SK Telecom has implemented 'waiver of penalties' after a cyber breach incident, leading to criticism that competitors are engaging in excessive marketing leveraging this situation. A customer response scenario designed to create 'fear' to secure customers has even emerged.
According to the mobile communications industry on the 6th, a 'customer response scenario' highlighting the introduction of penalties by SK Telecom has recently been shared within the device distribution network. This customer response script includes instructions such as, 'You must move to where you can protect yourself,' and 'Once hacking begins, think of it as your information being stolen, and later, your life being taken away.'
The Ministry of Science and ICT determined on the 4th that SK Telecom, which had its subscriber identification module (USIM) information leaked due to a hacking attack, bears responsibility, stating, 'Penalties should not be imposed on customers who leave.' This conclusion was derived from a comprehensive review of findings by the joint government-private investigation team that began operations a day after the hacking incident was announced on April 23.
In response, SK Telecom adopted the waiver of penalties in acceptance of the Ministry of Science and ICT's opinion. The cutoff date for the exemption is set as April 18, prior to the breach incident. Customers who had contracts at that time and canceled due to the breach will have the penalties waived. The company also plans to not impose penalties on customers who cancel by the 14th.
From the perspective of competitors such as LG Uplus, the roughly 10 days during which SK Telecom cannot impose penalties on leaving customers has become an opportunity for 'customer recruitment.' Consequently, attempts to recruit customers by instigating fear have emerged, drawing criticism.
A source in the mobile communications industry said, 'It is true that a large amount of personal information has been leaked from SK Telecom's servers, but no customer damage has been practically reported as a result.' They added, 'Using customer anxiety for marketing purposes is excessive.'