Kakao Future Initiative Center head Kim Bum-soo made a surprise visit to the group's new recruit training site.

Kakao said on Jan. 16 that Kim visited without notice on Jan. 15 the group's 2026 entry-level hiring training under way at Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. He held an impromptu question-and-answer session with the new recruits and responded one by one to requests for photos, communicating informally in a relaxed atmosphere.

Asked about how to work in the AI era, he said this is a time when anyone can directly build what they imagine. He urged them to automate with AI any task repeated more than twice and to try making their ideas themselves at least once a week, stressing execution and challenge.

Kim began the conversation by saying he sincerely welcomed them to Kakao after breaking through intense competition. Joining Kakao means being at the forefront of experiencing massive changes in the world, he said. He added that gaining excellent colleagues to go through the process together is also a major asset.

The AI era is both a crisis and an opportunity, Kim said. He said it is most important to pinpoint precisely what will change and what will not. He also said the key issue will ultimately be the ability to ask questions properly and define problems, and he expected a sweeping shift in how people work.

After the impromptu Q&A, Kim did not leave right away. He went from table to table where the new recruits were seated to talk with them. He also accepted all requests for selfies, making the atmosphere more relaxed and lively.

One recruit in the service business job category attending the training said advice that anyone can now create tech services through AI and that this should become routine made them feel a sense of urgency. The recruit said they would keep taking on challenges to build the ability to properly define and solve problems.

After completing the onboarding process, the new recruits are expected to be assigned to their jobs as early as next month.