Kakao received a prime minister commendation for contributing to the digital transformation of traditional markets and shopping districts and for helping revitalise local commercial areas.

Kakao said on Sunday it won the award at an awards ceremony for contributions to revitalising traditional markets and shopping districts held on Oct. 9 at Art Center Goma in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province.

The award is presented by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Market Development and Promotion Agency to markets and merchants as well as supporting institutions and groups, after evaluating their contributions to revitalising local commercial districts.

Kakao was recognised for supporting small merchants' digital transformation through Project Dangol, which it has run since 2022. Project Dangol provides training on using digital services and offers marketing support for traditional markets and shopping districts.

As of 2026, 325 commercial districts nationwide have taken part in digital transformation training and about 4,000 KakaoTalk channels have been opened. About 1 million customers registered as friends of those channels.

Last year, it ran a free shuttle bus called the Dangol Bus, which links local festivals with commercial districts, 104 times in 4 regions, supporting about 2,400 visits to local commercial areas.

This year, it is running a digital transformation support project for 38 traditional markets and local shopping districts nationwide. It also newly introduced AI-use training into the course.

Kakao Class, which it has operated since 2016, was also included in the achievements cited for the commendation. Kakao Class supports digital training and helps small merchants and start-up founders develop online sales channels, with about 7,000 participants so far.

Kakao also newly introduced Dangol Stores, which targets individual shops, and Gokgok, which aims to encourage visits to local commercial districts.

Dangol Stores supports 12 food and beverage shops in Gangwon Province with product planning, branding, training in online commerce and AI use, and onboarding to Kakao Talk Deal and Makers. It plans to provide support worth up to 100 million won per store through December.

Gokgok is a project that introduces local shops' products and spaces, and operators' stories, through a magazine, and links walking routes using Kakao Map with local docent tours. Kakao published Magazine Gokgok Gongju on Oct. 6 and will run Gokgok Walk from Oct. 16 in the Jeminchon area of Gongju.

Yang Hyun-seo (양현서), performance leader for Kakao's win-win cooperation projects, said the award was an achievement created together with merchants and local partner organisations that have pursued new attempts on the ground. He said Kakao would continue to use its technology and services to support the growth of small merchants and local commercial districts.