is participating as a development partner for Google's agent payment protocol 'AP2', and it has also joined the Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation to seek business opportunities.

It is also preparing a stablecoin business. NHN Payco aims to return to annual profitability next year by expanding merchants such as Baedal Minjok and running the business with a focus on profitability.

Jeong said the company's core businesses maintained balanced growth and a profit-making trend, enabling it to deliver another record quarterly performance in the third quarter. He said NHN plans to build a solid growth foundation by firmly establishing itself as a leading company in businesses that will be future growth engines, including stablecoins, AI agent payments and GPU services.