Kakao announced on August 6 that it has been selected as the executing contractor for the 'AI Agent Marketplace Development Support Project,' overseen by the Ministry of Science and ICT and managed by the National Information Society Agency (NIA).
The AI Agent Marketplace will serve as a platform where users can search for and utilize AI agent services and tools in one location.
Kakao, in partnership with Kakao Enterprise, aims to establish a privately-led open ecosystem by December 2027. The project is expected to be funded with approximately 11 billion won, combining government contributions and private investments.
The Kakao consortium plans to create an AI agent ecosystem that offers the entire process from agent registration and verification to exploration, combination, execution, and settlement on a single platform. The first phase is targeted for launch within this year, with a second phase, including an agent studio, planned for 2027.
The marketplace will be designed with an open structure that is not dependent on specific clouds or AI models. It will integrate various domestic and international AI models, including Kakao's own AI model, 'Kanana,' and support seamless connections between tools through external APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and MCPs (Model Context Protocols).
To ensure reliability, all registered AI tools will undergo multiple verification processes, including security reviews, sandbox testing, and hallucination control, before being published. A continuous re-verification system will also be implemented during the operational phase.
For the construction of this marketplace, the Kakao consortium plans to leverage its technical capabilities. Kakao currently operates the open platform 'PlayMCP,' which hosts over 400 MCP servers, and the AI agent development tool 'AI Agent Builder.' Additionally, it offers a pilot service called 'AI National Secretary' in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
Kakao Enterprise will participate by contributing its operational experience in marketplace entry, verification, and settlement, along with its cloud infrastructure and security capabilities.
Furthermore, support programs will be implemented to enhance the ecosystem. Initiatives such as the AI Agent Challenge and hackathons will be conducted to discover outstanding agents and create a virtuous cycle of growth through their entry into the marketplace.
Kim Se-woong, leader of Kakao's AI Synergy Performance, stated, "We are at an inflection point where the demand and supply of AI agents are simultaneously opening up. Based on Kakao's AI technology and platform operation experience, we aim to establish a standard for a trustworthy AI agent ecosystem that developers and companies can rely on, and operate it as a sustainable marketplace."
In July 2025, Kakao introduced PlayMCP to discover and support various tools for AI agents and facilitate developers' experiments. This open platform allows anyone with a Kakao account to register and test MCP servers, providing an environment for developers both inside and outside Kakao to plan and validate agent-based AI services. Kakao aims to expand connections between AI and various external services, broadening the foundation of the agent-based AI ecosystem.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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