Kakao (035720) has won a Prime Minister's Award in recognition of its work through "Project Dangol" to strengthen the digital capabilities of small business owners in traditional markets and shopping districts and to help revitalize local commercial areas.
Kakao said on the 13th that it received the award at the 2026 Traditional Market and Shopping District Revitalization Merit Awards ceremony held on the 9th at Art Center Goma in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province.
The awards are presented by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Enterprise and Market Service to markets, merchants, support organizations and groups that have contributed to revitalizing local commercial districts.
Project Dangol is Kakao's flagship shared-growth program, designed to help small business owners use digital services to communicate consistently with customers and grow on their own. Since 2022, the company has run on-site, customized training and marketing support programs together with the Small Enterprise and Market Service, local merchant associations and partner organizations.
As of 2026, merchants in 325 commercial districts across traditional markets and shopping streets nationwide have taken part in digital transformation training, and about 4,000 KakaoTalk channels have been opened. Roughly 1 million customers have registered as channel friends on those channels, giving small business owners a foundation for communicating with customers online.
Last year, the company operated "Dangol Bus," a free shuttle service linking local festivals with commercial districts, running 104 trips in four regions and supporting visits by about 2,400 people to local shopping areas. This year it is running a commercial district digital transformation support program covering 38 traditional markets and local shopping districts nationwide.
The award also recognized "Kakao Class," which the company has run since 2016. Kakao Class is a flagship education program that strengthens the digital capabilities of small business owners and entrepreneurs and supports them in opening online sales channels. It has supported about 7,000 people to date.
This year Kakao launched "Dangol Gage" and "Gotgot," broadening its support toward raising the competitiveness of individual stores and expanding their points of contact with customers. For Dangol Gage, the company selected 12 food and beverage businesses in Gangwon State and is providing customized support covering product planning, branding, online commerce and AI training, and listings on Kakao's Tok Deal and Makers platforms. Through December, it will provide benefits worth up to 100 million won ($70,000) per store, helping local shops strengthen their brands and expand both online and offline sales channels.
The company is also pursuing Gotgot, a shared-growth project connecting local stores with visitors. A magazine introduces the products and spaces of local shops along with the stories of their owners, while walking-route guides using KakaoMap and local docent tours help draw visitors to the stores in person. Kakao published "Magazine Gotgot Gongju" on the 6th and will run "Gotgot Walk," which lets participants experience the shops and local spaces firsthand, in the Jemincheon area of Gongju starting on the 16th.
"This award is an achievement created together with the merchants and local partner organizations that have joined us in trying new approaches on the ground," said Yang Hyun-seo, performance leader for Kakao's shared-growth business. "We will continue our shared-growth activities, using Kakao's technology and services to help small business owners build lasting relationships with customers and enable local communities to grow on their own."