Kakao is South Korea's most ubiquitous messaging and social media app
located in the South Korean city of Pan-gyo
is operated by IT-services company SK C&C
or send messages to family and friends for more than 24 hours after the fire
Insider was not able to independently verify these numbers
The disruption to the app was so severe that South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called for swift measures to resume services
The company issued an apology over the outage
questions have been raised about the public reliance of the app
"If the market is distorted in a monopoly or severe oligopoly, to the extent where it serves a similar function as national infrastructure, the government should take necessary measures for the sake of the people," Yoon said, per the BBC
Yoon also ordered an investigation into the causes behind the incident
stating that the services were "like a fundamental national telecommunications network as far as the public is concerned," per Reuters
The company's messaging app, KakaoTalk, has 47 million active accounts in South Korea, Reuters reported, citing a company report released in August. South Korea's population was around 51.8 million people in 2021
which means over 90% of its citizens have a Kakao account
Kakao did not respond to Insider's request for comment.
Jul 7, 2023Calling all ice cream lovers—get ready to fall for Snickers' new flavor
candy brand Mars Wrigley announced that the beloved peanut-based chocolate bar is introducing the Snickers Butterscotch Scoop
It combines the flavors of an original Snickers—milk chocolate
and caramel— with the classic ice cream
"At Mars, we are always looking for new ways to excite long-time Snickers fans, especially through innovative new flavors," said Martin Terwilliger, Senior Marketing Director at Mars Wrigley. "With Snickers Butterscotch Scoop, we're offering a new format to enjoy a classic flavor, ushering in the summer season to help fans create moments of everyday happiness."
Those interested in trying the nostalgic-tasting Snickers can find it at Walmart
It'll be sold in single size and stand-up pouch with fun-size bars
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Emily, who runs the TikTok account Snack Reviews Aus
made a video as she tried out the tasty treat
she noted that she "could definitely taste the butterscotch in there" and thinks it "uplifts the overall taste
so this is an absolute winner for me."
Others expressed on social media how great the chocolate tastes
"At the store, I saw they now have butterscotch Snickers, and it's absolutely amazing. The best new flavor I've had, it's just perfect," read a tweet
This is one of many limited-edition Snickers that have come out over the years
Previous versions include the Snickers Peanut Brownie
Next: Snickers Announces Return of a Beloved Flavor for the First Time Since 2017