Daum Kakao CEO Lee Sir-goo on Monday bowed before the public and apologized for causing commotion and concern over Kakao Talk’s weak security protections.

He said the newly merged company would prioritize users’ privacy as part of efforts to boost information protection, and that it will no longer accept requests by investigators to monitor its users' messages.

“We deeply apologize for the confusion and our belated security measures,” Lee said in an urgent press conference in Seoul on Monday.

“We sincerely regret not meeting our users’ expectations and not truly understanding them.”

(Yonhap)

He reiterated that the company would strengthen its protection system by adopting a privacy mode on all individual and group chat rooms.

This will enable Kakao messages to be encrypted, and messages will be stored in its servers for only two to three days.

It will also consult closely with external experts in security protection to transparently disclose when warrants have been issued to inspect Kakao Talk messages, beginning this year.

Its decision to strengthen users’ privacy came amid allegations that authorities had been monitoring the mobile messenger in an effort to clamp down on online rumors and slander against the government.

Daum Kakao’s lax security measures led an exodus of users to foreign messengers such as Telegram.

By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldcorp.com)