The logos of South Korea’s major telecom operators — KT Corp., SK Telecom Co. and LG Uplus Corp. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s three major telecom operators have unveiled multibillion-won cybersecurity investment plans in the wake of April’s high-profile SK Telecom hack. Yet experts caution that the spending may amount to little more than after-the-fact remedies, failing to address deeper systemic weaknesses.
SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus each announced commitments of between 700 billion won ($510 million) and 1 trillion won ($730 million) over five years to fortify their defenses.
The companies are emphasizing “zero trust” frameworks, artificial intelligence–powered monitoring, stronger encryption, and regular penetration testing by global white-hat hackers. They are also boosting staffing levels, with the industry’s security workforce rising nearly 90 percent last year to almost 300 specialists.
SK Telecom, which bore the brunt of the breach earlier this year, has elevated its chief information security officer to report directly to the CEO, launched a 150-person integrated security center, and expanded privacy certifications.
KT has pledged more than 1 trillion won, including 340 billion won for advanced monitoring and 500 billion won for new hires, while LG Uplus is pouring resources into AI-driven surveillance and large-scale “black box” hacking simulations.
Still, industry analysts say these moves underscore a reactive cycle: crisis, pledge, investment, repeat. In the immediate aftermath of the SK Telecom incident, the three carriers promised tighter transaction monitoring.
After a recent wave of small-payment fraud, they responded by restricting connections from micro base stations — another piecemeal step that critics argue stops short of true reform.
Despite repeated waves of investment, hacking incidents have plagued the industry for more than a decade. “Defense measures continue to lag behind the sophistication of attacks, leaving networks repeatedly exposed,” said Yeom Heung-yeol, professor emeritus of information security at Soonchunhyang University.
He called for fundamental reforms in governance, technology, and organizational oversight, anchored by sustained funding and skilled personnel.
With South Korea’s telecom networks central to everything from mobile payments to national infrastructure, the stakes are only rising — and so are doubts about whether the latest promises will finally close long-standing gaps.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
