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SK Telecom loses 70,000 dissatisfied customers to rival carriers

Published: 30 Apr. 2025, 12:52

People line up in front of an SK Telecom retail store in Seoul on April 29 to have their SIM cards replaced free of charge. [YONHAP]

The fallout from a recent hacking incident continues to weigh heavily on SK Telecom, with nearly 70,000 users switching to rival carriers just two days after the company began offering free SIM card replacements.

According to the local telecom industry on Wednesday, a total of 35,902 SK Telecom subscribers transferred their numbers to other carriers on Tuesday. On Monday, 34,132 users did the same, bringing the two-day total to 70,034.

Of the 21,002 users who moved to KT, 20,294 had previously been with SK Telecom. LG U+ received 16,275 new subscribers during the same period, 15,608 of whom also switched from SK Telecom.

Only 3,262 users moved in the opposite direction — from KT or LG U+ to SK Telecom — resulting in a net loss of 32,640 subscribers for the company on Tuesday alone.

KT and LG U+ absorbed much of this churn, gaining 18,829 and 13,811 subscribers respectively.

The actual number of users who left SK Telecom is expected to be higher if those who moved to budget mobile carriers are included.

With the exodus showing no signs of slowing, the country’s top telecom operator faces what may be its most serious crisis to date.

In response to the subscriber outflow, second- and third-ranked operators KT and LG U+ have ramped up their marketing efforts by increasing subsidies.

Some retail shops on Wednesday offered SK Telecom users who switched to KT a base model of Samsung’s newest Galaxy S25 smartphone free of charge, along with a 250,000 won ($174) payback. LG U+ retailers promoted a 330,000 won payback for the same model.

SK Telecom has also increased its own subsidies in an effort to stem the loss of subscribers.

Industry insiders say SK Telecom’s inadequate initial response — including a lack of direct text message notifications and a shortage of SIM card inventory — has led to customer dissatisfaction. They expect the trend of users leaving the carrier to continue in the near term.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]