SEOUL, July 1 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s mobile telecommunications sector saw more than 666,000 number porting requests in June, marking a sharp 42% drop from May’s unusually high 930,000, yet remaining above pre-crisis levels due to the lingering effects of a cyberattack on SK Telecom in April.
According to data released Monday by the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KTOA), the number of subscribers switching carriers fell significantly in June, as the immediate fallout from the SK Telecom breach began to subside. Before the incident, number portability typically hovered around 500,000 per month.
Despite the decline, LG Uplus emerged as the top beneficiary, attracting 87,774 former SK Telecom users, followed by KT with 82,043. This represents a reversal from May, when KT saw a greater influx from SK Telecom, securing 200,000 new customers compared to LG Uplus’s 160,000.
Industry analysts point to generous incentives offered by KT and LG Uplus in the aftermath of the SK Telecom breach as a key factor in luring defectors.
The market for budget carriers (MVNOs), which saw a surge in May with 85,180 new customers from SK Telecom, returned to typical levels with only 38,030 switches in June.
Meanwhile, SK Telecom has also regained ground, increasing incentives to stem the subscriber outflow. The number of users porting to SK Telecom rose across the board in June: 32,316 from KT, 38,741 from LG Uplus, and 26,508 from MVNOs — figures that align closely with normal trends.
While the immediate disruption from the cyberattack appears to be easing, the data suggests continued volatility in user loyalty and pricing strategies among major carriers, as the industry recalibrates following one of its most significant security breaches in recent years.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)