Naver said on Jan. 26 it is starting an open beta service for Thingsbook, a new UGC platform targeting the North American market.

Naver operates services across various fields in North America, including Webtoon, Wattpad (web novels), Band (community) and Poshmark (C2C). It will also continue a new challenge in the social networking space with Thingsbook.

Thingsbook is a text-based platform that focuses on the core social media values of recording and personal taste, in an environment where consumption of short and provocative content is prevalent. Users can create their own collections to record films, books, music, travel destinations and daily experiences in depth, and connect and communicate with other users based on shared interests.

Thingsbook also offers an advanced editor environment that lets users record images, locations, star ratings and links alongside text, supporting richer expression of their experiences and perspectives. Beyond a chronological feed-based structure, it is designed with an archiving structure in which personal tastes accumulate as collections, allowing users to manage and expand their records systematically. In particular, Naver plans to enhance usability so users can easily record diverse experiences on Thingsbook, spanning content, community and taste-based consumption, through links with various local platforms it operates in North America, including Webtoon, Wattpad and Band.

Naver said it operated a closed beta for 3 months from October last year to ensure a smooth global rollout for Thingsbook and to further advance the service, checking overall usability including usage patterns and needs of North American users. Based on various user feedback collected in the process, it has continued to improve service stability and key features, and plans to raise the service's level of completion step by step with more users through the open beta.

Kim Seung-eon (김승언), a Naver leader who oversees Thingsbook, said Naver has continued to challenge overseas markets based on a global strategy that considers the culture and user characteristics of each region. He said Thingsbook also aims to establish itself as a platform that works closely with local users to build a creative culture centered on recording and personal tastes.