The Kakao branch of the Korean Chemical, Textile & Food Workers' Union has voiced opposition to the ongoing employment adjustment process at XLGAMES, calling on parent companies Kakao and Kakao Games to devise countermeasures.

On the 26th, the Kakao union expressed concern over recurring job insecurity and the push for voluntary retirement at XLGAMES. The union argued that Kakao and Kakao Games, as the de facto employers, must immediately provide responsible solutions.

According to the union, XLGAMES is currently proceeding with voluntary retirement and reassignment processes. With labor-management negotiations having broken down, the union pointed out that the company is unilaterally pushing through restructuring despite the existence of a labor-management agreement centered on job security.

The union criticized the company for shifting the burden of business failures and management decisions onto workers, repeatedly carrying out restructuring under the guise of 'workforce efficiency.

XLGAMES is a subsidiary of Kakao Games and has operated within the business strategy and investment framework of the Kakao community. The union emphasized that Kakao must stop avoiding responsibility and instead develop group-wide measures.

The union explained, "The gaming industry is under pressure to improve management efficiency due to recent poor performance of new titles and rising development costs. Kakao Games is also facing a need for cost-cutting due to intensified competition in the mobile market and declining revenue from its major lineups." It added, "This restructuring at XLGAMES is not unrelated to these changing market conditions."

The union made its position clear: it opposes layoffs and artificial restructuring that shift the responsibility for poor performance onto workers. It emphasized that for the company to pursue a sustainable future, it must first restore trust regarding the job security of its members.

At XLGAMES, a vote in favor of industrial action by union members has passed, and the election of an employee representative is underway. The union characterized the company's move to elect an employee representative as a precursor to layoffs. It stated that if the company proceeds with forced restructuring beyond voluntary retirement, such as actual layoffs, it will respond with all available means, including a strike.

The union argued that the company must face the fact that treating people as costs to be cut will not lead to good games or a sustainable community. It demanded that Kakao and Kakao Games engage in dialogue as the de facto employers and establish fundamental measures to ensure job security.