KAKAO TO ASSIST SMALL BUSINESSES

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Internet giant Kakao Corporation has announced a set of measures to assist small businesses amid growing public scrutiny over its expanding empire. It will scrap some projects criticized for dealing a blow to neighborhood stores and also create a fund to support small scale merchants.

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Kakao Taxi has been the center of controversy over plans to raise charges which led to a monopoly dispute. The latest measures announced are focused on Kakao’s mobility business. The planned hike of taxi call fees is scrapped while the monthly payment scheme that provides a range of benefits to Kakao T drivers will be lowered. Commission for designated driving will also be adjusted while the firm will pull out entirely from select areas including intermediary services for delivery. Kakao will also consider withdrawing other businesses that are under fire for undermining mom and pop neighborhood stores.

[Soundbite] Kim Yo-han(Kakao Public Relations) : "Kakao and all its affiliates will establish a growth model that combines social responsibilities. A concrete plan will be drafted soon for implementation."

It also laid out plans to create a 300 billion won fund to assist small business owners. K Cube Holdings, a private firm owned by Kakao Chairman Kim Beom-su and currently under probe by financial authorities, will become a social enterprise. Kim said the recent criticisms are calls of concern raised by society and it’s time to make fundamental changes. But some critics say unless the company changes its monopolistic profit model of raising fees after market domination, disputes will be repeated.

[Soundbite] Wi Jong-hyun(Prof., Chung-Ang Univ.) : "How different will it be from the past 10 years? What I think lacked in the announcement is a different way of thinking in terms of coexisting with small and mid-sized platforms and ways of uplifting those players."

Kakao’s so-called “coexistence” plan is a response to souring public sentiment. How the measures will be implemented remains to be seen.