[Report] "It's great that they came all the way to the island"... LG Uplus Replaces SIM Cards in West Sea Island Regions

SIM Card Replacement on Jawol Island, Ongjin County on the 27th

"Providing Tailored Services for Local Communities and Residents"

At around 9:30 a.m. on the 27th, elderly residents of Jawol Island in Incheon headed to the second floor of the Jawol Township Office. They were there for LG Uplus’s free SIM (USIM) card replacement and update service. LG Uplus staff replaced the SIM cards within five minutes and checked whether the phones were working properly, as well as whether financial and payment applications could be reauthenticated.

On the 27th, Minwan Kim, Senior Manager of LG Uplus Incheon Retail Sales Team, was replacing SIM cards for residents on Jawoldo Island, Ongjin County, Incheon. Photo by Byeongseon Gong

Since the 13th, LG Uplus has been visiting western island regions in Ongjin County, Incheon—including Jawol Island, Yeongheung Island, Deokjeok Island, Yeonpyeong Island, and Baengnyeong Island—to provide customer services for SIM card updates and replacements. The service is primarily aimed at residents who have difficulty visiting mainland stores or updating SIM cards by themselves. LG Uplus is conducting free SIM card replacements and updates as a security measure, following the partial inclusion of actual phone numbers in the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) used for subscriber identification. As of 10 p.m. on the 27th, since the 13th, a total of 765,556 SIM cards had been replaced and 515,176 updates had been performed. The cumulative replacement rate stands at 7.5%.

The majority of those who came to the Jawol Island free SIM card replacement site were elderly. As of the end of last month, the proportion of residents aged 65 and older in Jawol Township was 48%, exceeding the national average of approximately 21%. Minwan Kim, Team Lead of LG Uplus Incheon Retail Sales Team, explained, "We visited the western island regions to provide direct services to elderly customers who have difficulties using mobile phones," adding, "For those with mobility issues, we also offer home-visit services."

Meeting residents an hour away by boat..."A process of building community trust"

Since the 13th, LG Uplus has been visiting the islands in the West Sea of Ongjin County, Incheon, including Jawoldo, Yeongheungdo, Deokjeokdo, Yeonpyeongdo, and Baengnyeongdo, providing customer services for SIM card updates and replacements. On the 27th, the Jawol Township Office guided customers on free SIM card replacement and updates by LG Uplus. Photo by Gong Byungseon

Elderly residents welcomed the fact that they could replace their SIM cards without leaving the island. Seokbu Jang (72, male) visited the site for his second SIM card replacement after receiving a guidance text from the Jawol Township Office. He said, "I was worried about personal information leaks, so I quickly came to the township office," and added, "I appreciate that they came all the way to the island." Bongseong Kang (69, male) also said, "I came to replace my SIM card after hearing the village chief's announcement," and added, "I was concerned about the possibility of personal information leaks, but now I feel relieved." That day, a total of 28 residents on Jawol Island participated in the free SIM card replacement service.

The elderly residents also had many questions. They asked why they kept receiving calls starting with '070' and whether they were using the right mobile plan. Since Jawol Island is about an hour away by boat from the Incheon Coastal Passenger Terminal, elderly residents who seldom visit the mainland tend to have many questions. Consequently, LG Uplus staff not only replaced SIM cards but also addressed various concerns related to mobile phone use for the elderly. Myungseok Choi, Team Lead of LG Uplus Gangnam Sales Promotion Team, commented, "Parents living in rural areas usually wait until their children visit to ask questions. We meet Jawol Island residents with that same mindset."

Looking ahead, LG Uplus plans to continue its on-site support by visiting communication-vulnerable regions, including island areas. An LG Uplus representative stated, "We will reduce service gaps through tailored support based on local conditions and resident characteristics," and added, "Beyond simply providing services, it is also a meaningful process of building trust with the local community."

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