Amid recent social controversies over "star rating terrorism" and "review bullying," Naver will abolish its star rating system early next year. As Naver embarks on a bold attempt to introduce a keyword-centered system instead of the existing star ratings, industry attention is focused on whether the new review system can be successfully established.
Stopping Star Rating Bullying
According to Naver on the 20th, the "Keyword Review" system will be unveiled in the third quarter. The keyword review will be introduced first for restaurant and cafe sectors, with the scope gradually expanding. Unlike the existing star rating method where users leave scores, the keyword review allows users to select keywords that describe the characteristics or strengths of a business. Users can participate in reviews by verifying their visit through the Naver reservation system or the previously introduced "receipt review." They choose from representative keywords specific to each industry, such as "Ingredients are fresh" or "Desserts are delicious." The existing text review and photo review functions will remain unchanged.
In keyword reviews, users can intuitively grasp the strengths and features of a business that were not apparent in star rating-based evaluations. Users can easily explore businesses that match their preferences and purposes. However, negative keywords are not included. A Naver representative explained, "The feature emphasizes the individuality and characteristics of the business," adding, "Detailed reviews can still be left through the existing text review." Naver plans to continuously improve the keywords, currently categorized by food & price, atmosphere, and amenities, through ongoing discussions with business owners.
Naver took this bold step as local small business owners continued to suffer from issues caused by user star ratings. In fact, in May, a restaurant owner on the food delivery app Coupang Eats passed away after suffering from unreasonable demands and malicious reviews from a customer who requested a refund for one shrimp tempura, sparking national outrage. As the social controversy grew, the Korea Communications Commission also announced plans to create guidelines to improve the review system. In the National Assembly, a so-called "Star Rating Terrorism Prohibition Act" was introduced to prevent abuse of star rating and review systems. The amendment to the Electronic Commerce Act, proposed by Justice Party lawmaker Bae Jin-gyo, includes provisions to strengthen platform companies' responsibilities to prevent star rating terrorism and to punish those who write paid false reviews.
Small Business Owners "Expect Improvements"
The keyword review system, proactively introduced by Naver, has so far received positive feedback. Since its pilot launch on the 8th, 300,000 users have conducted keyword reviews for 200,000 businesses within five days. The industry is also expressing anticipation. A member of the small business community "All About Small Business" said, "We have been anxious and stressed due to black consumers, so I am hopeful about the keyword review," adding, "I hope other platforms will also consider this."
However, some voices raise concerns that if the star rating system disappears, only positive reviews might remain. There are also cautious worries that the review system might eventually disappear altogether, similar to the removal of comments on entertainment news. Regarding this, Naver stated that it will gather opinions from both businesses and users. During the design process of the keyword review, feedback was collected from 10,000 business owners and users, and the keywords were also composed through surveys. A Naver representative said, "We will consider the structure and policies of reviews by reflecting the characteristics and difficulties unique to offline local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and users' opinions," adding, "We will introduce new features that provide users with necessary information while capturing the individuality of businesses."
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