Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, decided not to attend the parliamentary hearing regarding the SK Telecom SIM card hacking incident scheduled for the 8th.
According to the National Assembly on the 6th, Chairman Chey submitted a notice of absence, citing a previously scheduled event related to trade with the United States Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) in preparation for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Trade Ministerial Meeting on the same day as the hearing.
In the notice, Chairman Chey stated, "I deeply apologize for causing great concern to the National Assembly and the public due to the hacking incident involving SK Telecom's computer network, and that I and all employees of SK Telecom feel a heavy responsibility regarding this matter. We are mobilizing all our capabilities to respond to prevent further damage and manage the incident."
He added, "I will prepare to promptly report to the National Assembly and the public as soon as we understand the cause of this incident in detail and the measures for preventing and resolving the damage."
Earlier, on the 30th of last month, the Science, Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Committee decided to hold a separate hearing addressing the SK Telecom SIM card hacking incident and selected Chairman Chey as a witness. Chairperson Choi Min-hee pointed out, "All lawmakers from the first and second parties are demanding an exemption from the number portability cancellation fee, but SKT has repeatedly responded that they will 'consider it,' dragging it out. This is because they are not the decision-makers, so please ensure Chairman Chey's attendance at the exclusive hearing."