[Infostock Daily= Reporter Park Sang-In] NHN CEO Jung Woo-jin apologized for allegations that an in-house venture company copied other startup technologies and provided similar services, saying, "I feel responsible."
CEO Chung, who attended a parliamentary audit held at the National Assembly's Trade, Industry and Energy Small and Medium Venture Business Committee on the afternoon of the 7th, said, "We will renew the organization as much as we can," adding, "We will faithfully conduct an administrative agency investigation."
Controversy flushed as NHN's online caregiver brokerage platform "WeCare" service released last month was found to be similar to the platform service of a startup (HMC Networks), which was released a year earlier.
In particular, NHN employees were found to have interfered with their work by disguising themselves as caregivers and guardians and stealing competitors' know-how in operating services.
Rep. Kim Kyung-man of the Democratic Party of Korea said, "Some employees deceived themselves as graduate students and asked them about their work," adding, "It is too unfair to say that it was an act caused by employee enthusiasm."
However, NHN CEO Jung Woo-jin says he has never ordered or reported such an act.
"In-house ventures are companies with independent management," he said adding, "Detailed work orders are outside the authority." However, he said, "We feel a lot of responsibility for neglecting to manage in-house ventures," adding, "We will also faithfully participate in the investigation of administrative agencies."
Reporter Park Sang-In si2020@infostock.co.kr
