Kakao Mobility said on the 10th it is launching recruitment for the fifth Junior Lab, which provides coding education and mentoring for the teenage children and grandchildren of taxi drivers.
The fifth Junior Lab will run for four days and three nights from Jan. 28 to 31, 2026, at the Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Under the theme of "future smart mobility coding education," a variety of programs will be offered, including coding lessons, team creative activities, and mentoring by working developers and service planners. In particular, as the role of artificial intelligence (AI) is emphasized across industries, the program will provide AI learning experiences through applications of coding, such as drone demonstrations.
Regardless of Kakao T Taxi membership, any middle school–age child or grandchild of a taxi driver nationwide—individual, corporate, or franchise—can apply for the fifth Junior Lab. Applications will be accepted through Dec. 14 via the Kakao Mobility and Kids & Future Foundation websites or the notices section of the Kakao T app, and a total of 30 people will be selected as final participants. Kakao Mobility will cover all expenses, and all students who complete the program will receive a certificate along with the Lego Spike Prime Set coding kit.
Junior Lab has been operated since 2023 by Kakao Mobility together with the social welfare corporation Kids & Future Foundation as part of the 201 Campaign, a social impact project to create sustainable value for service partners, local communities, and the environment.
The fourth Junior Lab, held this summer, took place in August with a high competition rate of 7.8 to 1, and wrapped up successfully with satisfaction scores of 4.60 from students and 4.85 from parents who joined the camp. Kakao Mobility increased the number of sessions to twice a year, during the summer and winter breaks starting this year, to broaden participation opportunities for more taxi drivers' teenage families.
Ryu Geung-seon, CEO of Kakao Mobility, said, "Junior Lab, which Kakao Mobility created to support taxi drivers' households by leveraging our IT capabilities, has reached its fifth edition," and added, "In the age of artificial intelligence, we will continue to refine detailed programs to help teenagers acquire future technology skills and steadily run various programs that promote mutual growth with industry workers."