Choi In-wook, CEO of Joongonara, announced plans to eliminate direct transactions within Naver cafes to enhance safety in secondhand trading. "We are pushing for a system overhaul using AI to eradicate fraud in secondhand transactions. We have made the decision to unify our safe payment system across apps and websites," he stated.
Meeting in a shared office near Seolleung Station in Gangnam, Choi expressed confidence in the company's direction. Since his appointment in 2024, Joongonara has focused on developing technology and establishing a secure trading system to build customer trust. As a result, the company achieved profitability in the first half of this year, as of August.
Joongonara is prioritizing the establishment of a proactive prevention system to stop fraud before it occurs, rather than relying on post-incident compensation. The company is working on an AI-based fraud pattern detection system that analyzes unusual signs and repetitive behavior patterns throughout the entire transaction process, from product registration to completion.
The compensation system has also been strengthened. Since July, Joongonara has increased the limit of its 'Safe Compensation System' from a maximum of 1 million won to 2 million won. The incidence of fraud in safe payment transactions is extremely low, at just 9 out of 10,000 transactions (0.09%). The proportion of advance payment fraud attempts has decreased by approximately 54% compared to before the app transition in May 2026.
Technological enhancements have also improved transaction convenience. The introduction of an 'AI Image Auto-Inspection' feature allows sellers to input details about exterior scratches, damage, and battery life, which AI analyzes from photos. As a result, products that underwent self-inspection saw nearly double the purchase conversion rate compared to those that did not, significantly reducing cancellation rates.
As platform trust increases, the number of high-value transactions, including bicycles, MacBooks, and luxury watches priced over 4 million won, has more than doubled compared to the previous year. Joongonara plans to gradually introduce specialized services, such as a safe transaction map, customized delivery support, and no-show prevention features, focusing on categories like watches, leisure goods, luxury items, and professional equipment by the end of this year or next year.
Logistics and payment convenience have also seen significant improvements. The app redesign has reduced average settlement time by 35%, and the automatic purchase confirmation period has been shortened from five days to three. Next month, the company will officially launch a 'Doorstep Delivery' service that connects product sales, pickup, delivery, and settlement in one seamless process.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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