Naver and Kakao, South Korea’s leading internet platforms, experienced major disruptions on the night of December 3 when President Yoon Suk Yeol suddenly declared martial law.
The spike in traffic, particularly on Naver’s news page, overwhelmed the systems, leading to access issues on platforms like Naver Cafe, which handles community discussions. While the problems were resolved by early morning, some features, such as posting and editing comments, were still disrupted until around 1:20 a.m. on December 4.
The surge in user activity was attributed to an unprecedented number of visitors seeking news after the martial law announcement, which triggered the highest-ever traffic levels on Naver’s news platform. A Naver official confirmed that it was not all services that were affected, but the news section saw the most significant strain during the emergency period.
The surge in traffic that overwhelmed Naver and Kakao’s services during the emergency martial law announcement on December 3 raised concerns about the readiness of South Korea’s leading internet platforms in times of crisis.
Naver’s news platform, as well as its community service Naver Cafe, faced disruptions due to the massive influx of users seeking updates. The comment system on Naver News switched to emergency mode for about 20 minutes while Naver Cafe underwent maintenance to address the issue. Despite these problems, media functions, such as publishing and sharing articles, continued without disruption.
Experts have criticized Naver and Kakao for their frequent service malfunctions during emergencies. Wi Jung-hyun, a business administration professor at Chung-Ang University, stated that the two platforms are becoming critical infrastructure for public communication in South Korea. He stated that the platforms should be considered “public goods” due to their role in delivering real-time information. Wi urged Naver and Kakao to invest in stabilizing their systems, as mentioned Google’s ability to handle similar surges without major disruptions as an example for improvement.
In addition to the platform disruptions, South Korea’s business community had to adjust to the unforeseen developments quickly. Major companies, particularly in key areas like Yeouido, immediately moved to protect their employees. IT firms such as Naver, Kakao Games, and Nexon temporarily shifted to remote work, while global companies, including AliExpress Korea, did the same.
At the same time, South Korea’s conglomerates, including Samsung, SK, and LG, held emergency meetings to assess the potential economic fallout of the unexpected martial law declaration, particularly in light of its effects on the financial markets.
The abrupt martial law announcement also caused economic and sectoral disruptions. The won-dollar exchange rate spiked, while the stock prices of major Korean companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange fluctuated. The aviation sector, led by Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, expressed concerns over the potential loss of international confidence in Korea as a stable destination.
Construction firms warned that market uncertainty could lead to slowdowns in real estate sales and delays in overseas project bids. Economic organizations, including the Korea International Trade Association, responded with emergency discussions to assess export risks and to maintain close collaboration with government bodies.
In response to the disruptions caused by the sudden surge in traffic, both Naver and Kakao have made efforts to enhance their server capacity and improve their emergency response systems.
In addition, on the morning of December 4, the company held a meeting with top executives, including CEO Soo Yeon Choi, to assess the situation and discuss preventive measures for future incidents.
While Kakao also faced some access issues on its Daum portal, it claimed that no service errors were identified and assured the public that its emergency response systems, particularly for services like KakaoTalk, were activated swiftly.
Several businesses voiced concerns over Korea’s reputation for stability, with one senior corporate official noting that political disruptions could deter trade and investment. While normal operations have resumed, industries remain cautious, bracing for potential volatility in the coming days.
