CLOVA CareCall Adopted in Izumo, Japan—A Super-Aged City Korean AI Technology Tackles Japan’s Aging Population
CLOVA CareCall Adopted in Izumo, Japan—A Super-Aged City Korean AI Technology Tackles Japan’s Aging Population
CLOVA CareCall Adopted in Izumo, Japan—A Super-Aged City
Korean AI Technology Tackles Japan’s Aging Population
- NAVER Cloud introduces AI-based check-in call service “CLOVA CareCall” in Izumo, Japan, with full-scale launch expected in the first half of next year
- Marking 60 years of Korea–Japan relations, the partnership aims to address the aging population issue through AI technology
- AI must evolve into a practical tool for solving societal issues—NAVER is ready to lead this change
June 23, 2025
[Photo] NAVER Cloud signs an MOU with Izumo City on adopting CLOVA CareCall.
(From left: NAVER Cloud CEO Kim Yu-won, Izumo Mayor Toshiyuki Iitsuka, and Eiji Watanabe, President of Izumo City Social Welfare Council)
NAVER Cloud (CEO Kim Yu-won) announced on June 23 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Izumo City in Shimane Prefecture, Japan, to introduce its AI-based check-in call service, CLOVA CareCall. This collaboration aims to address the growing care gap in Japan’s super-aged communities and also carries a symbolic significance as a joint effort between Korea and Japan to solve social challenges through AI technology, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
In Izumo, where nearly 30% of the population is 65 or older, the shortage of caregiving staff has become increasingly severe. The city has actively explored welfare innovations integrating advanced technology to address this. Through this partnership, Izumo City plans to implement a sustainable and efficient care system using NAVER Cloud’s AI technology and operational experience.
CLOVA CareCall is an AI-driven check-in call service designed for elderly individuals living alone and middle-aged single-person households in need of care. Over half of Korea’s local governments have already adopted the service, earning high response and satisfaction rates. With its natural and personalized conversational AI, the service encourages emotional engagement. It can detect signs of crisis during calls and immediately connects the caller to local welfare agencies or medical institutions, enabling a rapid response to emergency situations.
In March this year, CLOVA CareCall gained further recognition by advancing to the finals and ranking in the top five finalists—among hundreds of entries submitted nationwide—at Japan’s Digi-den Koshien, an innovation competition hosted by the Cabinet Secretariat, which is Japan’s equivalent of Korea’s Presidential Office. This marked the first time a Korean company had achieved such a result.
After beginning discussions last October, both parties tested the service in selected areas of Izumo and observed highly positive results in both service effectiveness and user feedback. Based on this success, they decided to implement the service fully. Over the next six months, they will work to enhance the system and expand it citywide by the first half of next year.
“We proposed the CLOVA CareCall service to Japan—launched in Korea in 2021 to address the country’s super-aging population—as part of a joint effort to find shared solutions to common societal issues,” said Chae Seon-ju, Head of Strategic Business Division at NAVER. “In particular, this partnership, timed with the 60th anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic ties, is expected to become a practical model for digital welfare cooperation between the two countries.”
Chae added, “AI must now transcend technological competition and evolve into a practical means of solving social issues. NAVER is committed to fulfilling its role as a responsible partner in this mission.”
NAVER Cloud will also showcase CLOVA CareCall at the EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, scheduled in Osaka from July 9 to 11. (/End)
