[DigitalToday reporter Ho-jung Lee] Jeong Shin-a, chair of Kakao Group’s CA Council, met for the first time with newly hired group recruits for 2026 and communicated directly about Kakao’s growth direction and ways of working in the AI era.

Kakao Group said on Jan. 8 that Jeong held a “Talk with the Chair - Fireside Chat” on Jan. 7 at Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, where she spoke freely with the new recruits.

At the event, Jeong urged the new recruits to grow into “AI-native” talent. AI-native talent refers to people who take AI as a colleague, clearly communicate what is needed and use it proactively. “AI tools are now copilots,” Jeong said. “The key is not the tool itself, but what questions you ask and what judgments you make based on the information and context you are given,” she added.

Jeong also said Kakao Group has continually improved to first find inconveniences users do not even recognize and to create a better day. “In the end, the person who finds even the root cause before it emerges as a problem and suggests better options is the one who makes change,” she said. It was a message that she hopes the new recruits grow into people who redefine problems and design solutions in their respective work.

Jeong raised “unlearning” as a theme. It means that since yesterday’s answer may not be today’s correct one, people must let go of past-tense certainty that “my way is right” and be able to learn anew and grow. “Keep humanities learning to deepen thinking, but for technical learning you need to open the ceiling and switch faster, and then the speed of growth accelerates sharply,” she said.

The event also featured active discussions not only about overall company work but also about careers and leadership. Based on her own experience, Jeong offered practical advice and messages of support, and continued communication in a comfortable and open atmosphere.

Separately, Kakao Group will run “2026 Group Public Recruitment One Kakao Onboarding” from Jan. 5 to 16 for all recruits selected this year. Onboarding programs tailored to the characteristics of each company and job category will follow in sequence.