Logos of Naver's Line mobile messenger app, left, and Kakao's KakaoTalk / Courtesy of each company

Naver, Tmap Mobility capitalize on disruption in rival's services

By Park Jae-hyuk

The longest-ever malfunction of Korea's most popular mobile messenger app, KakaoTalk, and its related services prompted users to rethink their heavy reliance on the tech firm.

After a fire on Saturday damaged Kakao's main data center at SK C&C's building in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Korean users have begun looking for alternatives to Kakao's services, as the disruption has not only caused inconvenience to consumers, but also inflicted financial losses on various businesses.

Among the major victims of the fiasco were taxi drivers affiliated with Kakao, as they are only allowed to be called via Kakao Mobility's KakaoT. They are said to have suffered huge losses, because the disruption occurred during peak hours.