History - LINE Corporation
- History of each company
2000
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September 2000
NHN Corporation (current NAVER Corporation) established Hangame Japan Corporation
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November 2000
Launched "Hangame," an internet game portal site
2003
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August 2003
Hangame Japan Corporation changed its trade name to NHN Japan Corporation
2007
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November 2007
NHN Japan Corporation established Naver Japan Corporation, operator of the search service "NAVER"
2010
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May 2010
NHN Japan Corporation acquired shares of livedoor Co., Ltd.
2011
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June 2011
Launched "LINE"
In response to the anxious days spent unable to contact family and friends following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the LINE app was launched on June 23, 2011.
It was initially released as a simple service that only allowed sending text.
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October 2011
Launched "LINE STICKERS"
A free call function and emoji/sticker function were added to the LINE app, quickly gaining widespread attention, especially from young people, and the number of users expanded rapidly. The user base also expanded around Southeast Asia, including in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong.
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December 2011
NHN Japan Corporation underwent an absorption-type merger with Naver Japan Corporation
2012
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January 2012
The three companies, NHN Japan Corporation, Naver Japan Corporation, and livedoor Co., Ltd., underwent a business merger
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May 2012
Launched "LINE Official Account"
A service that allows companies to directly send messages to users who have added them as friends.
In addition to continued user growth, efforts toward monetization and platform development were strengthened. -
November 2012
Launched "LINE GAME"
Five titles, including "LINE POP," were released in succession. By March 2013, a total of 100 million downloads had been recorded across the 16 titles released up to that point.
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December 2012
Launched "LINE@"
Launched LINE@, an O2O (Online-to-Offline) service that promotes customer visits to physical stores. Now integrated into LINE Official Account.
2013
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March 2013
Established LINE Plus Corporation, operator of the company’s global businesses
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April 2013
NHN Japan Corporation changed its trade name to LINE Corporation
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April 2013
Launched "LINE Fortune"
Following the exceptional popularity of a fortune telling service originally launched within the LINE app in August 2012, LINE Fortune was released as a standalone application.
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July 2013
Launched "LINE NEWS"
Provided news through the "News Tab" in the LINE app and delivered digest-format updates via the LINE official account of LINE NEWS.
2014
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May 2014
Established LINE Company (Thailand) Limited
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June 2014
Established LINE Taiwan Limited
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September 2014
LINE Plus Corporation became a wholly-owned subsidiary of LINE Corporation
2015
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February 2015
Launched "LINE Part Time Jobs"
A service that provides information about part-time job openings from within the LINE app. It was recognized for its ease of use, thanks to a UI specifically designed for smartphones. Approximately two months after the service's release, the number of registered users reached 2 million.
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April 2015
Launched "LINE GIFT"
A service that allows users to directly purchase and send gifts within the LINE app.
It was introduced on a trial basis through the smartphone e-commerce service "LINE MALL" starting in November 2014. After receiving much positive feedback from users, it was launched as an independent service.
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June 2015
Launched "LINE MUSIC"
A subscription-based on-demand music streaming service.
Within two months of its release, it reached 7.4 million downloads, 1 billion song plays, and 8.6 million user-created playlists.
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August 2015
Launched "LINE Pay" (Taiwan)
Started a mobile payment service in Taiwan.
LINE Pay Taiwan was listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in December 2024.
2016
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January 2016
Launched "LINE Pay" (Thailand)
Launched a mobile payment service in Thailand.
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January 2016
Established PT. LINE PLUS INDONESIA
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March 2016
LINE Pay Thailand partnered with Rabbit, Thailand’s leading offline payment provider, to launch “Rabbit LINE Pay”）
LINE Corporation, through its consolidated subsidiary LINE Biz Plus Limited, which operates LINE Pay Thailand, formed a capital alliance with BSS Holdings Co., Ltd., the provider of Thailand’s Rabbit Card smart card. The service name was subsequently changed from "LINE Pay" to "Rabbit LINE Pay."
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May 2016
Launched "LINE MAN" in Thailand
Launched LINE MAN in Thailand, an on-demand assistant app that supports daily life 24 hours a day.
For the food delivery service, it partnered with Thailand's largest restaurant portal, "Wongnai," making orders possible from over 10,000 stores in the Bangkok metropolitan area. -
June 2016
Launched "LINE Ads Platform" (now "LINE Ads")
Commenced utilization of the programmatic advertising delivery system, along with the full-scale operation of ad distribution within the LINE NEWS service.
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June 2016
Launched the LINE TODAY news service in Taiwan and Thailand
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July 2016
Listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: LN) and First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE: 3938)
Debuted simultaneously on the New York Stock Exchange and the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange approximately five years after the initial release of the LINE app.
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November 2016
Launched "LINE Research Platform" (now "LINE Research")
Began providing a user research platform for survey companies using LINE's smartphone survey panel—one of the largest in Japan.
2019
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April 2019
Launched new "LINE Official Account"
Integrated LINE Official Account, designed for large corporations, and LINE@, made for small and medium-sized businesses/stores, into a single, new platform.
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August 2019
Launched "LINE OpenChat"
Provided as a new feature that expands the group function of the LINE app, allowing users to enjoy conversations and information exchange with other users in a chat room on topics closely related to their interests and daily lives.
2020
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March 2020
Acquired additional shares of Demae-can Co., Ltd. by way of third-party allotment and concluded a capital alliance and partnership
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September 2020
LINE MAN CORPORATION PTE. LTD. completed an absorption-type merger with Wongnai Media Pte. Ltd., the operator of “Wongnai,” Thailand’s restaurant review and discovery platform.
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October 2020
Launched "LINE BK," in Thailand
LINE BK was LINE's first online banking service, established in partnership with KASIKORNBANK, a major bank in Thailand. The number of registered users reached 2 million in four months after the service launch.
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December 2020
Delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange
2021
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March 2021
Launched "LINE Sukimani"
An employment matching service for single-task roles. Launched in response to labor shortages and changes in work styles, including remote work and the expansion of the side job environment.
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April 2021
Launched "LINE Bank" in Taiwan
Started the online banking service LINE Bank in Taiwan.
Initial services included money transfers to friends, time deposits, and installment personal loans.
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June 2021
Launched "LINE Bank by Hana Bank" in Indonesia
Launched LINE Bank in Indonesia. The service combines LINE's technological capabilities with Hana Bank's long-standing financial expertise.
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November 2021
Launched "LINE VOOM"
A video platform within the LINE app for enjoying short videos and other content.
The service name "VOOM" was coined by combining "Video Room,"