KakaoTalk gains popularity in Russia as Kakao moves to protect its trademark

Monday 10 August 2026 - 13:05

By: Azzat Manal

KakaoTalk gains popularity in Russia as Kakao moves to protect its trademark

South Korean technology company Kakao has begun the process of registering the KakaoTalk trademark in Russia, as the messaging platform gains visibility among Russian users. Documents have reportedly been submitted to the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property, known as Rospatent, where the application is currently being reviewed.

According to South Korean media reports, Kakao launched the trademark registration process in May. The company is seeking protection for the brand across a range of activities, including software, mobile applications, messaging services, social networking and advertising.

Trademark registration procedures in Russia generally take between 12 and 14 months, meaning that the company could have to wait more than a year before the process is completed.

Kakao’s interest in the Russian market comes amid significant changes in the country's messaging landscape. Restrictions affecting major international messaging services such as Telegram and WhatsApp have encouraged some users to explore alternative platforms.

KakaoTalk has emerged as one of the services benefiting from this shift. The application allows users in Russia to create accounts with Russian telephone numbers, while its interface has also become available in Russian.

The number of monthly active KakaoTalk users in Russia has reportedly increased by 82%, surpassing 436,000 users. Although the platform remains far smaller in Russia than the country's most established messaging services, the growth represents a notable increase for a company whose strongest presence has historically been in South Korea.

KakaoTalk is the dominant messaging application in South Korea, where it has developed into a broader digital ecosystem offering communication and other services. Outside its home market, however, the platform has faced difficulties achieving a comparable level of penetration.

Kakao has been seeking to expand internationally, with efforts targeting markets including the United States, Japan and several Southeast Asian countries. Russia could therefore represent another potential market for the company as it attempts to diversify its international user base.

The opportunity may nevertheless prove difficult to sustain. Russian users reportedly began experiencing access problems with KakaoTalk toward the end of July, raising questions about the platform's prospects in the country.

Similar difficulties have reportedly affected BiP, a messaging application developed by Turkish telecommunications company Turkcell.

Kakao has stated that it has not taken measures to restrict access to KakaoTalk for users outside South Korea. Meanwhile, Russia's telecommunications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has not officially announced a nationwide ban on the South Korean messaging service.

The situation leaves Kakao facing an uncertain outlook in Russia. On one hand, the rapid increase in users demonstrates the potential demand for alternative communication platforms. On the other, regulatory developments and possible access restrictions could limit the company's ability to convert this temporary surge in popularity into a long-term presence.

The trademark application nonetheless signals that Kakao is taking the Russian market seriously and may be seeking to secure its intellectual-property rights while assessing the platform's future opportunities there.