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Kakao's labor union, management strike wage deal

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By Yonhap
  • Published Aug 7, 2026 5:33 pm KST
Kakao's headquarters can be seen in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, June 29. Yonhap

Kakao's headquarters can be seen in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, June 29. Yonhap

Unionized workers at the country's top messenger operator and its management reached a final wage deal Friday after a three-month dispute.

The workers voted for the deal which includes a 6.3 percent rise in annual pay in addition to a 3 million-won ($2,100) special bonus, according to the union.

Wage talks between Kakao's labor union and management have been at a standstill since May, after the two sides failed to narrow differences in performance-based incentives.

On June 10, workers staged their first-ever strike. Some 1,500 union members walked out from their jobs for four hours and rallied near the company's headquarters in Pangyo, south of Seoul.