CEO Yu Holds Customer Protection Briefing on the 2nd
"Countless Inconveniences and Anxieties... My Sincere Apology"
14.42 Million Subscribed to USIM Protection... Full Coverage by the 14th
Yu Youngsang, CEO of SK Telecom, made a public apology on the 2nd regarding the company's hacking incident, repeatedly bowing his head. He stated, "We deeply reflect on our mistakes, and starting today, SK Telecom will hold daily briefings."
Yu Youngsang, CEO of SK Telecom, is apologizing at the briefing on additional customer protection measures held on the 2nd. Photo by SKT
On this day, CEO Yu held a press conference on customer protection measures at SK Telecom's headquarters in Euljiro, Seoul. He said, "While leading the response to the cyber intrusion incident, I found myself reflecting deeply. I believe we may have lacked the thoroughness to view everything from the customer's perspective," he began.
He continued, "We kept repeating, 'Please trust us and wait, everything is safe,' without sufficiently explaining the details of the incident and our countermeasures. As a result, many customers experienced growing anxiety, inconvenience, and concern, and we received countless criticisms."
CEO Yu specifically mentioned customer complaints such as the shortage of USIM cards, inconvenience for international roaming users, and difficulties connecting to the customer center. He said, "I sincerely apologize once again for the numerous inconveniences and anxieties," and bowed his head to express his apology.
He also announced that, starting today, SK Telecom will hold daily briefings at 10 a.m. to provide customers with information related to the incident and to help alleviate their concerns.
He admitted fault for failing to fulfill the legal obligation to report to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) within 24 hours of recognizing the hacking. In response to questions from the press regarding the delayed report, CEO Yu acknowledged, "Failing to make a proper report within 24 hours of recognizing the breach is a mistake for which we must be held accountable under any circumstances."
He added, "While there were certainly shortcomings, we tried to proceed transparently even in a confusing situation. I apologize for the mistakes made during that process. After the breach and data leak, we made decisions to prevent further damage as much as possible, but we did violate legal procedures. I sincerely apologize for the criticism regarding why it took so long and why we missed the deadline."
On this day, CEO Yu announced additional measures, including: ▲ suspension of new business at more than 2,600 T World directly operated stores nationwide ▲ automatic provision of USIM protection service to all customers, including digitally vulnerable groups ▲ securing 10 million USIM cards by May and June ▲ simultaneous activation of roaming service and USIM protection service starting from the 14th.
Yoo Youngsang, CEO of SK Telecom, is announcing additional measures to protect customers on the 2nd. Photo by SKT
CEO Yu repeatedly emphasized the prevention of secondary damage through subscription to the USIM protection service.
He said, "This service, developed in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Cyber Investigation Unit in 2023, fundamentally blocks damage caused by illegal USIM duplication." In a previous first-phase investigation by the Ministry of Science and ICT, it was also found that subscribing to the USIM protection service prevents illegal activities such as duplicating a USIM card and using it in another mobile device.
To date, more than 14.42 million customers have subscribed to the USIM protection service, and for the remaining 8.5 million customers, automatic subscription will be carried out sequentially at a rate of up to 1.2 million people per day. Digitally vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and people with disabilities, will be prioritized, and the process is scheduled to be completed by the 14th.
CEO Yu stated, "You are sufficiently safe even without replacing your USIM card. If any damage from illegal USIM duplication occurs, SK Telecom will take responsibility."
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