USIM Replacement Begins at 10 a.m. on the 28th... Online Reservations Available
"SKT Will Take Responsibility for Any Damages After USIM Protection Subscription"
Currently 1 Million USIM Cards in Stock... 5 Million More to Be Secured by End of May
Increased Staffing at Airport Roaming Centers
SK Telecom (SKT) stated on April 27 that customers can trust and subscribe to its USIM Protection Service, emphasizing that "the service can prevent hacking damages," and pledged, "If any damage occurs, SKT will take 100% responsibility."
On this day, SKT issued a public announcement, explaining, "To prevent cyber intrusion damages, starting at 10 a.m. on April 28, we will offer free USIM replacements at approximately 2,600 T World stores nationwide for customers who wish to participate, and we will also accept online reservation applications."
The USIM Protection Service blocks access to telecommunication services under the customer's name from other devices, even if USIM information is stolen or cloned. This service was developed in 2023 through cooperation between SKT and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Cyber Investigation Unit. As of 6 p.m. on April 27, a total of 5.54 million SKT users had subscribed to this service, which accounts for 24% of the total subscriber base of approximately 23 million.
Currently, a drawback of subscribing to this service is that international roaming becomes unavailable. However, SKT is working to upgrade the service so that USIM Protection Service will be available even during roaming by May. In addition, SKT explained that it has raised its abnormal authentication attempt blocking (FDS) measures to the highest level of operation.
SKT currently has a stock of about 1 million USIM cards. SKT stated, "We plan to secure an additional 5 million USIM cards by the end of May," and added, "We will continue to secure more USIM cards according to customer demand in the future."
To prepare for potentially long wait times for USIM replacements, an online reservation system will also be operated. Customers wishing to replace their USIM can use this system to select their preferred T World dealership and apply. The respective stores will then contact customers in order and proceed with replacements sequentially.
Major airport roaming centers will also increase personnel for USIM replacements. At Incheon Airport, which has the highest number of outbound travelers, roaming center staff will be increased by 50%. If customers are unable to replace their USIM due to long waits at the roaming center and subsequently suffer illegal USIM cloning damages abroad, SKT will take responsibility. Furthermore, SKT is preparing to make the USIM Protection Service available overseas by May.
SKT stated, "We apologize once again for the inconvenience caused to customers by the cyber intrusion incident," and added, "SK Telecom will do its utmost to resolve customer concerns and to ensure this incident is resolved as quickly as possible."
The Ministry of Science and ICT also issued a press release on this day, stating that it had discussed additional measures to prevent further damage with SKT. The ministry announced, "We plan to thoroughly investigate the cause of the incident through a public-private joint investigation team and transparently inform the public of the results."
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