By Wonsuh Song
KakaoTalk — South Korea’s most popular messaging app, similar to LINE or WhatsApp — recently rolled out several updates that drew mixed reactions among Korean users. But for those of us living abroad, like myself in Japan, the situation is simpler: we don’t have access to KakaoTalk’s new AI reply features at all. For overseas users, it feels like everyone else is enjoying a new era of smart messaging while we’re left behind.
In Japan, the dominant app is LINE, which already offers an AI-based auto-reply system. It analyzes your chat partner’s message and suggests warm, natural responses such as:
“Thank you as always! Let’s keep growing together^_^”
“I’m so glad to hear that! I really appreciate it^_^”
“Let’s continue supporting each other and grow more! Please reach out anytime^ ^”
You just tap one, and a thoughtful reply is sent instantly. It saves time, yes—but more than that, it softens the tone of daily communication.
I’m a typical “T-type” in MBTI terms—logical, solution-driven. So when someone shares a worry, I tend to give advice rather than comfort. But LINE’s AI replies remind me that sometimes the right words are not solutions, but warmth.
Some may ask whether AI replies are genuine. My answer: communication is about kindness before honesty. Even the truest words can wound if they lack empathy. AI helps us avoid that, acting as a gentle buffer between thought and speech.
In the near future, I believe messaging AI won’t just be about convenience—it will become a technology of emotional intelligence.
I hope KakaoTalk brings this to overseas users soon. Because the best kind of innovation isn’t about faster texts—it’s about kinder ones.
Wonsuh Song (Ph.D.)
Full-time Lecturer, Shumei University / NKNGO Forum Representative
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