SK Telecom said on the 7th it will run the "2026 gold number promotion" to find owners for 10,000 gold numbers. Gold numbers are numbers with specific patterns such as 1111, 0002, 3000; numbers identical to the area code (ABCD-ABCD, ABAB-ABAB, etc.); or numbers with particular meanings (1004, 1472). They are popular because they are easy to remember and can carry personal significance. Typically, the most popular gold numbers are the "ABCD-ABCD type," where the area code and the last digits are the same, and the "AAAA type," where the last digits are all the same.
Entries can be made from the 8th to the 21st at SK Telecom authorized stores and the T Direct Shop, and winners can check results on the 25th. The promotion is open to existing SK Telecom customers, new customers, and customers of other carriers and budget phone services planning to switch numbers.
There are nine types of gold numbers available to enter this time, and each person can submit up to three entries.
The company said, "To ensure fairness, the gold number drawing will be conducted by random lottery in the presence of the preferred-number drawing committee, which is composed of government and related agencies including the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KTOA)."
Winners will receive a text message with individual instructions, and to use the winning number, they must complete the registration process at an SK Telecom authorized store or the T Direct Shop from the 29th to July 17.
Winning gold numbers cannot be transferred to others, and customers who are already using a gold number or who have obtained a gold number in a previous year are not eligible to enter.