By Yoo Na-hyunPosted : June 10, 2026, 16:59Updated : June 10, 2026, 16:59
Unionized workers at mobile messaging giant Kakao hold a rally in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province on June 10, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - Unionized workers at mobile messaging giant Kakao staged a rally on Wednesday, their first-ever strike since the company's founding in 2006.
They gathered in front of their office in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province at around 10 a.m. before marching for about an hour in a partial strike, chanting slogans demanding job security and management's resignation.
They claimed about 1,000 Kakao employees as well as 1,500 workers across its affiliated companies participated in the strike.
The strike came amid disputes over bonuses and compensation, but also appears partly fueled by comparisons with Samsung, whose workers secured hefty pay increases and benefits in recent labor negotiations after the semiconductor giant posted massive revenues from an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven chip boom.
Unionized workers at mobile messaging giant Kakao hold a rally in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province on June 10, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Unionized workers at mobile messaging giant Kakao march during a rally in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province on June 10, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Unionized workers at mobile messaging giant Kakao march during a rally in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province on June 10, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Unionized workers at mobile messaging giant Kakao hold a rally in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province on June 10, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun