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Yoo Young-sang, CEO of SK Telecom, bows in apology during a briefing on strengthened customer protection measures held at the company's headquarters in Euljiro, Seoul, on April 25. / Source: SK Telecom

SK Telecom announced on April 27 that it would take "full responsibility for any damages" caused by subscriber SIM card information leaks resulting from recent hacking incidents.

In a public statement titled "We will prevent hacking damage with SIM Protection Service. Please subscribe with confidence," the company urged customers to sign up for its SIM Protection Service, which can be easily accessed anytime and anywhere. SK Telecom added that it has thoroughly prepared for SIM card replacements and encouraged customers to apply online and then visit stores for service.

"The SIM Protection Service offers the same preventive effect as SIM card replacement," the company explained, emphasizing that it is a service guaranteed for safety by SK Telecom, with a total of 5.54 million customers already subscribed.

In 2023, SK Telecom developed the SIM Protection Service in collaboration with the Cyber Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to block damages from illegal SIM cloning. The service prevents unauthorized use of mobile services on other devices even if customer SIM information is stolen or cloned.

Starting at 10 a.m. on April 28, SK Telecom will offer free SIM card replacements for interested customers at approximately 2,600 T World stores nationwide, with online reservations also available.

SK Telecom further stated, "If any illegal SIM cloning damage occurs among SIM Protection Service subscribers, we will take full responsibility and compensate." The company added that it is preparing to upgrade the service by May so that it can be used during international roaming and is working to streamline subscription procedures for easier access.

In addition, SK Telecom said it has enhanced its system to block abnormal authentication attempts at the highest level of security and reported that no cases of damage have been identified so far since the cyberattack.

According to the company, it currently holds around one million SIM cards in stock and plans to secure an additional five million by the end of May, with a commitment to continue stockpiling based on customer demand.

"Once again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the cyberattack," SK Telecom said. "We are doing our utmost to address customer concerns and resolve the incident as quickly as possible."