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Man arrested for throwing fit at SKT store over SIM shortage

Published: 29 Apr. 2025, 17:32

SK Telecom subscribers line up at a dealership in Seoul to replace their SIM cards on April 29. [YONHAP]

A man in his 30s was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly causing a disturbance at an SK Telecom retail store in Jinju, South Gyeongsang, over delays in a SIM card replacement.

The firm's nationwide SIM replacement program is part of its efforts to prevent harm to subscribers following a recent data breach in one of the worst recorded in Korea.

According to police, the man visited an SK Telecom dealership at 11:58 a.m. on Tuesday to replace his SIM card. When informed by a store employee that replacements were being done on a first-come, first-served basis and that it could take up to two weeks, the man reportedly became enraged.

“My information is being leaked. Why won’t you replace it right away?” he allegedly shouted, hurling insults and smashing a glass bottle on the floor. No injuries were reported, and only the man and the employee were present in the store at the time.

After leaving the dealership, the man went to another nearby mobile phone store. Police say he attempted to force open its locked door, damaging the entrance and kicking over an advertisement board in the process.

Officers responded to calls from the SK Telecom employee and a passerby, and arrested the man at the scene on charges of intimidation and property damage.

Police confirmed that the man was not under the influence of alcohol and told officers he became angry because the store could not immediately assist him with the SIM card replacement. Authorities are continuing to look into the incident.

SK Telecom began offering free SIM card replacements for all 25 million of its subscribers — including 1.87 million customers using budget phone services — after an internal server breach led to the partial leak of subscriber information. The company initiated the service on Monday.

Since then, large crowds have overwhelmed stores across the country, with customers concerned about data security. The surge has led to shortages and delays at many outlets.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY AN DAE-HUN [[email protected]]