Kakao Pay Securities offers stock gifts for marriage, newborns in bold push to widen investing

"We will create a culture of giving stocks as gifts for every milestone in life — marriage, childbirth, school enrollment, graduation, a first paycheck."

Shin Ho-cheol, CEO of Kakao Pay Securities, made the pledge Thursday at a press conference at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul. "Just as people celebrate birthdays through KakaoTalk, I want Kakao Pay Securities to be the way people give the future as a gift," he said.

The event marked Shin's first official public appearance since being reappointed this year, having led the company to its first annual profit since taking office in March 2024.

Shin outlined his vision for a second term, moving beyond the first term's focus on building an asset-formation platform. The three pillars of his roadmap are: blessing life's beginnings with stocks, bringing all citizens into the capital markets, and taking K-shares to the world.

Kakao Pay Securities will begin with life-cycle-based support. This year, every couple that gets married will receive 100,000 won ($68) in stocks as a wedding gift.

Starting next year, the company will also give 100,000 won in stocks to every newborn. Shin said he hopes stocks will become "not just an investment product, but a gift that conveys congratulations and encouragement," adding that "giving a child stocks will be the best financial education possible." On funding the initiative, he said the company plans to cover the costs from its own budget and that the program has been designed so that "as many people as possible can receive it easily."

Kakao Pay Securities staged the press conference in a wedding-hall setting to underscore its commitment to the initiative. Shin drew attention by making his entrance along a bridal aisle — the walkway typically used by a bride and groom at a wedding ceremony.

Shin is also accelerating efforts to democratize investing through AI. Of South Korea's roughly 52 million people, only about 14 million currently invest in stocks. Kakao Pay Securities aims to leverage synergies within the Kakao ecosystem to sharply lower barriers to entry and reach 20 million investors within three years.

The centerpiece of that effort is a "one AI investment agent per person" — a personalized tool that analyzes each user's financial situation, investment tendencies and life stage to serve as a companion throughout the investing process. The company said it is particularly focused on building "explainable AI" that minimizes hallucinations, a persistent limitation of generative AI systems.

Kakao Pay Securities is also laying the groundwork to take the domestic capital market global. Through a strategic partnership with Siebert Financial, a NASDAQ-listed company, it plans to expand access for US retail investors looking to invest in South Korea. Kakao Pay holds roughly a 20 percent stake in Siebert Financial.

The move stems from a recognition that while K-pop, K-drama and Korean culture have become part of daily life worldwide, overseas investors still face significant hurdles when trying to buy Korean stocks.

The immediate goal is to launch a platform in the United States in the first half of next year. The key differentiator, the company said, is that it will offer direct access to individual Korean company shares — not indirect exposure through American depositary receipts or ETFs.

"We signed an MOU in May in Miami and New York, and Siebert employees and our staff are meeting weekly to work out the specifics," Shin said.

To address time-zone differences and improve around-the-clock trading convenience, Siebert is also exploring tokenization options within the US regulatory framework. Shin said the discussions would proceed carefully, "on the premise of domestic and international legal review, the direction of regulatory authorities, and the principle of investor protection," adding that "Kakao Pay Securities will responsibly build the path that connects the Korean capital market to the world."