[Alpha Biz= Kim YoungTaek] Kakao Mobility executives have denied all allegations in court that they abused their dominant position in the taxi-hailing market to hinder competitors’ business operations.

On March 27, Judge Nam Min-young of the Seoul Southern District Court held the first hearing for Kakao Mobility and its executives—including CEO Ryu Geung-seon, Vice President Ahn Gyu-jin, and Business Division Head Shin Dong-hoon—who have been indicted on charges of violating the Fair Trade Act.

Prosecutors argued that Kakao Mobility leveraged its approximately 96% market share to coerce rival operators into unfavorable partnership agreements. According to the prosecution, between February 2021 and December 2023, the company pressured competitors such as Tada, Macaron Taxi, and UT to choose between fee-based contracts or data-sharing arrangements.

The prosecution further alleged that Kakao Mobility restricted market competition by blocking ride-hailing requests for drivers affiliated with companies that refused to enter into such partnerships. As a result, affected drivers reportedly suffered average monthly income losses of approximately KRW 1.01 million.

In response, Kakao Mobility’s legal team stated that it “fully denies all charges presented by the prosecution.” The defense plans to present detailed legal arguments in a forthcoming hearing through a formal presentation.

Separately, allegations of preferential “call allocation” practices—previously referred to prosecutors by the Fair Trade Commission—were dismissed during the investigation phase. The next hearing is scheduled for June 9 at 3:00 p.m.

 

 

 

[ⓒ 알파경제. 무단전재-재배포 금지]