Anchor: Telecommunications provider SK Telecom(SKT) has offered to replace SIM cards at no cost for all its customers, roughly 23 million people, in the wake of the hacking incident that breached its subscribers’ privacy. The company said it will take steps to prevent a recurrence based on the findings of a government-civilian investigation. 
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: Five SK Telecom executives bowed their heads in front of the cameras, apologizing for the hacking incident that compromised the SIM card information of its subscribers.

In a news conference on Friday, SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang also offered to replace SIM cards at no cost for all its customers, roughly 23 million people.

[Sound bite: SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang (Korean-English)]
“We would like to sincerely apologize for the great inconvenience and concern caused to customers who have trusted and used SK Telecom, and to society, due to the cyberattack that occurred on Friday, April 18.
“We will also take steps to replace SIM cards free of charge for all SK Telecom customers upon request. This is an additional step to ease the concerns of customers who are still feeling anxious, although the investigation is still ongoing.”
 
The largest mobile service carrier in South Korea suffered a malware attack last Friday, potentially exposing its users’ SIM card information. 

The SIM chip, embedded in a plastic card inside a mobile phone, contains information about the device’s subscriber and network affiliation, such as its authentication key and International Mobile Equipment Identity number.

SKT said the malicious code has been removed and no ID numbers or other sensitive personal data were compromised. 

But if the hackers also have users’ personal data, they might be able to use the leaked SIM chip information to activate burner phones and bypass authentication processes for mobile banking and other financial apps. 

While the exact extent of the information leakage is uncertain, the mobile carrier said it has bolstered monitoring of any suspicious activities to ensure its SIM cards are not duplicated. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.