Naver shifts to AI shopping. Changes for sellers in 2026

In late February 2026, Naver launched the beta version of its ‘Shopping AI Agent 1.0’ within the Naver Plus Store app. South Korea’s largest online platform is radically changing its approach to personalisation, shifting from an economy of choice to an economy of recommendations. Instead of the usual catalogue with filters, users will be assisted by an AI assistant, according to experts at Halla Systems dropshipping. It will engage in dialogue, suggest options, compare products and offer solutions.

Outside Korea, Naver is often perceived as a ‘local Google’, but in reality the platform has long since gone beyond the scope of a search engine. Today, it is a fully-fledged digital infrastructure within which consumer behaviour is shaped, traffic is distributed and purchasing decisions are made.

What has changed and what will change in 2026 for those doing business in South Korea or planning to enter this vast market? Halla Systems dropshipping highlights the key point: simply optimising your website is no longer enough to promote your business. Even for small businesses, it is vital to have a presence on Naver. AI generates a shortlist, and if your product isn’t on it, users won’t find out about it.

The difference between Naver AI and Google AI

Halla Systems describes the difference between Naver AI and Google AI. And it is quite significant in terms of search approaches, agent integration, the rules of the platforms themselves, and user mindset.

Naver is a closed ecosystem: search, shop, payment, reviews, blogs, maps. The AI agent operates and learns from data within this ecosystem: prices, delivery terms, product attributes and user preferences. For sellers, this means that either you are fully integrated within Naver, or you do not exist. Google is also introducing AI assistance today, but, as before, it directs users to external websites.

Smart Store + AI Naver is a platform where sales actually take place. Google does not sell products directly. Naver has 600,000 sellers on its platform, and the AI agent recommends a specific product with its price, rating and a ‘buy’ button.

Google operates on an open network. Naver’s AI collects user data within Naver from blogs and forums, i.e. from people living in the country. And the way a business is presented within the platform directly influences sales.

Firstly: the product listing is now the be-all and end-all

The completeness and content of the product listing have become a critically important part of Naver promotion, according to experts at Halla Systems. When AI selects a product on behalf of the buyer, it does not analyse the ‘page as a whole’, but focuses on specific details: material, dimensions, compatibility and delivery terms. If this data is missing or poorly structured, the product simply won’t appear in the recommendations. Even if it is cheaper or better.

Previously, the buyer could find the necessary information themselves by scrolling through the page. Now, AI takes over this stage, and it works only with what is available to it.

Second: reviews are part of the algorithm

The Shopping AI Agent reads reviews, summarises them, and uses them as a basis for recommendations.

Experts at Halla Systems note that negative reviews now directly influence whether the AI will suggest your product or prefer a competitor’s. Naver uses a system of verified reviews: only genuine customers and users who have made a booking can leave a review.

Thirdly: presence across the entire ecosystem

Smart Store is a starting point, but it’s not enough. AI gathers data from blogs, Naver Place, video content and user discussions. Essentially, a ‘digital profile’ is created. And the more comprehensive it is, the higher the chance of appearing in AI search results. If your shop exists in only one place, it will rank lower in the search results.

Fourth: the language of search is changing

Users have become accustomed to interacting with the neural networks available to them. Search queries and their phrasing have changed; they have become longer and more specific. According to analysts, long queries (more than 15 characters) have doubled since the launch of AI. And if advertising campaigns in Naver Ads are set up for short, general keywords from 2024, the budget is being spent inefficiently.

Fifth: AI does not take away traffic, but changes its structure.

Despite a fourfold increase in ChatGPT users in Korea (to 14.5 million in February 2026), Naver’s share of search traffic has not fallen, but risen. Analysts attribute this to the ‘cross-user effect’: people use ChatGPT to generate ideas and general queries, and then come to Naver to verify, compare and make purchases. AI has become the top of the funnel, whilst Naver remains the conversion stage, according to experts at Halla Systems. For sellers, this means that a presence on Naver does not compete with global AI — it complements it.

What’s next?

To summarise, the managers at Halla Systems would like to highlight that the Shopping AI Agent:

generates a shortlist of products automatically
synthesises reviews and product specifications
provides the user with a ready-made solution rather than just a list

The technology is not yet perfect and is still undergoing testing. In the summer of 2026, Naver plans to launch AI Tab - a unified conversational interface combining search, maps, shopping and payment. At the same time, vertical AI agents for finance, health and travel will be introduced. This will be followed by AI platforms for sellers and advertisers.

Naver’s transformation is not a local phenomenon, but a trend. Google has introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol in partnership with Walmart, Target and Shopify. OpenAI has integrated the Instant Checkout feature into ChatGPT. Amazon users who interact with the AI assistant Rufus are 60% more likely to complete a purchase. Kakao, Naver’s main competitor in Korea, is launching the AI agent Kanana. And the question is no longer whether AI will influence e-commerce, but how quickly one can learn to work with it ahead of others.

Halla Systems has been operating in the South Korean market for many years; with our in-depth knowledge of the intricacies and nuances of the business environment, we recommend starting optimisation today and staying one step ahead.