kakao Entertainment#Subsidiaries

{{Main|KakaoPage}}

Podotree Co, Ltd. was founded on July 20, 2010, as a subsidiary of Kakao, and launched KakaoPage three years later. On August 1, 2018, the company changed its corporate name to KakaoPage Corp.

{{Main|Kakao M}}

Seoul Records, Inc. was established in October 1978 by {{interlanguage link|Min Young-bin|ko|민영빈}}, the founder of South Korea's leading educational company {{interlanguage link|YBM Group|ko|YBM}} (formerly Sisa English). In 2005, the company was acquired by SK Telecom and relaunched as LOEN Entertainment, Inc. three years later, before being sold to Star Invest Holdings (a subsidiary of Affinity Equity Partners).

In January 2016, it was taken over by Kakao and renamed again as Kakao M Corp. in December 2017.

In October 2020, the company expanded in Asia by launching a Thailand-based subsidiary called Kakao M Asia (Private) Co., Ltd. (currently Kakao Entertainment Asia Co., Ltd.).{{cite web|url=https://www.matchlink.asia/business/page/Thailand/BANGKOK/34954-kakaom-asia-co-ltd.html|title=Kakao Entertainment Asia Co., Ltd.|publisher=Match Link Asia|access-date=August 22, 2021|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818155043/https://www.matchlink.asia/business/page/Thailand/BANGKOK/34954-kakaom-asia-co-ltd.html|url-status=live}}

In December 2020, KakaoPage Corp. proposed a merger with Kakao M Corp. as a unified company.{{Cite web|url=https://m.pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?year=2020&no=1244785|title=Kakao Page close to merging with Kakao M before IPO|website=Maeil Business News Korea|last1=Kang|first1=Doo-soon|last2=Oh|first2=Dae-seok|last3=Kang|first3=Woo-seok|last4=Kang|first4=Young-woon|last5=Cho|first5=Jeehyun|date=December 3, 2020|access-date=May 1, 2021|archive-date=April 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428165331/https://m.pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?year=2020&no=1244785|url-status=live}} It was seen as an action by their parent company against US-based Google’s new policy for its app market place users, which would've affected Kakao M, which KakaoTV platform was starting to become popular in South Korea.

Both companies announced the plans and timeline for their merger, as well as the proposed name for the unified company Kakao Entertainment Corp on January 25, 2021.{{Cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/launch-of-kakao-entertainment-through-strategic-merger-of-kakao-page-and-kakao-m-301213691.html|title=Launch of KAKAO ENTERTAINMENT through strategic merger of Kakao Page and Kakao M|website=KakaoPage Corp.|via=PR Newswire|access-date=May 1, 2021|archive-date=April 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428200842/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/launch-of-kakao-entertainment-through-strategic-merger-of-kakao-page-and-kakao-m-301213691.html|url-status=live}} Under the plans, KakaoPage Corp. is the surviving entity.

The merger was completed on March 1, and Kakao Entertainment was formally founded a day later.

On July 15, it was announced that Kakao Entertainment and Melon Company would be merging, with the merger expected to be complete in September 2021.{{cite web|title=[공식] 카카오엔터, 음악 플랫폼 멜론 품는다..9월 합병|trans-title=[Official] Kakao Entertainment embraces music platform Melon..September merger|url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=076&aid=0003755008|website=Sports Chosun|via=Naver|language=ko|last=Jo|first=Ji-young|date=July 15, 2021|access-date=July 15, 2021|archive-date=July 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715083832/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=076&aid=0003755008|url-status=live}}

On September 17, Kakao Entertainment announced that Play M Entertainment and Cre.ker Entertainment would be merging in the future.{{cite web|title=플레이엠·크래커 엔터 통합…에이핑크·더보이즈 한 식구 된다|trans-title=PlayM and Creker Enter integration… Apink and The Boyz become one family|url=https://entertain.naver.com/now/read?oid=052&aid=0001641655|website=YTN|via=Naver|language=ko|last=Kwak|first=Hyeon-su|date=September 17, 2021|access-date=September 17, 2021|archive-date=February 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225152745/https://entertain.naver.com/now/read?oid=052&aid=0001641655|url-status=live}} On November 12, it was announced that the company's new corporate name would be IST Entertainment, which took effect on November 1.{{cite web|script-title=ko:에이핑크 '플레이엠'·더보이즈 '크래커', IST로 통합|trans-title=Apink's 'PlayM' and The Boyz's 'Cracker' merged into IST|url=https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=003&aid=0010829534|website=Newsis|via=Naver|last=Kim|first=Ye-ji|date=November 12, 2021|access-date=November 12, 2021|language=ko|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112074458/https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=003&aid=0010829534|url-status=live}}

Headed by co-CEO Joy Lee, the Kakao Entertainment's Page Company is in charge of the company's web fiction publishing and web development business. It is situated in Pangyo, Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province.

