Japanese online services company DeNA has signed a deal with web portal provider Daum Communications to take the Mobage social gaming platform to South Korea.

The memorandum of understanding will allow Mobage to be offered through Daum’s web portal and mobile apps from the first quarter of 2012. The Mobage Korea service will mainly focus on smartphone users.

Daum has 38 million registered users and runs South Korea’s largest mobile advertising network, which has more than 10 billion page views per month.

Daum will be able to use DeNA’s expertise in platform operations to deliver social games titles on Mobage as well as its own social games. DeNa’s Mobage API will help games developers around the world to benefit from the tie-up as well.

“Through synergies with DeNA and domestic mobile game developers, we plan to build the nation’s top mobile gaming network,” Daum’s new initiative division director said Kyongwan Son said.

“South Korea is an explosive market for smartphones and social mobile games and DeNA is excited to collaborate with Daum to deliver Mobage Korea to South Korean gamers,” DeNA Seoul’s regional head Steven Yang said.