SK Telecom users irritated by delayed USIM replacement

SK Telecom users line up in front of its retail store in Seoul to replace their USIM cards, Monday, as the company promised free USIM replacements following a data breach. Yonhap

SK Telecom users have vented frustration and anger over the firm’s delayed replacement of universal subscriber identity module (USIM) cards following a major customer data leak last week.

The nation’s largest telecom operator started offering the free USIM replacements at its retail stores nationwide Monday, but most of the stores in major areas in Seoul ended up inconveniencing customers due to a limited supply of USIM cards on the first day of the offer.

As widely expected, dozens of customers were seen lining up in front of multiple SK Telecom retail stores in the morning amid fears of their smartphones possibly being exposed to additional cyberattacks unless they change their USIM cards.

Around 50 people were standing in line at the firm’s retail store near Seoul City Hall at around 11 a.m. Some of them expressed complaints over the delayed replacement service.

“I have no choice but to wait here, as my work is sensitive to mobile security,” an official in his 30s, who identified himself only with his surname Kim, said.

“I have to work extra hours, as it appears to take at least an hour for me to finish USIM replacement and get back to my office.”

The delay has been attributable to SK Telecom’s insufficient supply of USIM cards. The company secured some 1 million USIM cards for the time being, but the figure falls far short of the total number of its users.

A notification at a retail store of SK Telecom in Seoul says its USIM card inventory went out of stock, Monday. Yonhap

According to data from the company, it has approximately 24.8 million subscribers here, which amounts to half of the nation’s population. SK Telecom said it will secure additional 5 million USIM cards by the end of May, but this still accounts for merely 20 percent of its users.

Workers from SK Telecom’s retail stores declined to comment on how much USIM cards they have, citing instruction from the firm’s headquarters.

A woman in her 50s who also stood in line argued that the company should offer additional compensation to customers.

“Tens of millions of customers have to endure the inconvenience caused by the company,” she said. “The company should give more compensation to its customers.”

SK Telecom does not support any USIM delivery service for customers, as this may cause additional security leaks in case of misplaced delivery.

“We encourage customers to subscribe to our USIM protection service for free, as this blocks duplicated USIM data from working in other mobile devices,” a spokesperson at SK Telecom said. “We cannot say for sure when exactly we will be able to finish the USIM replacement.”