PM-ing in Korea

You’ve probably heard of FAANG — Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google — the tech giants of the West. But in Korea, there’s our own version quietly (and not so quietly) shaping the digital ecosystem. It doesn’t spell as neatly, but it has just as much presence. Welcome to the Korean FAANG : Ne (Naver), Ka (Kakao), Ra (Line), Cou (Coupang), and Bae (Baemin). Let’s take a look at how these companies started, how far they’ve come, and why they’ve become tech powerhouses in Korea. 1. NE – Naver Founded: 1999 Started as: Korea’s first homegrown search engine Now: A digital giant in search, payments, commerce, cloud, and AI Naver certainly wasn’t the first or only portal—there were Yahoo, Lycos, and Daum—but it was Knowledge iN that caught fire. The concept of “ask anything, get answers from real people” was ahead of its time, like a human-powered AI long before ChatGPT. Then came Naver Blog , which became the go-to platform for everyday information, restaura...

Toss: The Trendsetter Shaping Korea’s Tech Landscape In Korea’s fast-moving tech ecosystem, Toss has become a company that sets the standard. From its pioneering approach to product management to its unique UX writing philosophy , Toss has influenced how many Korean companies operate. But what makes Toss stand out isn’t just its financial services—it’s the way the company builds products, manages teams, and scales its business . Let’s break down how Toss is reshaping Korea’s tech industry . The Visionary Leadership of Lee Seung-gun At the center of Toss’s success is Lee Seung-gun , founder and CEO of Viva Republica (Toss’s parent company). His story is one of persistence and bold innovation . Before Toss, Lee experienced eight startup failures over six years before finally launching his ninth business idea , which became Korea’s first successful peer-to-peer money transfer service . A Global Vision for Toss As of February 2025 , Toss is aiming for foreign nationals ...