Naver to launch new open community platform Lounge
South Korea's largest online portal operator Naver said Friday it will launch Lounge, a new open community platform, and has begun recruiting 500 official supporters ahead of the service’s debut.
Set to launch Jan. 28, Lounge allows users to freely engage in discussions ranging from entertainment and sports to humor and everyday life. The service emphasizes accessibility, enabling users to join conversations instantly without requiring a separate sign-up process.
“Lounge was created to meet users’ demand for lighter and more accessible communication around trends and interests,” said Lee Il-gu, head of Naver’s Content Service Division. “We aim to strengthen synergies across Naver’s services by creating a space where diverse stories and topic-driven conversations naturally converge.”
Naver said the platform reflects its more than two decades of experience operating user-generated content services, including blogs and online communities. One of Lounge’s core features will be the automatic integration of Open Talk chat rooms with topic-based boards, allowing participation through posts, comments and real-time conversations.
The company plans to link Lounge with its broader ecosystem, including Integrated Search, Home Feed and Knowledge iN, enabling users to seamlessly transition from searching for information to sharing opinions and engaging in discussions.
Ahead of the launch, Naver is recruiting 500 official supporters, “Lounge Mates,” who will be active on the platform for six months. Applications are open to the public through Jan. 4 via the official Lounge blog. Selected participants will begin their activities in February and receive benefits such as Naver Pay points.
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