It was found that as a string of hacking incidents at telecom companies became known this year, the number of dispute applications related to telecom firms surged.
According to Rep. Kim Hyeon of the Science. ICT. Broadcasting. and Communications Committee (Democratic Party of Korea) on the 9th, 1,549 cases were filed with the Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission's Communications Dispute Mediation Committee from the start of the year through last month, already surpassing the total for last year. From 2021 through last month, 5,022 cases were filed over four years and nine months, with ▲1,170 in 2021 ▲1,060 in 2022 ▲1,259 in 2023 ▲1,533 in 2024, increasing each year.
By month for this year, there were ▲116 cases in January ▲135 in February ▲130 in March, and after the SKT hacking incident broke, the figures jumped to ▲163 in April ▲175 in May ▲193 in June. In July, when the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) detected signs of a KT hack, 216 cases were filed, the most in a single month. In August and September, the numbers also exceeded 200, with 211 and 210 cases, respectively.
By carrier, SKT had the most with 439 cases, followed by LG Uplus with 337, KT with 325, and SK Broadband with 87.
Rep. Kim Hyeon noted, "As user anxiety grows amid successive hacking incidents at telecom companies, the explosion in dispute mediation applications is the result of telecom firms shirking responsibility and the government's complacent response."