Chairman Kim Beom-su of Kakao, best known for the nation’s No. 1 mobile messenger Kakao Talk, has been selected as this year’s winner of Pony Chung Award, the Pony Chung Foundation said Wednesday.

“Kim has been recognized for leading the local online game, portal and mobile application market through his relentless venture spirit and insight,” said Kim Jin-hyun, chairman of the foundation.

The award honors an innovator across industries in memory of the late Hyundai Development Company chairman Chung Se-yung, who is affectionately called “Pony Chung” for his contribution to Hyundai’s first sedan Pony.

Kim, the Kakao chairman, founded NHN in 2000, making the venture firm the nation’s biggest portal service company.

In 2006, he established Kakao whose Kakao Talk has more than 42 million subscribers currently.

By Lee Ji-yoon  (jylee@heraldcorp.com)