Seoul: SK Telecom will resume offering new subscription services after successfully completing the replacement of universal subscriber identity modules (USIM) for its 25 million users, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced. The suspension, imposed due to a data breach, will be lifted starting Tuesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the government halted new subscriptions two months ago after a cyberattack potentially compromised sensitive USIM data on SK Telecom's servers. During this period, SK Telecom undertook a comprehensive USIM replacement initiative. The ministry confirmed that SK Telecom has secured an adequate supply of USIM chips, and its booking system is functioning smoothly, leading to the lifting of the ban.
The ministry emphasized that SK Telecom must continue prioritizing USIM replacement requests from users. SK Telecom has announced that new subscriptions will be accessible at its 2,600 T World retail stores from Tuesday. The company assured uninterrupted service for new subscribers in collaboration with its distribution network and pledged ongoing support for customers wanting to replace their USIM cards due to the data breach.
To mitigate risks of identity theft or financial fraud following the breach, SK Telecom initiated free USIM card replacements for all subscribers, including 2 million budget phone users, starting in late April. The South Korean government had previously directed the company to suspend new subscriptions at all retail locations until the replacement process was finished.
Last week, as the replacement neared completion, SK Telecom began permitting limited new subscriptions using embedded SIMs (eSIMs).