SK Telecom, the country's largest mobile carrier, has been ordered to compensate consumers affected by an April data‑breach incident, including a 50-thousand‑won telecom fee discount and 50-thousand membership points per applicant.

The Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee said Sunday it issued the decision in response to a group dispute mediation request filed over the breach.

Fifty‑eight consumers submitted the request in May, claiming their personal information had been leaked in the hacking of SK Telecom's servers and seeking compensation as well as preventive measures to avoid future incidents.

The committee said that, based on findings from a joint public‑private investigation and actions taken by the Personal Information Protection Commission, it concluded that the hacking led to the leakage of personal data, caused consumer harm, and that SK Telecom is responsible for compensation.

However, it said it would withhold specific judgments on potential violations of the Personal Information Protection Act, the Information and Communications Network Act, and contractual obligations, noting that multiple civil lawsuits related to the case are still pending.

The committee estimated that the number of victims may reach 23 million and that total compensation could amount to as much as two-point-three trillion won or about one-point-seven billion dollars.