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Kakao's labor and management have failed to reach an agreement in wage negotiations during the second mediation, and the union has announced a strike for next month. A mediation meeting held on the 27th at 3 PM at the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission lasted for 8 hours but ultimately did not reach an agreement, resulting in a decision to suspend mediation. Consequently, the Kakao union has secured legal dispute rights, and a vote on whether to strike has already been passed.
The union is demanding more than 10% of operating profit as bonuses, while Kakao management argues that the restricted stock units (RSUs) granted to all employees should be included in the bonuses. Last year, Kakao's labor and management agreed to provide stocks worth 5 million won annually to all regular employees who have worked for one year from the grant date between 2025 and 2026. However, in this negotiation, the union's demand to exclude RSUs from bonuses sharply contrasts with the management's position.
Although the mediation has failed, Kakao management has expressed its intention to continue dialogue with the union. If the Kakao union actually goes on strike, it would be the first time since the company's founding. However, industry insiders report that the likelihood of a service disruption for the messenger service KakaoTalk is low. The messenger service operates on an automated system, so even if a strike occurs, it is unlikely that services will be completely halted.
However, there are concerns that new updates may be delayed. There is also a possibility that Kakao's strike could spread to other affiliates, as five other subsidiaries within the Kakao Group have already voted in favor of a strike. This bonus conflict originated in the semiconductor industry and is now spreading to the platform sector.
As the conflict between the union and management intensifies, attention is drawn to the direction Kakao will take in the future. The issue of Kakao's bonus payments is expected to have significant implications beyond just Kakao itself, affecting the entire platform industry.