Residents in 'Telecom Blind Spots' Suffer Twice from Hacking Incidents

No Retail Stores for All Three Major Telecom Companies in Shinan and Yangyang
Seo Samsuk: "Measures Needed to Guarantee Telecommunications Rights in Rural Areas"

Seosamsuk, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker.

Following the unprecedented SK Telecom hacking incident, there has been a major push to offer free USIM card replacements to prevent personal information leaks. However, some residents are experiencing inconvenience as they have to travel to nearby municipalities due to the absence of local SK Telecom retail stores. Critics argue that this large-scale information leak solution is actually deepening regional disparities in telecommunications services.

In the personal information breach that occurred at SK Telecom in April, information from a total of 26.96 million lines was leaked. As of August 10, the telecommunications company had replaced approximately 10.17 million USIM cards, accounting for about 37% of the total.

According to data submitted by Seosamsuk, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker representing Yeongam, Muan, and Shinan in South Jeolla Province, to the National Assembly’s audit on October 12, there are no SK Telecom retail stores in five cities and counties out of the 226 local governments nationwide: Ongjin County in Incheon, Hwacheon and Yangyang in Gangwon Province, Jinan in North Jeolla Province, and Shinan in South Jeolla Province. As a result, affected subscribers had to travel long distances to neighboring municipalities to replace their USIM cards.

The lack of retail stores is not limited to SK Telecom. KT also has no retail stores in three local governments, while LG Uplus lacks retail stores in as many as 47 local governments. Notably, both Yangyang County in Gangwon Province and Shinan County in South Jeolla Province are “telecommunications service blind spots,” with none of the three major telecom providers operating retail stores. This leaves approximately 66,000 residents at risk of severe difficulties should a similar hacking incident occur.

A resident of Shinan County, identified as A, said, “It took me four hours just to get to Mokpo, but I was unable to replace my USIM card due to a shortage of stock,” expressing not only the time and financial loss but also mental fatigue.

Assemblyman Seo stressed, “Telecommunications service providers are required by the Telecommunications Business Act to provide services fairly and promptly, yet in reality, subscribers are experiencing inconvenience due to regional disparities. The three major telecom companies must not only protect the public’s lines from hacking, but also ensure that conditions are in place for the swift replacement of USIM cards in the event of similar incidents.”

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