
Minister of Science and ICT Yoo Sang-im speaks during a media briefing in Seoul on May 9, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 9 (Korea Bizwire) — The government-led investigation into a major data breach at SK Telecom Co. is expected to release its findings by the end of June, Minister of Science and ICT Yoo Sang-im said Friday.
The breach, which occurred on April 18, involved a large-scale leak of universal subscriber identity module (USIM) data, affecting SK Telecom’s entire user base of 25 million. In response, a joint government-civilian panel was formed to conduct a comprehensive probe.
“The panel is investigating how the hackers infiltrated the system, what exactly transpired and how SK Telecom responded to the incident,” Yoo said during a media briefing in Seoul, adding that the government will determine the penalties SK Telecom should face based on the panel’s findings.
He said the government is also reviewing legal and administrative measures that could compel SK Telecom to waive early termination fees for customers who wish to switch to other carriers in the aftermath of the breach. SK Telecom earlier said more than 250,000 subscribers have switched to its local rivals — KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. — since the incident was reported and that the number could soon reach as high as 2.5 million.
“I have received a legal report on the matter, but it remains unclear,” said Yoo. “We need to wait for the panel’s conclusions.”
Public pressure has been mounting on SK Telecom to drop early termination charges, which typically apply to users ending contracts early, especially those who received device subsidies or promotional discounts.
SK Telecom earlier said the company may face losses of up to 7 trillion won (US$5 billion) over the next three years should it be required to waive such fees amid a widely anticipated decline in revenue.
Since the outbreak of the data leak, the company has offered to replace the USIM of all its 25 million subscribers.
To focus resources on customer protection and USIM replacements, SK Telecom has temporarily suspended new subscriber sign-ups at its 2,600 retail stores nationwide starting Monday.
(Yonhap)