Chey Taewon to Miss 'SKT Hacking Incident' Hearing... Submits Statement of Non-Attendance

Due to U.S. Trade Schedule...
"Measures to Prevent and Manage Damage Will Be Prepared Promptly"

It has been confirmed that SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won will not attend the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee hearing on the SK Telecom USIM hacking incident, which is scheduled for May 8.

According to the National Assembly on May 6, Chairman Chey submitted a written statement of non-attendance, citing a prior commitment to an event related to Korea-U.S. trade, organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), in preparation for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting on Trade, as the reason for his absence on the day of the hearing.

In his statement, Chairman Chey said, "I deeply apologize to the National Assembly and the public for the great concern caused by the hacking incident of SK Telecom's computer network," and added, "Both myself and all current and former SK Telecom employees feel a grave sense of responsibility regarding this matter, and we are mobilizing all available resources to respond in order to prevent additional damage and to manage the aftermath."

He continued, "We will thoroughly identify the cause of this incident and, as soon as we are prepared, will promptly report to the National Assembly and the public on measures to prevent further damage and to resolve the situation."

Previously, on April 30, the committee decided to hold a separate hearing on the SK Telecom USIM hacking incident and selected Chairman Chey as a witness.

Chairperson Choi Minhee stated, "Lawmakers from both the first and second largest parties are demanding a waiver of the number portability penalty, but SKT has repeatedly responded that it will 'consider' the request, causing delays," and added, "This is because the person with decision-making authority is not present, so please ensure that Chairman Chey attends the exclusive hearing."