Kakao subsidiary Linkage Lab has released a white paper, LinkyWay, documenting a decade of outcomes in hiring people with disabilities. Observers say the report is significant because it frames the initiative as a sustainable business model rather than merely a legal obligation.
Linkage Lab said on April 17 that it published LinkyWay to mark its 10th anniversary and to share the results and operational experience of building an employment model for people with disabilities.
Established by Kakao in 2016 as a subsidiary-style standard workplace for people with disabilities, Linkage Lab has pursued job creation and skills development to support economic independence and broaden employment opportunities.
As of February, roughly 65% of the company's employees were people with disabilities, and 72% of those employees are classified as having severe disabilities.
The white paper focuses on a professional, job-based employment model that companies can use to translate disability hiring into competitive advantage. It systematizes the entire process—from job development to training, operations, and performance—and provides practical guidance that can be applied in real corporate settings.
Linkage Lab has moved beyond welfare-centered roles like in-house café staff and healthkeepers (massage therapists) and expanded into IT fields that demand specialized skills, including AI quality operations, design, and digital accessibility.
The IT Service Operations Center grew from 16 staff at its founding in 2016 to 84 last year, roughly a fivefold increase.
The white paper also outlines an operational model that combines the subsidiary-style standard workplace approach with IT roles and in-house welfare functions. It describes how Linkage Lab selected talent based on job fit rather than disability type and expanded employment through structured job development.
Park Dae-young, CEO of Linkage Lab, said, \"The LinkyWay white paper is the result of systematically organizing the employment operations and outcomes we've accumulated over the past ten years. We will continue to expand employment models that enhance both corporate competitiveness and social value.\"
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