Seoul: Leading online lender Kakao Bank announced its highest-ever earnings for the first half of 2025, attributing the growth to an increase in non-interest income. The bank reported a net profit increase of 14 percent from the previous year, reaching 263.7 billion won (US$190.03 million) for the January to June period, as stated in a regulatory filing. This figure represents the highest net profit Kakao Bank has achieved for a six-month period.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kakao Bank's operating profit also saw a rise, climbing 11 percent year-on-year to a record 353.2 billion won during the same timeframe. In the second quarter alone, the bank's net profit grew by 5.1 percent year-on-year to 126.3 billion won, while operating profit increased by 0.2 percent to 170.1 billion won.
The company pointed to a substantial rise in non-interest income, which surged 30.4 percent year-on-year to 562.6 billion won, as a key factor in its earnings growth. However, interest income saw a slight decline of 2 percent to 999.9 billion won, attributed to the ongoing monetary easing cycle.
A company official commented, "Continuous customer inflow and increased traffic led to balanced growth." As of the end of June, Kakao Bank's customer base expanded to 25.86 million, up from 25.45 million three months earlier, with monthly active users reaching 19.9 million.