SK Telecom resumes new sign-ups following recovery from cyberattack
The Ministry of Science and ICT said on Monday that it would lift its administrative guidance, which had effectively halted the mobile carrier's new subscriber recruitment since April.
The ministry had initially recommended the suspension on April 1, urging SK Telecom to focus on replacing compromised USIM cards for its existing subscribers.
'SK Telecom has secured sufficient USIM inventory to meet replacement demands and has successfully implemented and stabilized a new reservation system,' the ministry said.
'As the objectives of the administrative guidance regarding USIM shortages have been met, we have decided to lift the suspension of new business activities.'
However, the ministry emphasized that the telecom company must continue prioritizing USIM card replacements for current customers even after resuming new sales.
The suspension stemmed from a cyber-intrusion incident made public on April 18, which resulted in a leak of USIM-related customer information.
In response to mounting security concerns, SK Telecom announced on April 25 that it would offer free USIM replacements to all affected users — a group numbering some 25 million.
The unprecedented replacement demand led to nationwide USIM shortages, prompting authorities to advise the company to halt new subscription services.
Consequently, SK Telecom's about 2,600 directly operated stores and dealerships suspended new sign-ups, with sales limited to independent retail shops.
As SK Telecom replenished its USIM stock beyond replacement needs, the company partially resumed new subscriptions on June 16, allowing sales of eSIMs at dealerships.
Throughout the suspension period, the ICT ministry monitored SK Telecom's daily inventory reports and customer replacement figures to determine the appropriate timing for a full reopening.
'We are ready to welcome new customers after successfully focusing on USIM replacements for existing subscribers,' an SK Telecom official said. 'Support for those affected by the cyberattack will continue as part of our ongoing recovery efforts.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Korea Herald
SK Telecom's brand value nosedives after mass data breach: report
SK Telecom relinquishes the telecommunications crown to rival KT The brand value of SK Telecom, the largest mobile carrier in Korea, is believed to have dipped sharply in the second quarter of this year in the wake of a massive hacking attack that was made public in April. The local brand value assessment firm Brandstock on Monday revealed the top 100 brands in the country, in which SK Telecom relinquished its top spot in the telecommunications sector to rival KT Corp. KT's score on the index jumped from 852.6 to 872.9 compared to the previous quarter, moving it up to the 27th overall spot from 41st in the first quarter. SK Telecom's score plummeted from 890.1 in the first quarter to 850.1, placing it second among mobile carriers and 40th overall. It ranked a few spots above LG UPlus, which came third among the telecom companies. SK Telecom said last month that it had lost about 400,000 users since the mass data breach that led to the theft of 9.82 gigabytes of sensitive SIM-related data affecting as many as 26.95 million users, according to a join government-civic investigation announced last month. The a still-unidentified group of hackers is thought to have commenced the cyberattack in June 2022. The unprecedented scale of the data breach has led to user complaints and a subsequent loss of subscribers. But last week's report indicated that SK Telecom has started to regain some of its customers since June 24. In terms of overall rankings of local brands, Samsung Electronics' flagship smartphone brand Galaxy and the mobile messenger application KakaoTalk each maintained their No. 1 and No. 2 spots, with KB Kookmin Bank taking the No. 3 spot, rising a notch. YouTube, the previous No. 3 on the list, fell to No. 4. Apple's iPhone, the biggest rival of the Galaxy lineup, moved up four spots to No. 5, narrowing the gap with its Korean rival.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Korea Herald
Korea's InnoCORE Attracts Top Global Postdocs Through U.S. Job Fairs
Over 100 postdoctoral researchers from top global universities were interviewed, underscoring Korea's rising global research appeal. SEOUL, South Korea, June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Korea has launched its first large-scale initiative to attract outstanding global researchers in science and technology through InnoCORE, a new fellowship program aimed at recruiting international talent in Artificial Intelligence and Science & Technology (AI+S&T). The Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea, in collaboration with the country's four Institutes of Science and Technology (KAIST, GIST, DGIST, and UNIST), will invest KRW 300 billion (approximately USD 225 million) over the next five years to recruit and support 400 postdoctoral researchers in the interdisciplinary field of AI+S&T. As part of its global outreach efforts, InnoCORE hosted in-person job fairs in Boston (June 18, Northeastern University), New York (June 20, NYU-KAIST Global Campus), and Silicon Valley (June 23, KIC Silicon Valley). More than 100 postdoctoral researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with Korean research group leaders at these job fairs. The job fair not only attracted participants from local institutions—such as Harvard, MIT, NYU, Columbia, UC Berkeley, and Stanford—but also from other premier universities across the United States, including Cornell University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Florida. The strong turnout of students reflects a growing interest in Korea's evolving role as a global research hub. Professor Hee-Seung Lee, Research Group leader of the AI Co-Research & Education for Innovative Drug Institute at KAIST, noted: "We had the chance to meet highly capable and motivated researchers with a strong potential to lead groundbreaking work in AI+S&T and was able to hear firsthand their enthusiasm for such a unique opportunity. Korea's strategic efforts through InnoCORE are resonating internationally. If these talented researchers enter our network, it will not only elevate Korea's global scientific standing but also strengthen our global talent pipeline in the future." Dr. Hyojun Lim, a postdoctoral fellow at MIT who participated in the job fair, commented: "For U.S.-based researchers seeking career opportunities in Korea, InnoCORE provided a truly practical and insightful platform. Direct discussions with the lead professors of the research projects gave me a clear sense of each research group's mission and future direction—far beyond what a website or brochure can convey." Building on the success of these events, the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea will officially commence the selection and onboarding of fellows in July. Each selected postdoctoral researcher will be offered a competitive base annual salary of KRW 90 million (~USD 66,000), with opportunities for additional research funding and compensation available through partnerships with industry and academic institutions. Fellows will also have access to advanced research infrastructure, including supercomputers, semiconductor cleanrooms, and cutting-edge biomedical facilities. The program will also implement a multi-layered mentoring system involving academic advisors, industry experts, and international researchers—designed to strengthen both independent research and multinational cooperation capabilities. InnoCORE currently operates through eight interdisciplinary research clusters. The projects are run in collaboration with Korea's top, major industry leaders (Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Naver), and global research giants such as MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Oxford, Meta, Google, and IBM Research. Research areas include large language models (LLMs), generative AI, AI-based drug discovery, advanced manufacturing, aerospace AI, clean energy, and nanotechnology for brain disease diagnostics. Mr. Chang-yoon Lee, first vice minister of Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea stated: "The InnoCORE Global Postdoctoral Job Fair showed that Korea is emerging as an attractive destination for the world's top scientific talent. We will continue to invest in building an open, globally connected research ecosystem—one where talent from around the world can grow, collaborate, and lead globally impactful science from Korea."
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Korea Herald
SK Telecom's value nosedives after mass data breach: report
SK Telecom relinquishes the telecommunications crown to rival KT The brand value of SK Telecom, the largest mobile carrier in Korea, is believed to have dipped sharply in the second quarter of this year in the wake of a massive hacking attack that was made public in April. The local brand value assessment firm Brandstock on Monday revealed the top 100 brands in the country, in which SK Telecom relinquished its top spot in the telecommunications sector to rival KT Corp. KT's score on the index jumped from 852.6 to 872.9 compared to the previous quarter, moving it up to the 27th overall spot from 41st in the first quarter. SK Telecom's score plummeted from 890.1 in the first quarter to 850.1, placing it second among mobile carriers and 40th overall. It ranked a few spots above LG UPlus, which came third among the telecom companies. SK Telecom said last month that it had lost about 400,000 users since the mass data breach that led to the theft of 9.82 gigabytes of sensitive SIM-related data affecting as many as 26.95 million users, according to a join government-civic investigation announced last month. The a still-unidentified group of hackers is thought to have commenced the cyberattack in June 2022. The unprecedented scale of the data breach has led to user complaints and a subsequent loss of subscribers. But last week's report indicated that SK Telecom has started to regain some of its customers since June 24. In terms of overall rankings of local brands, Samsung Electronics' flagship smartphone brand Galaxy and the mobile messenger application KakaoTalk each maintained their No. 1 and No. 2 spots, with KB Kookmin Bank taking the No. 3 spot, rising a notch. YouTube, the previous No. 3 on the list, fell to No. 4. Apple's iPhone, the biggest rival of the Galaxy lineup, moved up four spots to No. 5, narrowing the gap with its Korean rival.
