Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise: "Preparing Class Action Lawsuit if SK Telecom Hacking Damages Spread"

"SK Telecom's Response Criticized as Fundamentally Inadequate"

The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise has announced that it may prepare for a class action lawsuit if the damages suffered by small business owners continue to spread as a result of the recent SK Telecom hacking incident.

On April 30, the federation released a statement expressing concern, saying, "This incident is likely to deal an even more devastating blow to business operators, including small business owners." The statement continued, "Not only is there a risk to their own assets, but they are also facing a critical crisis in which customer information leaks can lead to a loss of trust, business disruptions, and even the total exposure of company assets or information."

The federation also criticized SK Telecom's inadequate response. "SK Telecom was preoccupied with covering up the incident, sending a delayed text message nearly a week after the hacking occurred, and only passively recommending the use of USIM protection services. When public outrage grew, it hastily announced a USIM replacement, but even then, the announcement was rushed without sufficient supply, fueling nationwide anger due to an overall lack of preparedness," the statement said.

The federation emphasized, "If damages to small business owners continue to spread due to this incident, we will establish the 'SKT Hacking Incident Small Business Damage Reporting Center' and strongly respond by organizing a class action lawsuit for affected small business owners."