Due to strict restrictions on the use of Telegram in Russia, many users have begun turning to the South Korean messaging app KakaoTalk. The app has unexpectedly become the leader in terms of downloads in the Russian versions of the App Store and Google Play, according to Glavkom, citing The Moscow Times.
KakaoTalk rose to second place among the most popular apps in the “Social Networking” category in the Russian App Store, trailing only the Max messenger. On RuStore, the app was downloaded about 10,000 times.
As of March 24, 2026, the situation regarding access to Telegram in Russia has worsened. Roskomnadzor has blocked most proxy servers and popular VPN services. Against this backdrop, interest has grown in KakaoTalk, a messenger that was previously popular mainly in South Korea.
Features of KakaoTalk
The KakaoTalk interface is available in Russian, allowing users to navigate it without knowing Korean. However, some elements remain in English, and certain parts of the interface have not yet been fully localized.
Launched in 2010, KakaoTalk became popular in South Korea, where it is used by over 90% of smartphone owners. According to the developers, the total number of app downloads worldwide exceeds 150 million.
The messenger offers standard features:
- text messaging,
- sending images and stickers,
- group chats,
- channels,
- voice and video calls.
It is worth noting that Russian occupation authorities have begun a large-scale blocking of Telegram in the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine, specifically in the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.
