This study examined how a group of Korean international students enrolled in a writing class in a United States business programme navigated their literacy practices through the use of KakaoTalk, a social networking application for smartphones. On the basis of 29 student interviews and a detailed narrative of one focal student's activities in KakaoTalk group sessions, the study aimed to elucidate the less studied feature of literacy studies: the social networking methods that students mobilise to make meaning of their school literacy activities collaboratively and individually. The study findings suggest that students' identities and literacy performances shape one another through the intersection of local and global forces. Theories of identity and the Korean concept of "in-maek" offer important insights into the dynamic interchange of students' social and literacy practices and identities. This study provides insights into the influence of such identity work on students' academic experiences and the development of a curriculum for a business programme writing class.