KT, Highest Number of Consumer Damage Claims Received in the Last 3 Years

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] KT has been found to have the highest number of consumer damage relief applications among the three mobile carriers.

On the 15th, according to data on consumer damage relief status by telecommunications operators for mobile communication, IPTV, and high-speed internet products over the past three years, submitted by Kim Young-sik, a member of the People Power Party, from the Korea Consumer Agency, KT showed the highest number of consumer damage relief applications across all service products.

Over the past three years (2020?2022), KT received a total of 1,495 damage relief complaints: 1,136 for mobile communication, 23 for IPTV, and 336 for high-speed internet.

During the same period, SK Telecom recorded a total of 806 cases, and LG Uplus recorded 889 cases. SK Telecom had 700 mobile communication cases, 8 IPTV cases, and 98 high-speed internet cases. LG Uplus received 623 mobile communication complaints, 15 IPTV complaints, and 251 high-speed internet complaints.

The Korea Consumer Agency’s "damage relief" system is designed to fairly and objectively recommend settlements to both parties based on fact-finding and expert consultation, according to relevant laws and regulations, to resolve damages that consumers suffer while using goods or services provided by businesses.

Rep. Kim stated, “The fact that KT, which calls itself the national telecommunications company, has such a high number of damage relief applications is a representative example showing how poorly KT treats the public and consumers.” He added, “It is questionable whether a company that cannot properly handle consumer complaints and ends up with damage relief cases, failing to solve fundamental business problems, deserves to be called a national company.”

He also said, “During the period when the de-telecommunication policy is being promoted, KT’s foundation as a telecommunications company is being shaken by issues such as the cancellation of the 28GHz mobile communication frequency allocation, manhole fires and multiple communication failures, and controversies over 10Gbps high-speed internet speeds.” He emphasized, “KT should focus on securing fundamental competitiveness in telecommunication services and improving consumer satisfaction rather than just the immediate reappointment of its representative.”

A KT official said, "We are making extraordinary efforts to reduce customer inconvenience, as the number of cases decreased in 2022 compared to 2021."

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