On the 19th, the People Power Party claimed that a national counter-terrorism committee for cyberattacks should be established under the president following the SK Telecom (SKT) SIM card hacking incident. Considering the seriousness of the SKT hacking incident, the party also formalized its intention to push for a parliamentary hearing with Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group.

Kim Yong-tae, the chairman of the emergency response committee of the People Power Party, is making a statement at the meeting of the SK Telecom Consumer Rights and Personal Information Protection TF held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 19th. /News1

After holding a task force meeting with SKT and relevant ministries in the National Assembly, Chairperson Kim Hee-jung stated, "We urge the establishment of a national counter-terrorism committee for cyberattacks that includes not only the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Personal Information Protection Commission, and the Korea Communications Commission, but also the Ministry of National Defense and the National Intelligence Service."

Chairperson Kim said, "Even the United States established the National Security Agency after the 9/11 attacks," adding, "It seems that a preparatory phase is necessary before requesting at the national or departmental level, so I demand the establishment of a response committee."

Kim Yong-tae, the emergency response committee chairperson, pointed out, "This SK Telecom hacking incident is a long-term and precise infiltration that has been embedding malware since three years ago, revealing structural vulnerabilities in Korea's information system."

He emphasized, "Approximately 26.95 million pieces of USIM information have been leaked, and the possibility that device identification numbers have also been transferred outside has been raised, which poses an existential crisis that citizens' daily lives and identities could be entirely in the hands of hackers."

Chairperson Kim noted, "Information security is not just a technical issue, but a core foundation that affects the survival of the nation," adding, "This issue cannot be resolved solely by one corporation or institution. The nation, corporations, and the National Assembly must work together to create systems and solutions."

He continued, "Even if it’s private infrastructure, if valuable citizens' information is connected, the state must intervene," pledging to clarify the state's supervisory responsibilities and establish monitoring and response systems that meet the people's expectations.

Rep. Kang Min-guk, the opposition party's representative on the National Policy Committee, said, "SKT is a key affiliate that accounts for 9% of the group's total revenue, and it should be explained directly to the public by the chairman, not the CEO," adding, "I have thoughts on pushing for a parliamentary hearing with Chey Tae-won, chairman of SKT."