Headed by co-CEO {{interlanguage link|Stephan Kim|ko|김성수 (기업인)}}, the Kakao Entertainment's M Company is in charge of the company's entertainment and mass media business. Its headquarters is in Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu in Seoul.

• AdPage{{efn|joint venture with Kakao Games}}
• Daon Creative
• KW Books
• Kiwi Vine
• RS Media
• Radish Media
• Samyang C&C
• Soundist Entertainment
• Tapas Media
• Yeondam

• Antenna Music
• EDAM Entertainment
• High Up Entertainment
• Starship Entertainment
• Starship X
• Highline Entertainment

• Awesome ENT
• BH Entertainment
• J.Wide Company
• King Kong by Starship
• Management SOOP
• Ready Entertainment
• VAST Entertainment & Media

• 3Y Corporation
• Baram Pictures
• Dolphiners Films
• GRAYGO
• Maison de Baja
• Kross Pictures
• Logos Film
• Mega Monster
• Moonlight Film
• Sanai Pictures
• Shownote
• Story & Pictures Media
• Studio K11O
• Zip Cinema

• Jungsuck Building (Seoul) - headquarters of the Kakao Entertainment M Company
• The Kakao Entertainment M Company also owns a building at Samseong-dong in Seoul, where the headquarters of IST Entertainment and Flex M are located.

• 1theK{{cite web|url=https://www.1thek.com/english/#section1|title=About Us|website=1theK|publisher=Kakao Entertainment|accessdate=May 12, 2024}}
• 1theK Live
• 1theK Originals
• 1theK Style (coming soon)
• Berriz{{cite news|script-title=ko:카카오엔터테인먼트, 글로벌 K컬처 팬 플랫폼 신규 베리즈 출시|url=https://n.news.naver.com/article/044/0000268061|work=The Korea Herald|via=Naver|last=Kim|first=Jae-heun|date=March 25, 2025|access-date=April 9, 2025|language=ko}}
• KakaoPage
• KakaoPage Indonesia (formerly Neobazar) (Indonesia)
• KakaoTV
• Kakao Webtoon
• Kakao Webtoon (South Korea) (formerly Daum Webtoon){{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kakao-entertainment-sets-global-standard-010000919.html|title=Kakao Entertainment sets a new global standard with the launch of 'KAKAO WEBTOON'|website=PR Newswire|via=Yahoo! Finance|access-date=July 9, 2021|archive-date=June 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213626/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kakao-entertainment-sets-global-standard-010000919.html|url-status=live}}
• Kakao Webtoon (Indonesia)
• Kakao Webtoon (Taiwan)
• Kakao Webtoon (Thailand)
• Melon
• Muse (mobile audition application)
• Radish (US)
• Wuxiaworld (US){{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/biz/asia/kakao-entertainment-buys-wuxiaworld-1235134902/|title=Kakao Entertainment Buys Wuxiaworld Online Fiction Platform|author=Frater, Patrick|website=Variety|publisher=PMC|date=December 16, 2021|accessdate=January 10, 2022|archive-date=January 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111091734/https://variety.com/2021/biz/asia/kakao-entertainment-buys-wuxiaworld-1235134902/|url-status=live}}
• Tapas (US)

• Kakao Entertainment Page Company: Twosun World Building 8/F, 221, Pangyoyeok-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Kakao Entertainment M Company: Jungsuck Building, 17, Teheran-ro 103-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

• Tachiyomi, A free and open-source Manga, Manhwa etc. reader app, was forced to stop development after Kakao Entertainment issued a cease-and-desist letter to the developers.{{cite web | url=https://animecorner.me/tachiyomi-team-stops-app-development-after-cease-and-desist-by-kakao-entertainment/ | title=Tachiyomi Team Stops App Development After Cease and Desist by Kakao Entertainment | date=January 14, 2024 |access-date=April 9, 2025 |last=Lazic |first=Tamara |website=Anime Corner}}

• ReaperScan, A free and fan translated Manhwa and Web Novel site, was forced to shutdown after Kakao Entertainment issued a cease-and-desist letter to the site admin.{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/reaper-scans-shut-down-cease-desist// | title=Major Webtoon Scan Site Shut Down After Cease and Desist | date=May 8, 2025 |access-date=May 9, 2025 |last=Ronning |first=Cassandra |website=Screen Rant}}

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Category:2021 mergers and acquisitions

Category:Mass media companies established in 2021

Category:Entertainment companies of South Korea

Category:Mass media companies of South Korea

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Category:South Korean companies established in 2021

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Category:South Korean record labels

Category:Record label distributors