Kakao and Naver unions demand expanded collective bargaining

Labor unions at major South Korean IT platforms Kakao and Naver are pushing for expanded collective bargaining structures to address decision-making power held by their respective parent companies.

Kakao's labor union has announced its opposition to the company's planned spin-off, which aims to divide the entity into KakaoAI (focusing on KakaoTalk and AI) and KakaoX (handling mobility and investments) by January 1, 2027. The union held a rally to protest the plan, citing concerns over job security and a lack of prior consultation. They intend to campaign to shareholders and the National Pension Service to reject the proposal at the December 2026 general shareholders' meeting.

Similarly, the Naver labor union has formally requested integrated bargaining for 16 of its subsidiaries. The union argues that while individual subsidiaries hold legal status, the headquarters maintains practical decision-making authority, leading to disparities in treatment across the group. While the two unions differ in their specific tactical approaches—Naver seeking a single window for common issues and Kakao seeking joint negotiations for specific demands—both aim to hold the parent companies directly accountable for group-wide labor conditions.