SK Telecom to resume new eSIM-based subscriptions after data breach

Seoul, June 15 SK Telecom Co., South Korea's leading mobile carrier, is set to partially resume new subscription services limited to eSIM starting later this week, following a recent large-scale data breach, industry sources said on Sunday.

New subscriptions, which had been suspended nationwide, will resume at its retail stores starting Monday morning, according to the sources.

The breach, first detected on April 18, involved the unauthorised exposure of data linked to universal subscriber identity module (USIM) cards. In response, SK Telecom has been replacing affected customers' USIM cards free of charge to prevent potential identity theft or financial fraud, reports Yonhap news agency.

Full resumption of new eSIM services is expected shortly after Friday, when the bulk of the USIM replacements are projected to be completed.

The Ministry of Science and ICT previously said SK Telecom would be allowed to resume new service operations once the USIM replacements for affected customers were finalised.

Industry officials noted that the decision to partially restart new subscriptions was influenced by the nearing completion of the replacement process.

The breach, first detected on April 18, involved a significant leak of universal subscriber identity module (USIM) data.

In response, SK Telecom has offered to replace the USIM cards of all affected subscribers free of charge, in an effort to prevent identity theft and financial fraud.

Meanwhile, SK Group, South Korea's second-largest conglomerate by asset, held a strategic management meeting to review its ongoing business reorganisation and discuss future growth initiatives.

SKMS, or SK Management System, is the group's core management philosophy, emphasising fundamental principles and operational efficiency. The rebalancing strategy centered on selection and concentration, organisational control and financial stability.

As part of these efforts, the number of SK affiliates has decreased from 219 last year to 198 this year through the consolidation of overlapping business operations.

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