Second 'Log-off' Strike Scheduled for the 29th: Will KakaoTalk Face Disruptions?

[Anchor]

The Kakao labor union held a partial strike yesterday (June 10), but you likely did not experience any issues using KakaoTalk. The union plans another strike on the 29th, dubbed "Log-off Day." This does not mean they intend to block access to KakaoTalk, but rather that employees will be logging off from their work duties.

Reporter Choi Seung-hoon has the story.

[Reporter]

Kakao union members wearing black t-shirts gathered at Pangyo Station Square to chant slogans.

[Management must step down, step down! Struggle!]

The labor unions of five entities, including Kakao headquarters and Kakao Pay, staged a strike for the first time since the company's founding in 2006.

The partial strike lasted for four hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., excluding lunch hours.

The union stated that approximately 1,500 employees across all entities, including 1,000 from the headquarters, participated in the strike.

The core issue of the labor-management conflict is the performance-based bonus structure.

The union has been demanding a performance bonus of approximately 10 million won, along with an additional 5 million won in Restricted Stock Units (RSU).

On the other hand, the company reportedly proposed a plan to provide the 10 million won bonus inclusive of the RSU, citing significant management burdens.

As this was a partial strike and most service operations are automated, there were no disruptions to major services such as KakaoTalk and Kakao Pay.

The union has announced a second strike on the 29th.

[Seo Seung-wook / Head of Kakao Labor Union Branch: We are preparing for 'Log-off Day' on the 29th. It involves logging off or signing out of the various work tools we currently use.]

The plan is to increase the number of participants compared to this strike by having members use annual leave or time off to step away from their duties.

The company stated that it is continuing dialogue with the union while operating a real-time response system to ensure stable service operations.

While both sides agree on the necessity of maintaining essential personnel, meaning there are no immediate major issues, concerns remain that if the conflict prolongs and leads to a full-scale strike, there could be disruptions to service updates and responses to unexpected situations.

(Reported by Kim Hak-mo | Video by Park Ji-in | Graphics by Kang Yoon-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.