On the 7th, Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, announced that he would establish a "Security Information Protection Innovation Committee" composed of external experts in response to the SK Telecom hacking incident. The intention is to strengthen the overall security system of the entire group.
On that day, Chairman Chey held a press conference at the SK Telecom headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, and sincerely apologized for the recent SK Telecom hacking incident.
Chairman Chey said, "We will inspect the overall security system across all SK Group companies and expand investment in security systems," and "I will form a 'Information Protection Innovation Committee' that involves external experts to devise improvement measures from an objective and neutral perspective." He added, "This incident should not just be viewed as a security issue but as a situation that should be treated as a defense issue," noting, "It is crucial to establish a proper security system while considering the defense situation, and I will approach it with the mindset that lives are at stake."
Regarding the Security Information Protection Innovation Committee, he explained that "such committees are typically formed within the Supers Council." However, he noted that specifics about the scale of investment are still being investigated as the cause of the incident is ongoing, and plans to disclose which affiliate will lead the committee in the future.
Chairman Chey also officially apologized for the insufficient initial response. He said, "I am very sorry for the lack of communication and response following the incident," adding, "All management, including myself, are reflecting deeply on this matter."
In this regard, Kim Hee-seop, head of the PR center at SK Telecom, also stated, "Although we announced the free replacement of SIM cards three days after the report of SIM information theft, in reality, we were underprepared," and added, "I also believe that issues like the surge in online reservation systems causing inconvenience to customers were mistakes."
SK Telecom announced that it has completed the automatic registration of SIM protection services for 24.11 million users, including those who use its network for budget mobile plans. On the 14th, it plans to complete the development of SIM software changes (SIM formatting) and update the service to be available simultaneously with roaming products on the 15th. Once the update is completed, all users currently unable to sign up for the SIM protection service due to the use of roaming products will also be automatically registered. Additionally, the shortage of SIM stock is expected to recover with a large amount of new stock after the 15th. As a result, industry analysts suggest that this may lead to a partial calming of the "SIM crisis" situation.