Prosecutors Launch Investigation into Kakao Mobility over Alleged 'Call Blocking' of Rival Taxi Services

Assigned to the Financial Investigation Division 2 of Seoul Nambu District Prosecutors' Office

The prosecution has confirmed that it has launched a full-scale investigation into Kakao Mobility, which is suspected of demanding trade secrets from competing franchise taxi operators and blocking taxi call requests if they refused.

According to the legal community on the 7th, the Financial Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jeong Daegyu) has been assigned the case of Kakao Mobility's violation of the Fair Trade Act and has begun an investigation.

Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Daehyun Kim kdh@

The prosecution's investigation follows the Fair Trade Commission's report on the 2nd that Kakao's actions constitute a violation of the Fair Trade Act and its referral of Kakao Mobility to the prosecution.

Earlier, the Fair Trade Commission found that Kakao Mobility, which started its franchise taxi business in 2019, demanded trade secrets from competing franchise taxi operators and blocked calls if they refused, imposing a fine amounting to 72.4 billion won. The corporation was also referred to the prosecution.

Separately from this case, Kakao Mobility is also under prosecution investigation over allegations of so-called 'call steering' favoritism.

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