The action is the first since the founding of IweLab, Kakao's predecessor, in 2006, the union said. It comes after a second round of mediation at the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission collapsed in late May, granting the union the legal right to strike.
According to the IT industry, labor circles and police, the union will stage a partial strike of about five hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday and rally near Kakao's Pangyo office in Seongnam, south of Seoul.
Members are expected to condemn what they call management failures and demand job security.
With wage and collective-bargaining talks deadlocked, the union is also seeking an overhaul of a compensation system it says rewards executives while leaving rank-and-file pay opaque despite improving earnings.
From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., members will march about 800 meters from the Pangyo office to the U space building, around one kilometer away.
The union initially notified police that some 2,000 members would gather from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but officers estimate about 600 will turn out. Police plan to deploy one company of about 80 officers for traffic safety, anticipating a peaceful march.
The walkout is unlikely to seriously disrupt flagship services such as KakaoTalk, used by about 40 million people monthly, or Kakao Pay, as essential staff remain on duty and core systems are automated. Analysts caution, however, that a prolonged strike could erode the company's ability to respond to sudden outages.
The firm responded that it would keep services running, adding that it would establish the necessary response system.
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