Hacking Group’s Threat to Sell SK Telecom Data Triggers State Investigation

This photo shows a retail store of SK Telecom Co. in Seoul. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s science ministry said Tuesday it has opened an official investigation into claims by an international hacking group that it is attempting to sell personal data purportedly stolen from SK Telecom, the nation’s largest mobile carrier.

The probe follows a post on the Telegram channel of Scattered Lapsus$, a well-known hacking collective, which alleged it had seized the data of SK Telecom’s 27 million subscribers and was offering it for sale for $10,000.

The group claimed 42 South Koreans had already expressed interest and threatened to release the information publicly unless the carrier engaged in negotiations.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said it had requested SK Telecom submit all relevant materials and would conduct on-site inspections to verify the hackers’ claims. “Public concern over the recent series of breaches is growing,” a ministry official said. “We will move quickly to confirm the facts and disclose the results transparently.”

The hackers asserted the data included customers’ names, phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses and birth dates. They also claimed to possess software capable of intercepting text messages and tracking phone calls in real time.

In addition, opposition lawmaker Choi Soo-jin, citing a report by the Korea Internet & Security Agency, said the group had listed SK Telecom’s internal software source code for sale at $250,000.

SK Telecom has denied the allegations, describing the attempted sale as a likely scam. Company officials said analysis of the samples, screenshots and file transfer protocol images circulating on the dark web showed that the information was fabricated and unrelated to its systems. “The 100 gigabytes of data the hackers claim to possess were never leaked,” an SK Telecom spokesperson said.

The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of South Korea’s telecom sector. Earlier this year, SK Telecom acknowledged that the personal data of its entire user base may have been exposed in a cyberattack on its servers.

More recently, the government launched a separate probe into KT Corp., the country’s second-largest carrier, after it reported nearly 300 unauthorized mobile payments linked to possible customer data leaks.

The episode has reignited public anxiety over digital security and intensified pressure on the government to strengthen oversight of telecom companies, whose networks form the backbone of the country’s digital economy.

Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)