Naver, one of South Korea’s leading tech companies, has received its first corrective order from the government for inadequate measures to prevent service disruptions. This follows a similar action taken against Kakao and stems from a follow-up inspection under the revised Basic Act on the Development of Broadcasting and Communications, often referred to as the “Kakao Talk Communication Prevention Act,” which occurred in July last year.
The Ministry of Science and ICT issued the corrective order to Naver on August 19th, citing deficiencies in its disaster communication management plan. This action was revealed through materials submitted by the Ministry to Representative Kim Jang-kyum, a National Assembly’s Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee member.
Previously limited to key telecommunications companies, the law now includes platforms with over 10 million users or those handling more than 2% of internet traffic, such as Naver and Kakao. This regulatory expansion aims to minimize service outages and improve disaster management across larger platforms.
The Ministry’s inspection of Naver on June 11th revealed gaps in its communication disaster management plan. While Naver had a system in place—the Task Tracking System (TTS)—to log and approve work plans, the Ministry lacked sufficient system-wide controls to prevent human errors.
Specifically, the Ministry highlighted the need for an automated work management system that would ensure only approved personnel could execute tasks within authorized work hours, thus reducing the risk of service disruptions caused by employee mistakes.
As a result, the Ministry issued its first corrective order to Naver on August 19th, calling for the company to address these shortcomings. Naver was instructed to enhance its task management system and to report back once these improvements were implemented. The Ministry emphasized that a more automated and controlled system is necessary to safeguard against potential outages, especially as digital services become increasingly critical.
In response, Naver acknowledged the inspection as part of the government’s extended oversight following the legal revision and agreed to address the issue. The company stated it is currently strengthening its systems and plans to introduce a fully automated work management control system by the end of the year, as outlined in a corrective plan submitted to the Ministry. This system will restrict task execution to designated personnel and work hours, further minimizing risks associated with operational missteps.
This system aims to enhance task oversight by ensuring that only authorized personnel can carry out designated tasks during authorized hours. By implementing these changes, Naver intends to minimize human errors and improve its disaster management framework, aligning with government requirements.
As user reliance on platforms like Naver and Kakao continues to grow, both companies are under pressure to enhance their operational resilience and safeguard against service disruptions. Successfully implementing these corrective measures is crucial for restoring user confidence and meeting regulatory standards in the increasingly competitive digital landscape.
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