Kakao Friends (stylized as KAKAO FRIENDS; ) are featured characters based on KakaoTalk emoticons released in November 2012 by Kakao. The copyrights of the characters are currently owned and managed by Kakao's subsidiary Kakao IX, which was formerly named Kakao Friends prior to an inter-subsidiary acquisition in 2018.[1]
The character illustrator is Kwon Soon-ho, also known by his pen name Hozo.[2] Kakao Friends has been used in various products and commercials, and has gained popularity and have become beloved characters in South Korea.[3]
Characters
Kakao Friends characters were developed in about two months after the idea meeting in July 2012 began.[4]