SKT 5G Class Action Lawsuit... First Hearing Scheduled for Today

Purpose of 5G Inconvenience and Damage Relief

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] As 5G service marked its second anniversary amid controversy last April, the first class-action lawsuit trial related to 5G service is set to take place.

According to the industry on the 8th, the Seoul Central District Court Civil Division 104 will hold the first hearing at 2 p.m. regarding the lawsuit filed by 237 5G service consumers against SK Telecom, claiming the return of unjust profits.

The legal representative is the law firm Serim, which began recruiting plaintiffs for the class-action lawsuit in February under the premise of "5G inconvenience and damage relief." SK Telecom, the defendant, appointed the law firm Class as its legal representative.

Attorney Hana Lee from Serim stated during the recruitment of plaintiffs in February, "While there are 800,000 LTE base stations, there are only 100,000 5G base stations, which is grossly insufficient. Although the majority of existing subscribers express significant inconvenience, telecom companies are not listening to their complaints." She demanded that the unjust profits gained by the telecom companies be returned to consumers, as the reality of 5G service differs from what the companies advertised, notified, or stipulated in contracts and terms.

Regarding the lawsuit, an SK Telecom official said, "Since the lawsuit is scheduled to proceed, we believe it is appropriate to explain during the legal process," and added, "Please understand that we will not provide specific comments outside the courtroom."

The law firm Serim plans to sequentially initiate class-action lawsuits against KT, LG Uplus, and others, having recruited a total of about 320 plaintiffs.

Meanwhile, another group has also filed a 5G class-action lawsuit through a joint litigation platform. On the 30th of last month, 526 5G victims submitted the first lawsuit petition to the Seoul Central District Court via 'Hwanan Saramdeul' (Angry People). The defendants are the CEOs of the three telecom companies: Park Jung-ho of SK Telecom, Koo Hyun-mo of KT, and Hwang Hyun-sik of LG Uplus. Recruitment began in March, gathering over 500 plaintiffs.

Attorney Jinwook Kim of the law firm Juwon, representing the plaintiffs, explained the purpose of the lawsuit: "Despite the insufficient 5G infrastructure, 5G services were launched and sold, causing many 5G plan consumers to receive incomplete services such as poor communication and call quality. This constitutes a breach of contract due to intentional or gross negligence under civil law, and we are claiming compensation for property and mental damages resulting from illegal acts." A second recruitment phase is planned.