Kakao劳资谈判持续僵持，KakaoBank薪资谈判也进入调解程序

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Kakao Labor Dispute Drags On as Kakao Bank Joins Wage Negotiation Deadlock
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Union plans expanded picketing while Kakao Bank enters mediation process after talks collapse
LEE JAEWOON
Published 2026.07.15 08:26
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Kakao's Ansan data center. (Photo: Kakao)
Labor tensions at Kakao have remained deadlocked for more than a month, with the company's labor union planning a lunchtime picketing campaign on July 21 while management has yet to issue any new response. The situation has drawn additional attention after wage negotiations at KakaoBank Corp. also broke down, raising the possibility that labor disputes could broaden across the Kakao group.
According to Kakao's labor and management representatives on July 13, negotiations are continuing, but the two sides remain far apart and have yet to reach a settlement.
After their initial bargaining failed, Kakao and its labor union—Crew Union, the Kakao chapter of the Korean Chemical, Textile and Food Workers' Union—went through two rounds of mediation by the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission in May without reaching an agreement, allowing the union to secure the legal right to strike.
The union subsequently staged a partial strike on June 10, followed by a full-day walkout dubbed "Logout Day" on June 29. The union said as many as 2,100 employees from five Kakao affiliates participated in the collective actions.
Despite the prolonged dispute, the union is taking a cautious approach toward additional industrial action. "Negotiations are continuing," a union representative told THE ELEC. "We are discussing our next collective action."
On July 21, the union plans to expand its lunchtime picketing campaign, which has previously been conducted mainly by union leadership at Kakao's Pangyo headquarters, to allow voluntary participation by rank-and-file members. It does not currently plan to organize another strike or an external rally.
Kakao Bank Also Enters Labor Mediation
Members of Kakao's labor union, Crew Union, march in front of Kakao's Pangyo headquarters during a partial strike rally on June 10. (Photo: THE ELEC)
The five companies currently participating in the union's collective actions are Kakao Corp., Kakao Pay Corp., Kakao Enterprise Corp., DK Techin Co., Ltd., and XL Games Inc. The disputes largely center on job security and employee compensation.
Meanwhile, KakaoBank is expected to enter formal mediation after its latest wage negotiations with its labor union collapsed.
KakaoBank maintains that it has proposed a meaningful wage increase. The union, however, argues that while the headline increase appears significant, overall compensation still lags behind that offered by other financial institutions.
The KakaoBank union is expected to file for mediation with the regional labor relations commission in the near future. If mediation fails, the union would become legally eligible to strike. Any industrial action would then be decided through a vote of union members.
Asked whether KakaoBank employees could join the broader Kakao labor actions, a Kakao union representative said, "The mediation process must come first. It is too early to discuss participation."
An industry official said the prolonged standoff is increasing fatigue among both employees and shareholders.
"It is unfortunate because this is a time when management and labor should be resolving their differences and accelerating new growth initiatives such as Kanana and other artificial intelligence businesses," the official said.
Kakao shares have declined steadily over the past year. After reaching a high of 69,700 won on Oct. 29, 2025, the stock fell to 32,250 won on June 26, representing a decline of 53.7%.
In a report published on July 10, Samsung Securities analyst Oh Dong-hwan said the ongoing labor dispute has not yet materially disrupted Kakao's operations. However, he noted that the company may ultimately have to raise wages or slow the pace of subsidiary restructuring to reach an agreement with employees. He added that prolonged labor tensions could weaken one of Kakao's key investment themes this year—improving profitability through corporate restructuring.
jwlee@thelec.kr
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