[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyun-ah] #The Kakao Compliance and Trust Committee (KCTC), an independent body overseeing Kakao’s compliance and trust management, discussed plans to enhance its compliance management system and strengthen AI governance with major affiliates.

The Committee announced on the 9th that it held the “2026 Compliance and Trust Management Workshop” on the 8th at the Pangyo Ajit in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, with approximately 30 representatives from affiliated companies—including Kakao, Kakao Mobility, Kakao Bank, Kakao Entertainment, and Kakao Pay—in attendance.

During the workshop, the committee shared the results of the compliance system evaluation, which has been in effect since last year, and conducted a thorough review of compliance strategies to address changes in the technological environment.

Through evaluations conducted in the second half of 2025 and the first half of 2026, the Compliance Committee comprehensively reviewed the level of compliance engagement by the Board of Directors and management, the current status of compliance organization operations, and the advancement of group-wide compliance systems. Based on the evaluation results, it also presented customized improvement tasks for each affiliate.

In particular, corporate responsible management and the establishment of governance in response to the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) were addressed as key agenda items. Ma Kyung-tae, an attorney at Kim & Chang, delivered a lecture on “Key Issues Arising from the Enforcement of the Framework Act on Artificial Intelligence and Corporate Response Strategies,” and attendees discussed ethical standards in the process of utilizing AI and measures to establish internal control systems.

Kim So-young, Chair of the Compliance Committee, stated, “Through this second compliance system evaluation, we were able to confirm an improved level of compliance management compared to last year,” adding, “We will further strengthen the technical ethics and responsible management systems required in the AI era to support the restoration of trust in the Kakao Group.”

Meanwhile, as Kakao moves to strengthen its compliance management, labor-management conflicts persist. The Kakao branch of the National Union of Chemical, Textile, and Food Industry Workers has announced a four-hour partial strike tomorrow (the 10th) from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. This marks the first strike since Kakao’s founding, with the union demanding job security guarantees, a halt to restructuring, and improvements to the management-centric compensation system.

As Kakao accelerates efforts to strengthen its compliance and trust-based management systems internally, stabilizing labor-management relations and restoring organizational trust are expected to be key variables in future management.