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Naver has introduced an AI-powered conversational place search feature to its map service. When users input desired destinations and criteria using natural language, the feature suggests personalized venues and directly connects them to reservations for places supporting Naver Booking.

Naver announced on the 17th that it has launched Place Agent, a specialized AI place discovery service, on the Naver Map app.

Place Agent recommends a variety of venues—including restaurants, cafes, bakeries, hotels, pensions, hair salons, and veterinary clinics—based on conversation context and user location data. Users can access the feature by tapping the agent button located to the right of the search bar in the Naver Map app, or via suggested prompts and the "Ask AI Agent" button displayed in select search results.

A key capability is its ability to process multiple conditions within a single query. For example, if users simultaneously specify location, context, atmosphere, and practical requirements—such as "a quiet cafe in Yeonnam-dong good for reading alone on a rainy day" or "a Korean restaurant in Yongin with ample parking to stop by on the way back from visiting family graves"—the service suggests matching venues accordingly.

Users can also conduct situation-based searches without designating a specific area, such as "a reliable place for a date" or "a spot with easy parking."

Beyond basic details like addresses, business hours, menus, and phone numbers, recommendations integrate Naver Place data, including visitor reviews, blog posts, and reservation availability. Based on these insights, the service provides distinct venue characteristics alongside the rationale behind each recommendation.

The service also supports multi-turn conversations to narrow down results. For instance, after receiving a list of recommended places, asking a follow-up question such as "Which of these is the quietest?" will filter the results based on the new criteria.

Reservation capabilities are integrated into the flow as well. For venues supporting Naver Booking, users can initiate a reservation request by specifying the date, time, and party size, such as "Book for four tomorrow at 12 PM lunch." The reservation is completed once the user reviews the terms and confirms.

Place Agent is available to logged-in users aged 14 and older, and all responses include a notice indicating that the information was generated by AI.

Choi Ji-hoon, head of Naver Place Search, said, "Place Agent combines Naver's rich repository of location data to deliver an optimized experience for the map environment. We will continue refining its features and usability to ensure a seamless journey from place discovery to reservations and real-world visits."

                                                                                                           Son Kang-hoon