SK Telecom suspends new subscriber sign-ups as part of data breach response measures

SK Telecom customers wait in line to switch their USIM cards at a branch in Seoul, April 29, after a hacking incident earlier this month. Yonhap

SK Telecom suspended new subscriber sign-ups to its network Monday as part of response measures following a recent company network data breach.

The nationwide suspension took place as the company focuses on replacing mobile phone USIM chips after it detected a cyberattack April 18 that showed signs of a large-scale leak of customer USIM data.

The government ordered SKT last week to halt new subscriber sign-ups until it resolves a shortage of USIM cards related to the data breach.

The company has offered free USIM replacements to all 25 million subscribers, including 2 million budget phone users, to prevent potential damage, but the efforts have lagged due to a limited supply.

A company official said about 1 million subscribers have so far replaced their USIMs, while 7.7 million others are signed up for replacements.

SK Telecom has also rolled out a USIM protection service, which it claims offers the same level of defense against illegal financial activity as physically replacing a USIM.

As of 9 a.m. Monday, 22.18 million people had signed up for the service, according to the company.

The official said the company has yet to detect any cases of losses due to the stolen data so far.