Issub's KT Internet Quality Controversy...KCC "Full Investigation of the Three Telecom Companies"

Kim Hyun, Vice Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, at the plenary meeting of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee on the 22nd
"Will conduct a full investigation including SKT and LG Uplus"
Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT, also stated "Measures will be taken if necessary after the investigation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Kim Hyun, Vice Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, stated on the 22nd that "a full investigation will be conducted on all three telecom companies, including SK Telecom and LG Uplus, regarding KT's internet quality issues."

Vice Chairman Kim Hyun made this remark in response to a question from independent lawmaker Yang Jeong-suk during the afternoon plenary session of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee (STIBC). In the case of SK Telecom, its subsidiary SK Broadband, which handles wired services, is expected to be included in the investigation.

This controversy escalated after a famous IT YouTuber 'Itsseop' revealed on his YouTube channel on the 17th that the KT 10-gigabit (10Gbps) internet service he uses was actually provided at a speed of only 100 megabits (Mbps), which is one hundredth of the promised speed. The customer service attitude was also criticized, including the rude response of customer center staff who seemed to shift the blame onto customers.

Lawmaker Yang Jeong-suk said, "It is hard to understand that out of 178 users of the problematic 10Gbps product, 13.5% (24 people) were affected due to a simple error. There should be a better compensation plan than just daily fee discounts," urging stronger consumer protection measures.

Lower-tier plans such as 100M, 500M, and 1G products, which are priced lower than the 10G product, will also be included in the investigation. When asked whether all products would be investigated, Vice Chairman Kim Hyun replied, "All will be investigated."

People Power Party lawmaker Heo Eun-ah also criticized, saying, "I paid 88,000 won for the 10G product expecting airplane speed, but it was slower than a train. The accident response method is also problematic; the telecom company said it is impossible for them to check the speed first and asked consumers to test it themselves and report if there is a problem."

Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT, said, "We have received reports regarding the 10G product issue, but have not received specific reports about poor quality in lower-speed products. It is said that the input was incorrect due to a telecom company error. We will conduct a fact-finding investigation together with the Korea Communications Commission, listen to expert opinions, and take necessary measures if needed."

Meanwhile, KT posted an apology on its official website on the 21st, stating, "We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused by the recent degradation of 10G internet quality," and added, "We are very sorry for not being attentive enough from the customer's perspective during the process of responding to customers who experienced inconvenience."