Consumer Committee Orders SKT to Compensate Hacking Victims "100,000 Won Each"... Up to 2.3 Trillion Won

If SK Telecom Accepts Mediation Result,
Compensation for 23 Million Victims Possible
SK Telecom: "We Will Carefully Review the Details Before Making a Decision"

The Consumer Dispute Settlement Commission of the Korea Consumer Agency has decided that SK Telecom must provide compensation worth 100,000 won per person to victims of the personal information leak incident that occurred last April. If all victims receive the same compensation, the total compensation amount is expected to reach up to 2.3 trillion won.

Since the USIM hacking incident that occurred last April, SK Telecom's new subscriber sales, which had been completely suspended, were fully resumed on the 24th. It has been 51 days since the USIM hacking incident, and over the past month, 190,000 subscribers have switched to KT and 150,000 to LG Uplus, respectively. The photo shows an SK Telecom agency in downtown Seoul. 2025.06.24 Photo by Dongjoo Yoon

The commission announced on the 21st that it had made this decision at a collective dispute mediation meeting held on the 18th.

The commission explained, "Based on the findings of the joint public-private investigation team in July and the measures taken by the Personal Information Protection Commission in August, it is acknowledged that the SKT hacking incident resulted in a personal information leak and consequent consumer damage," adding, "We have confirmed that SKT is responsible for compensating consumers to restore their individual damages."

Specifically, the commission ordered SK Telecom to provide each applicant with a 50,000 won discount on telecommunications charges and 50,000 T Plus points, which can be used like cash at partner companies.

This decision follows a collective dispute mediation request filed on May 9 by 58 consumers, who claimed their personal information was leaked due to the hacking of SK Telecom's Home Subscriber Server and demanded compensation and measures to prevent recurrence.

If SK Telecom accepts this mediation decision, the commission plans to proceed with related procedures, including the submission of a compensation plan, so that victims who did not participate in the mediation can also receive the same compensation.

If compensation is provided to all victims, the number of people affected by the hacking incident is estimated to be about 23 million, and the total compensation amount is expected to reach 2.3 trillion won.

The commission plans to promptly notify SK Telecom of the mediation decision. SK Telecom must inform the commission within 15 days of receiving the decision whether it will accept the mediation terms.

Commission Chairman Han Yongho stated, "We have devised this compensation plan to quickly restore large-scale consumer damages while considering the company's efforts to regain trust through voluntary compensation," adding, "Given the recent series of personal information leaks, it is even more crucial for companies to strengthen their technical and institutional efforts to prevent recurrence."

SK Telecom commented on the mediation proposal, stating, "We will carefully review the details and make a prudent decision."