Minister Yoo Sang-im recently stated that he has requested legal reviews from three law firms following the National Assembly's demand to waive the cancellation penalties for SK Telecom users resulting from the recent customer USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) hacking incident.
Minister Yoo appeared as a witness at the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Broadcasting and Communications Committee hearing on ‘YTN and other broadcasting and communication sectors’ on the afternoon of the 30th and made this statement.
When Lee Hoon-ki, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, asked about the possibility of waiving the cancellation penalty at SK Telecom, Minister Yoo responded, “I consulted with three law firms this morning. I have not yet received a response.” Minister Yoo noted, “Once I receive the results of the legal review, I will take action based on the findings.”
Earlier that morning, Lee also posed a similar question to Ryu Young-sang, the CEO of SK Telecom, who appeared as a witness. When Lee asked, “If the Ministry of Science and ICT, which is responsible for reviewing SK Telecom's terms of service, finds no legal issues, will it waive the penalty?” CEO Ryu answered, “If the legal review indicates that there are no issues, then we will proceed with abolishing the penalty.”
However, CEO Ryu emphasized that a comprehensive review involving both the Ministry of Science and ICT and SK Telecom is necessary regarding the legal review.
The Broadcasting and Communications Committee selected Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, as a witness in the afternoon to hear a definitive answer from SK Telecom regarding the waiver of the penalty.