Toss has added a "check Han River water temperature" feature to its application (app) that allows stock investing. Among investors, checking the Han River's water temperature is used as a self-deprecating expression that implies an extreme choice due to investment failure. Critics say Toss's new feature "makes a joke of death."
According to reporting compiled on the 19th by ChosunBiz, Toss recently added a service called "Han River water" to the Toss app through an update. It shows the Han River's temperature, measured based on locations such as the Jungnang Stream, updated at set intervals.
The most important service offered in the Toss app is stock investing. For stock investors, the Han River, in a self-deprecating sense, is regarded as a place that people who have failed in investing seek out. Whenever the stock market plunges, posts sharing the Han River's water temperature appear on online communities.
Because of this, there is strong criticism among Toss users. A person surnamed Kim, an office worker in their 30s, said, "At first, I couldn't believe my eyes. Does it make any sense to include a feature to check the Han River's water temperature in an app that supports stock investing?" A person surnamed Lee, a college student in their 20s, said, "It's hard to believe that an extreme humor code that circulates only in some online communities has been implemented in an app used by tens of millions of people. It's the kind of thing a psychopath (antisocial personality disorder) would do."
A Toss representative said, "The Han River water service was provided through 'App in Toss,' which releases services created by external developers who are not affiliated with Toss in the Toss app. Because the purpose was to provide information needed for water leisure activities, there was an aspect in the review stage where we did not anticipate the issues currently being pointed out."
The representative added, "Considering that, as some have raised concerns, it could be interpreted in a particular way, we immediately halted the exposure of the mini app. We will review related standards and operational methods to prevent similar cases in the future."