"Are you trying to switch to SK Telecom? The additional support fund for activating the 'Galaxy S25 (256GB)' has increased by approximately 130,000 won compared to yesterday."
On the 16th, an employee at an SK Telecom store in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, said, "Until yesterday, only device changes were possible, with an additional support fund of 70,000 won, but today the additional support fund has increased to 200,000 won." An employee at a nearby retail store that handles all three telecom companies said, "The additional support fund for switching to SK Telecom (based on activating the Galaxy S25 (256GB)) was 200,000 won until yesterday, but today it has increased by 150,000 won to 350,000 won."
Starting this day, SK Telecom resumed sales for new subscriptions (including number transfers) at approximately 2,600 T World stores (direct and authorized stores) nationwide utilizing eSIM (embedded Subscriber Identity Module). This marks the end of a 43-day suspension of new subscription sales that began on May 5 due to administrative guidance from the Ministry of Science and ICT for quick SIM card (USIM) replacements. According to the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KTOA), about 670,000 people switched from SK Telecom to KT, LG Uplus, and budget phones (MVNO) during the two months from April to May. Conversely, about 150,000 subscribers switched to SK Telecom, resulting in a net loss of 520,000 subscribers.
◇ SK Telecom quieter than expected… "There was a violation of the Device Subsidy Act, but there was no aggressive marketing."
Industry insiders expected that SK Telecom would launch a massive support fund offensive to recoup losses from customers who left due to a hacking incident. However, on the day new subscription sales resumed, there was no aggressive marketing observed at mobile telecom retail outlets.
The government-specified support fund for the three telecommunications companies remains unchanged at a maximum of 500,000 won for the Galaxy S25 (256GB). While the additional support funds that can be provided at the discretion of retail outlets varied by store, they only increased by about 150,000 won compared to the previous day. The scale of the additional support fund based on the Galaxy S25 (256GB) ranged from 150,000 to 200,000 won at SK Telecom's direct and authorized stores, while retail locations offered around 300,000 to 350,000 won. Despite not seeing a substantial rise in the additional support fund, it violates the Device Subsidy Act because, according to the act, the additional support fund cannot exceed 15% of the government-specified support fund. If the specified support fund is 500,000 won, telecom retail outlets can only provide a maximum of 75,000 won in additional support.
A source within the telecom industry noted, "The sales suspension has been lifted only for eSIM users, but there is unlikely to be aggressive marketing for the time being," adding, "Because SK Telecom has not fully resumed new subscriptions yet, an excessive competition for support funds could lead to a prolonged suspension of sales."
◇ Some phone retailers charge fees for activating the 'Galaxy S25'
At some retail stores, cash (commonly referred to as 'transportation fees') could be received upon activating the Galaxy S25. At some stores known as phone sanctuaries, when transferring numbers, SK Telecom charged 50,000 won, KT charged 100,000 won, and LG Uplus charged 150,000 won. An employee from one retail store said, "Due to the SK Telecom hacking incident, KT and LG Uplus aggressively increased their additional support funds, and now it has become possible to activate for cash." Another employee from a different retail store stated, "Although SK Telecom has started resuming new subscriptions today, it is not actively offering additional support funds, so KT and LG Uplus are no longer increasing their additional support funds either," and added, "It seems that significant competition for subsidies will emerge after the full resumption of SK Telecom's sales and the repeal of the Device Subsidy Act in July."
◇ Is eSIM activation completely unavailable? “There are ways”... 'trickery' at some stores.
On this day, new subscription sales resumed at SK Telecom stores, but were limited to eSIM activations only. This is because the Ministry of Science and ICT has not yet lifted its administrative guidance on suspending sales for new subscriptions via SIM cards. However, at three out of five SK Telecom authorized stores visited in Jung-gu and Guro-gu, Seoul, they informed customers that "same-day SIM activations are possible." When asked how this was possible, they explained, "We initially attract customers transferring numbers with the lifted restrictions on new activations for eSIM, and then provide new SIM cards through device changes." This was a form of 'trickery' for activating the SIM card.
Some customers prefer to use a SIM card over an eSIM, as it allows them to use communication services on any device just by swapping it, whereas an eSIM can only be used on one device. Some SK Telecom authorized stores employed the method of processing 'new eSIM activation followed by device change' all at once to attract such customers transferring their numbers. First, they make customers SK Telecom users through eSIM activation and then provide the SIM card through a device change system.
The bigger issue is that even if a number is transferred, customers can receive a SIM card without changing devices. Some stores informed that after transferring to SK Telecom, customers could receive a SIM card without changing devices. This contradicts the government's administrative guidance to "suspend new subscriptions to avoid disruptions in SIM card replacements."
However, in this case, customers had to bear both the costs of changing to the eSIM (2,750 won) and the SIM card (7,700 won). Therefore, at one authorized store in Jung-gu, Seoul, they recommended number transfers, saying, "If you change today, we will cover the expensive cost of the SIM card replacement at the store." Among the five SK Telecom authorized stores visited that day, only one turned away customers, stating, "It is difficult to activate with the SIM card."