SK Telecom begins hacking-prompted USIM replacement service

SK Telecom Co. on Monday began offering free universal subscriber identity module (USIM) chip replacements to all of its customers following a recent network hacking incident, but the service faced disruptions amid a shortage of USIM cards and a large number of customers wishing to take the precautionary measure.

The company opened a web page for the service at 10 a.m., with around 2,600 SK Telecom stores nationwide also starting the replacement service at the same time.

Some 25 million SK Telecom subscribers, including nearly 2 million budget phone users, are eligible for the replacement service, according to SK Telecom.

SK Telecom plans to provide new USIM cards by verifying customers’ ID cards and reservation confirmation texts during on-site replacements.

However, shortly after the system went live, SK Telecom’s official website and the USIM replacement page became difficult to access due to heavy traffic. Offline stores also reported long lines of customers waiting for the service.

The shortage of USIM cards is expected to persist for some time, as SK Telecom currently holds about 1 million units. The company said it plans to secure an additional 5 million cards by the end of next month.

On April 18, SK Telecom detected signs of a massive leak of customers’ USIM data due to a cyberattack.