The National Assembly Also Criticizes 'KT Internet Quality' Controversy... Government to Conduct Full Investigation of SKB and LGU+ (Comprehensive)

Kim Hyun, Vice Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission (right), and Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT (center), are attending the full meeting of the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 22nd, listening to inquiries. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] Following the controversy over ultra-high-speed internet quality involving KT, the government has announced plans to conduct a full-scale investigation into SK Broadband and LG Uplus as well.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, Kim Hyun, Vice Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, stated at the National Assembly’s Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee (STIBC) plenary session, "We will first investigate KT, and then conduct a full investigation of SK Telecom and LG Uplus." Since SK Broadband, a subsidiary of SK Telecom, is responsible for wired services, it will be included in the investigation.

This controversy escalated after a well-known IT YouTuber ‘Itsseop’ revealed on his YouTube channel on the 17th that the KT 10-gigabit (10Gbps) internet service he subscribed to was actually provided at a speed of only 100 megabits (Mbps), which is one-hundredth of the promised speed. During this process, KT’s attitude was also criticized, including the rude response of customer service staff who seemed to shift blame onto customers and demands for video deletions.

Independent lawmaker Yang Jeongsuk pointed out, "We tested the 500Mbps service ourselves and confirmed that the speed was 95Mbps, far below the minimum standard (250Mbps)." She added, "An investigation into other products is also necessary." She expressed skepticism about KT’s explanation of a programming error, saying, "It is hard to accept that 13.5% of 10-gigabit service subscribers were affected due to a simple KT error." According to KT, 178 people use the problematic 10-gigabit product, and 24 of them have been confirmed to have been affected.

In response, Vice Chairman Kim Hyun said, "Given the strong public outrage, we will carefully examine whether system improvements are needed and if there are any legal issues, and respond appropriately," adding, "We may extend the investigation to other products as well." It is expected that lower-tier plans such as 100Mbps, 500Mbps, and 1Gbps will also be included in the investigation alongside the problematic 10-gigabit product.

KT’s post-incident response has also come under scrutiny.

People Power Party lawmaker Heo Eun-ah criticized, "I paid 88,000 won (for the 10-gigabit product) expecting airplane speed, but it was slower than a train," and added, "The accident response method is also problematic; the telecom company said it is impossible for them to check the speed first and asked consumers to test it themselves and report if there is a problem." Lawmaker Heo emphasized, "The obligation to maintain internet quality lies with the telecom company, not the consumer."

There are calls for measures not only against poor service provision but also for delayed apology postings and evasive post-incident responses.

Lawmaker Yang demanded stronger consumer measures, saying, "There should be better pricing policies than daily discounts." Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Pil-mo also pointed out, "To avoid fairness issues, after checking the telecom companies’ actual conditions, compensation for other consumers should be handled without discrimination."

In response, Minister of Science and ICT Choi Ki-young said, "We have received reports regarding the 10-gigabit product issue, but we have not received specific reports about poor quality in lower-speed products," adding, "It appears the telecom company made an input error. We will conduct a fact-finding investigation with the Korea Communications Commission, listen to expert opinions, and take necessary actions."

On the 21st, KT posted an apology on its official website, stating, "We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused by the recent degradation of 10G internet quality," and "We are very sorry for not being more attentive to customers’ perspectives during the response process." KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo also apologized to reporters at the World IT Show the previous day, saying, "We made mistakes, and there were problems in the response process," and promised to prevent recurrence.

Meanwhile, during the STIBC plenary session that day, numerous questions were raised to Eom Jae-sik, Chairman of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, regarding the release of contaminated water from Fukushima. Additionally, there was a partisan dispute over the controversy surrounding TBS (Traffic Broadcasting) program host Kim Eo-jun’s appearance fees. During this process, opposition parties mainly called for an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection at the STIBC level.

Just before adjournment, STIBC Chairman Lee Won-wook proposed launching a task force (TF) related to semiconductors in response to the recent semiconductor shortage and requested the two floor leaders to discuss this matter.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.