Company behind popular messaging app appoints South Korea's youngest CEO

The South Korean company behind popular mobile messenger app Kakao Talk has named a 34-year-old as CEO who will be the country's youngest corporate boss.

Rim Ji Hoon was named CEO of Daum Kakao Corp. on Monday. He will turn 35 next month when the board and shareholders will vote on the decision.

The appointment is a bold move in South Korea where top positions at major companies are usually filled from the ranks of family owners or employees who worked there for decades.

Corporate watchdog CEOScore said Rim will be the youngest CEO among South Korea's top 500 companies.

Daum Kakao said Rim showed his understanding of the mobile market during his leadership at K Cube Ventures, a startup investor founded by Brian Kim, Daum Kakao's largest shareholder.