People Power Party: "SKT Hacking Is the Worst of the Worst... Not Surprising If the Company Shuts Down"

"SKT Shows No Sense of Responsibility... Public Outrage"
"USIM Cards Must Be Secured and Delivered to All Customers by Courier"
"On-Site Support Needed for Seniors and Vulnerable Groups"

Kwon Youngse, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, commented on May 1 regarding the SK Telecom USIM customer information leak incident, stating, "This is the worst disaster ever, something that should never happen in South Korea, which has prided itself as the world's leading information and communication powerhouse." He added, "If a company causes an incident of this scale and responds so poorly, it would not be surprising if it had to shut down immediately."

Kwon Youngse, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 1st. Photo by Yonhap News

At the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, that morning, Chairman Kwon said, "The SKT USIM hacking incident is a major problem in itself, but it would not be an exaggeration to call the details of the incident the worst of the worst. In the early stages, the company failed to notify the public quickly, did not provide proper explanations, and did not present any concrete action guidelines to prevent further damage."

He continued, "In particular, there were virtually no support measures for vulnerable groups, including the elderly. The incident was caused by SKT, yet citizens had to line up in front of retail stores, and even after waiting for hours, they could not obtain USIM cards. Even when they tried to use urgent self-help measures such as USIM protection services or identity theft prevention services, network outages forced them to wait all day," he pointed out.

Kwon criticized, "SKT became aware of the USIM hacking incident but failed to fulfill its obligation to report it within 24 hours and even refused the Korea Internet & Security Agency's victim support services. At yesterday's Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee hearing, it was also revealed that SKT did not encrypt USIM information, which is essential for subscriber identification. This shows a disregard for even the most basic security standards."

Kwon added, "SKT is the leading mobile carrier with 24 million subscribers and provides services to the military and intelligence agencies, yet its level of security and incident response shows no sense of responsibility. People are asking, 'Why do I have to take care of everything myself when I am the victim and my information has been stolen?' Public outrage is erupting."

He continued, "The public is questioning whether such a company can be entrusted with South Korea's radio frequencies, and there is talk not only of compensation and damages but even of revoking its telecommunications business license. If a company causes an incident of this magnitude and responds so inadequately, it would not be surprising if it had to shut down immediately," he emphasized.

Kwon stressed, "The People Power Party strongly urges swift response measures on behalf of the people. USIM cards must be secured as quickly as possible, and measures such as delivering them to all customers by courier should be implemented so that people do not have to wait in line."

He also added, "For the most concerning issues, such as financial identity verification, the security system must be drastically strengthened and transparently disclosed to reassure the public. To prevent secondary damage, clear action guidelines must be communicated using all available online and offline channels, including SNS, email, and internet mail, and on-site support must be provided for the elderly and information-vulnerable groups."

Kwon stated, "The People Power Party will hold a meeting led by the SKT Consumer Rights and Information Protection Task Force (TF) to review practical response measures. We will hold those responsible accountable to the very end and resolve the issue from the people's perspective," he said.