Naver CEO Choi Su-yeon earns 3.029 billion won as AI boosts ad revenue
Naver’s latest business report shows that its chief executive officer, Choi Su-yeon, earned 3.029 billion won in compensation last year. The breakdown lists 900 million won as base salary, 2.061 billion won in bonuses, and 67.5 million won in other earnings. The document notes this amount was about 1.06 billion won higher than in 2024.
Naver attributes the pay to strong company performance, citing 2024 revenue of 10.73 trillion won and pre- depreciation earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of 2.65 trillion won. The report frames the pay in the context of AI-powered hyper-personalization driving advertising revenue growth and improvements in commerce competitiveness.
Among the top earners listed in the same filing, former Small and Medium Business Minister Han Seong-sook topped the year’s compensation with a total of 10.343 billion won, including retirement income of 4.038 billion won and a net gain from exercising stock options of 5.12 billion won. Other high earners cited are Lee Hae-jin, chair of Naver’s board, at 2.437 billion won; Cha Seon-ju, chief strategy officer, at 2.011 billion won; and Kim Beom-jun, chief operating officer, at 1.857 billion won.
Naver’s workforce totaled 5,047 employees at year’s end, with an average annual salary of 146 million won per person, up about 1.7 million won from the previous year. The figure is calculated by dividing the total salary paid during the year by the average number of employees.
Both Naver and Kakao have scheduled annual general meetings this week. Naver’s shareholder meeting on the 23rd will consider the appointment of CFO Kim Hee-cheol as an inside director, approval of the financial statements for the 27th term (2025), the reelection of outside director Kim Yi-bae, and the board’s remuneration cap, among other items.
Kakao’s meeting is set for the 26th, with a vote on the reelection of CEO Jeong Shin-a. Kakao’s shareholders will also hear and vote on governance matters, with the Jeju-island venue Space Dot One hosting the event this year and, for the first time, offering real-time online streaming of the meeting.
Why this matters to U.S. readers: Naver and Kakao are Korea’s leading internet and technology groups, central to digital advertising, e-commerce, and platform services in Asia. Their executive compensation, governance decisions, and AI-focused strategy provide insight into how Korean tech giants align incentives with performance as they scale internationally. The moves also reflect broader trends in corporate governance, cross-border tech investment, and the increasing emphasis on AI-driven growth that could influence partnership opportunities, competition, and supply chains affecting global markets.