Kakao, operator of Korea’s most-used mobile messenger, announced on Thursday its plan to launch a mobile chauffeur service Kakao Driver.

The new smartphone-based service is in line with the company’s efforts to integrate offline services into mobile businesses.
 

Kakao Driver is aimed at “creating a healthy business environment through competition and providing more choices for users,” the company said in a press release.

Kakao had previously denied news reports that it would jump in the chauffeur service market, an apparent move to try to avoid criticism that it would kill small- and medium-sized businesses in the sector.

The company held a meeting with five organizations representing chauffeurs in Seoul and its adjacent cities in the day.

The company vowed that it would further listen to the voices of the drivers and discuss how to establish policies and business models to promote fair competition and benefit the entire market for chauffeur services.

The mobile messenger firm will launch Kakao Drive as early as in the first half next year and unveil more details of the mobile service before the launch, according to a Kakao spokesperson.

By Kim Young-won  (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)