[Young Journalist Yohwan Kim] NAVER announced on the 7th that it recorded KRW 3.3888 trillion in revenue and KRW 520.3 billion in operating profit in the second quarter of 2026.

Through stronger performance in key businesses such as advertising and commerce with AI integration, as well as the expansion of its global C2C business, revenue increased 16.2% year-on-year to KRW 3.3888 trillion, reaching a record quarterly high. Operating profit decreased by 0.2% year-on-year to KRW 520.3 billion, mainly due to increased investment in AI infrastructure.

NAVER’s platform business recorded revenue of KRW 1.9022 trillion, showing a 12.3% increase compared to last year. In particular, the AI Briefing Advertisement, officially launched at the end of July, achieved a click-through  rate more than 30% higher than existing search advertisements and a purchase conversion rate more than three times higher, proving its potential as a new source of advertising revenue.

Service revenue increased 31.3% year-on-year as growth in the commerce ecosystem accelerated through the expansion of NAVER Plus Store, membership services, and N Delivery.

Revenue from the Financial Platform business reached KRW 470.7 billion, a 16.0% increase year-on-year.

In the second quarter, Npay transaction volume reached KRW 25.2 trillion, increasing 21.0% year-on-year due to the growth of Smart Store and the continued expansion of NAVER’s external ecosystem. NAVER has also entered the AI platform business for merchants through the quick expansion of its offline integrated payment terminal, “Npay Connect.” The company plans to strengthen competitiveness across the NAVER ecosystem by integrating online and offline data.

The Global Business sector recorded revenue of KRW 1.0159 trillion, a 24.4% increase year-on-year, with the C2C business serving as the main growth driver. C2C revenue increased 74.9% year-on-year, supported by continued growth in transaction volume and sales as platforms such as Wallapop, Poshmark, and SODA showed remarkable growth. Content revenue increased 0.5% year-on-year, while enterprise revenue grew 21.3%, driven by expanding B2B sales related to AI and digital twin technologies.

Revenue from NAVER’s AI Factory business, which is being developed in partnership with NVIDIA, is expected to be generated starting in the first half of next year.

CEO of Naver, Soo yeon Choi, said “Through our recent strategic partnership with NVIDIA and the development of the AI Factory business, NAVER has established a foundation that enables rapid business expansion while minimizing initial capital burdens.”
She added, “By leveraging global enterprise customers, NVIDIA’s ecosystem, and NAVER’s existing corporate and public-sector customer base, we will proactively secure customers for initial operating capacity and create a new growth engine in the global AI computing market.”

▶원문 기사: 네이버, 2분기 역대 최대 매출…영업익은 전년比 0.2%↓ (이코노미스트, 2026. 8. 7)

◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대  경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 이코노미스트 기사를 영문으로 번역하며 이슈를 팔로우업한 기사입니다. 차세대 글로벌 경제 리더, <영 저널리스트 with  이코노미스트> 영문 기사는 매주 연재됩니다.  

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