Collaboration with SK Telink, the Official Starlink Reseller in South Korea
With Starlink Korea's low Earth orbit satellite communication service now fully launched in South Korea, SK Telink announced on the 18th that it will provide an integrated service combining Starlink satellite communication and cybersecurity services for the entire SK Shipping fleet.
This is a leading case in South Korea of building and operating a combined Starlink low Earth orbit satellite communication service and security solution for an entire fleet. It is significant in that it goes beyond simply providing communication, implementing a customized maritime communication service for clients.
Recently, as the digitalization and smart transformation of the shipping and shipbuilding industries have accelerated, demand has surged for integrated services that simultaneously meet both communication quality and the requirements for operational stability and security.
In response, SK Shipping defined security requirements tailored to ships to counter rising cyber threats, and pre-designed an integrated security system based on Unified Threat Management (UTM). To reliably implement this security structure, SK Shipping requested cooperation from SK Telink, which possesses both Starlink communication infrastructure and operational expertise. SK Telink developed a differentiated maritime communication solution that ensures both connectivity and security by combining SK Shipping's security model with Starlink-based communication infrastructure.
This introduction was promoted through close collaboration with SK Shipping even before the official launch of Starlink in South Korea. SK Shipping worked with SK Telink in advance, considering vessel operating routes and other factors, to prepare for installation and activation so that high-speed internet could be applied immediately upon Starlink’s activation. SK Telink proactively prepared the entire implementation process-including regulatory and technical reviews, vessel-specific environment analysis, and security architecture design-based on preliminary consulting that considered vessel operating environments and work characteristics, establishing a system capable of immediate service activation upon the official domestic launch.
Lee Sinyong, Head of Satellite Business Division at SK Telink, stated, "The core of this project is not simply introducing low Earth orbit satellite communication, but simultaneously satisfying the communication quality and security levels required in real ship operating environments," adding, "Going forward, we plan to continue expanding differentiated Starlink-based communication services combined with cybersecurity, tailored to customer needs in various sectors including shipping, shipbuilding, public, and defense, as high value-added solutions."
Meanwhile, SK Telink is the official domestic reseller of Starlink Korea. Beyond service supply, it provides B2B customized total solutions encompassing technical support, operational management, and security.
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