Kakao Publishes ESG Report '2021 Kakao's Promise and Responsibility'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Kakao disclosed its second ESG report, "Kakao's Promise and Responsibility 2021," which contains goals and achievements in the areas of Environment, Social, and Governance, on the 16th. The full ESG report and detailed information on Kakao's various ESG activities can be found on Kakao's corporate website, and the ESG report is also available on the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure system.

This ESG report is composed of ▲a greeting and introduction to Kakao ▲Kakao's promises and responsibilities regarding four key focus areas (solving social issues, growing together, digital responsibility, sustainable environment) and special pages related to technological innovation and digital inclusiveness ▲activities in the areas of environment, social, and governance for sustainable management ▲and an appendix containing performance data.

The special pages in this report introduce "Technological Innovation for Growth Together" and "Digital Inclusiveness." It covers Kakao's key technologies and the process and service innovations enabled by them, examples of open innovation for mutual growth, and defines Kakao's unique digital inclusiveness structure and aspirations with various cases. Additionally, it introduces the main utilization plans of the mutual growth fund established together with the community to grow alongside Kakao's partners.

In 2021, Kakao achieved an A grade, one level higher than in 2020, in both the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) and Korea Corporate Governance Service (KCGS) ESG evaluations. Furthermore, Kakao was newly included in the "2021 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI)"?recognized globally for credibility in sustainability evaluation and investment?in the DJSI World Index, DJSI Asia Pacific Index, and DJSI Korea Index.

Hong Euntaek, Head of Kakao ESG, stated, "We will faithfully fulfill Kakao's promise and responsibility to create a better world and strive to grow together with society," adding, "Through this report, we will transparently disclose Kakao's diverse ESG activities and continuously build trust."