Cyworld declares comeback, set to relaunch as mobile app next month

Cyworld, widely regarded as South Korea's first-generation SNS, has announced a comeback, with a mobile app relaunch planned as early as late next month.

The beta app will focus on core communication features such as account recovery and restoring "ilchon" (friend) connections. Legacy data including photo albums and diary entries will be restored in stages after the official service launch in April next year.

According to industry sources Wednesday, Sigma Chain — the company operating Cyworld — plans to launch a mobile app beta service as early as late next month, with a firm goal of going live before the end of the year.

Sigma Chain is a blockchain company led by Kwak Jin-young, one of Cyworld's original developers. In July, it acquired Cyworld's trademark rights, member data and service operating rights from Cyworld Communications, and has since been working toward a relaunch.

The beta service will center on basic communication features, including account recovery for existing users and the restoration of ilchon connections. Users who have changed personal information such as phone numbers and cannot locate their accounts will be able to verify their identity and link to their original accounts through an authentication process.

The service will also allow users to check past ilchon relationships or form new ones. A feed and comment function for posting photos and text will be available, along with a "visitor log" feature — a successor to the original guestbook — through which users can visit each other's spaces to exchange greetings and check on one another.

However, the restoration of legacy data that users are most eager to recover — including old photo albums, diary entries and ilchon comments — has been pushed back to next year. Sigma Chain plans to restore the data in stages after the official service launch in April next year.

The full service will also introduce a direct messaging feature supporting both one-on-one and group conversations. Communication tools such as feeds and comments will be enhanced, and options for customizing the "mini room" personal space will be expanded.

Sigma Chain envisions transforming Cyworld into more than a simple SNS — ultimately a content creation and monetization platform. A key part of that plan is a content marketplace where creators can list original work for users to purchase and apply to their personal mini rooms and other spaces.

The company is also exploring the creation of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) based on background music and skins, which were among Cyworld's most iconic revenue streams in its heyday.

AI-powered features are also in the works. One highlighted concept is an "AI life mini-homepage," in which AI curates a user's old photos and posts to reconstruct personal memories.

The road to Cyworld's revival has been far from smooth, marked by repeated setbacks stemming from operator changes and data restoration challenges.

In 2024, Cyworld Communications acquired the platform's operating rights and announced a relaunch, but the plan fell through due to financial difficulties. Sigma Chain subsequently announced it had acquired Cyworld's intellectual property rights and member data, taking over the relaunch effort.

Sigma Chain itself missed its originally announced October target for the beta launch. Restoring legacy member data, linking accounts and verifying system stability took longer than expected, pushing the target back to late next month.