Kakao Wins Prime Minister's Commendation for Dangol Project
Kakao received the award at the 2026 Traditional Market and Shopping District Vitalization Awards on December 9 in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province.
Kakao announced it received a Prime Minister's Commendation for its contributions to traditional market and shopping district digital transformation and local commercial district vitalization, according to digitaltoday.co.kr. The award was presented at the 2026 Traditional Market and Shopping District Vitalization Awards ceremony, held on December 9 at the Art Center Goma in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province.
The company was recognized for supporting the digital transformation of small business owners through its "Project Dangol" program. As of 2026, 325 commercial districts nationwide have participated in digital transformation training, and about 4,000 KakaoTalk channels have been opened, with roughly 1 million customers registered as friends.
This year, Kakao is running a commercial district digital transformation support project for 38 traditional markets and local shopping districts nationwide, newly introducing AI utilization training. The company also newly introduced "Dangol Store" and "Gotgot" this year.
Kakao has operated Project Dangol since 2022, providing digital service training and marketing for traditional markets and shopping districts. Last year, Kakao operated the free shuttle bus "Dangol Bus," which connected local festivals and commercial districts 104 times in 4 regions and supported about 2,400 visits to local commercial districts. Since 2016, Kakao has also operated "Kakao Class," a program supporting digital education and online market development for small business owners and entrepreneurs, with about 7,000 participants so far.
"Dangol Store" supports 12 food and beverage stores in the Gangwon region with product planning, branding, online commerce and AI training, as well as Kakao Talk Deal and Makers onboarding, providing up to 100 million won worth of support per store until December. On December 6, Kakao published "Magazine Gotgot Gongju," and starting on December 16, it will run "Gotgot Walk" in the Jemincheon area of Gongju.
Quick answers
What award did Kakao receive?
Kakao received a Prime Minister's Commendation at the 2026 Traditional Market and Shopping District Vitalization Awards ceremony.
When and where was the award presented?
The award was presented on December 9 at the Art Center Goma in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province.
What is Project Dangol?
Project Dangol is a Kakao program, operated since 2022, that supports digital service training and marketing for traditional markets and shopping districts.