[IT Cafe] "We Must Be Different from SKT..." LG Uplus Races to Prepare for SIM Card Replacement

SIM Card Replacement for All Subscribers Next Month
Concerns Over a Surge of Visitors at Once
Active Plans to Implement Pre-Reservation System

Customers waiting to replace their SIM cards at an official SK Telecom certified agency in Mapo-gu, Seoul. SK Telecom plans to offer free SIM replacement services to subscribers starting today. April 28, 2025. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Tension is mounting at LG Uplus ahead of the company’s planned SIM card replacement for all subscribers next month, following controversy over the exposure of International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) information. Last year, SK Telecom decided to offer free SIM card replacements following a hacking incident, but faced a surge in replacement demand that led to an outpouring of customer complaints. LG Uplus is now busy preparing in advance to avoid similar issues.

With a large-scale SIM card replacement scheduled for April 13, LG Uplus is seeking ways to minimize customer inconvenience. The company plans to actively implement a “pre-reservation system” that will allow customers to book appointments prior to their visit, thereby reducing waiting times as much as possible.

Previously, when SK Telecom offered free SIM card replacements, a sudden influx of customers caused its 114 customer service line and website to crash. Although SK Telecom accepted “SIM card replacement reservation requests” online, the overwhelming number of users led to system failures, resulting in a SIM card replacement crisis and widespread customer dissatisfaction.

On March 30, LG Uplus announced on its website detailed information about the SIM card replacement, and starting April 8, the company will enable store visit reservations via its website in advance to help spread out replacement demand.

In addition, LG Uplus plans to offer a “SIM card update” service that allows customers to update their SIM card software online without visiting a store or physically replacing the card. An LG Uplus representative stated, “When replacing a SIM card, contacts stored on the SIM may be deleted, or customers may need a refund for prepaid transportation card balances such as T-money. For customers concerned about these issues, it is possible to address the problem through an update without the need to actually replace the SIM card.”

Currently, LG Uplus has about 11 million mobile network operator (MNO) subscribers and approximately 15.5 million subscribers in total, including mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) users. According to the National Assembly and other sources, as of April 13, LG Uplus is expected to have 2.09 million physical SIM cards for MNO customers and 1.68 million for MVNO customers, totaling 3.77 million physical SIM cards. Including 2 million eSIMs, this covers about one-third of all subscribers. LG Uplus aims to secure a total of 15.67 million SIM cards—including both physical SIM cards and eSIMs—by the end of August.

While it is difficult to precisely predict the total replacement demand, it is worth noting that, as of early this year, around 10 million SK Telecom subscribers received free SIM card replacements. In reality, more than half of SK Telecom’s subscribers did not proceed with the replacement, instead using services such as SIM card protection. Considering this, it appears that LG Uplus is well positioned to accommodate all its subscribers.

An LG Uplus representative commented, “We are thoroughly preparing the pre-reservation system to ensure a smooth SIM card replacement process,” and added, “With the replacement period now just two weeks away, we are working to establish effective measures to support our customers.”

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