'Umamusume Controversy' Grows... Kyohei Cho, CEO of KAKGAM, Issues Second Apology

End-of-the-Rope Meeting Ends in One Day
"Inadequate Expression" Apology Issued
Atmosphere Turns Cold Amid Compensation Talks

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Jo Gye-hyun, CEO of Kakao Games, bowed his head once again after two weeks. Despite an 8-hour "final meeting" held between the management team and users regarding the controversy over the operation of "Uma Musume Pretty Derby," the controversy has not subsided.

According to Kakao Games on the 19th, CEO Jo issued a second apology on the official cafe around 9 p.m. the previous day. This was just one day after the "final meeting" that lasted over 8 hours between the Uma Musume management team and users on the 17th. CEO Jo said, "On behalf of the company, I sincerely apologize for the inadequacies in the meeting," and added, "I also apologize for our immature expressions during the meeting."

He continued, "We will explain the promised improvements from the meeting in a detailed and transparent manner," and "We will do our best to meet the expectations of the users and to build trust step by step."

The core issue at the meeting on the 17th was the matter of "compensation," which led to CEO Jo's second apology. Users demanded monetary compensation, but Kakao Games stated that compensation was difficult, and the two sides failed to narrow the gap. The meeting was attended by seven user representatives, five Kakao Games executives, and one legal expert. It was broadcast live on YouTube, with nearly 30,000 viewers watching in real time.

The atmosphere at the beginning of the meeting was not bad. When users criticized the lack of prompt explanations regarding the operational controversy, the management team explained that consultation with the developer was necessary and disclosed a letter from the developer Cygames related to this. Kakao Games promised to establish a "pre-action post-report" process for urgent and rapid communication in the future, and the users responded positively.

However, the atmosphere quickly turned cold when discussing compensation for user damages caused by the "server maintenance before the event ended." Users claimed that Kakao Games started server maintenance three hours before the event ended, causing damage, and demanded specific compensation plans. The management team responded, "It was an individual customer's choice, and we do not consider it damage," which escalated the controversy.

Later, Business Director Lee Si-woo tried to calm the situation by saying, "We will prepare relief measures through discussions with Cygames, but if difficult, we will find solutions outside the game," but public opinion cooled sharply. Users stated that if Kakao Games does not prepare appropriate compensation, they are willing to take legal action. According to the users leading the lawsuit, 1,248 people have expressed their intention to sue, and refund requests have exceeded 1.7 billion KRW.

Kakao Games is facing its greatest crisis due to the Uma Musume controversy. Uma Musume once ranked first in sales on domestic application (app) markets, but within a month of the controversy, sales have sharply declined, and it has now fallen outside the top 10.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.