The Korea Consumer Agency Council criticized SK Telecom on the 29th for a hacking attack that resulted in the leak of subscriber identification device (USIM) information and called for a full effort to manage the situation. This is a demand to quickly resolve the anxieties of approximately 23 million subscribers.
In addition, there are movements for consumer class action lawsuits. On Naver, a 'SK Telecom personal information leakage class action cafe' was opened on the 27th. The number of members in this cafe has surpassed 45,000. Law firms preparing for consumer class action lawsuits are also emerging one after another.
The Korea Consumer Agency Council, composed of over 10 organizations including the Consumer Citizens' Meeting, issued a statement that said, "Most SK Telecom subscribers are trying desperately to respond based on media reports regarding USIM protection services, USIM replacement, and other information without any accurate guidelines, but the situation remains anxious and inconvenient." They added, "Do not try to gloss over this situation with executives bowing their heads and offering apologies; corporations have a duty to thoroughly investigate the causes and establish effective measures to prevent recurrence and protect consumers' valuable information."
The council demanded, "SKT must clearly explain the specific scope of the information leaked due to the hacking to all subscribed consumers and clarify whether replacing the USIM is the best measure to resolve this situation, and SKT's responsibility regarding potential consumer damages caused by delays in replacing the USIM." They also added, "Relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Communications Commission, should swiftly and transparently disclose the results of investigations regarding the cause of the incident, breach routes, and adequacy of responses."
The council emphasized, "Clearly inform the scope and methods of consumer damage compensation, prepare measures for vulnerable groups such as long-distance residents and the elderly, and specifically formulate and announce measures to prevent recurrence."