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SK Group chief tells parliamentary committee he won't attend hearing on SKT hacking

Published: 06 May. 2025, 21:54 Updated: 07 May. 2025, 16:26

SK Group Chairman and Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Chey Tae-won delivers a lecture during the launch ceremony of the National Assembly Future Industry Forum in western Seoul on April 22. [NEWS1]

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has informed the National Assembly that he will not attend a parliamentary hearing on Thursday regarding the recent hacking incident involving SK Telecom (SKT).

The Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee had summoned Chey, along with SKT CEO Ryu Young-sang, as witnesses in a separate hearing related to the cyberattack.

According to the Assembly on Tuesday, Chey submitted a written explanation for his absence, citing a prior engagement involving Korea–U.S. trade discussions hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, held in preparation for the upcoming APEC trade ministers’ meeting.

Rep. Choi Min-hee of the Democratic Party, who also chairs the committee, posted on her social media account the same day with the words “I disapprove” as she publicly disclosed Chey’s written notice of absence.

In his statement, Chey expressed remorse for the data leak.

“I deeply apologize to the National Assembly and the Korean public for the distress caused by the hacking of SKT’s internal network,” he wrote. “All of us at SKT — myself included — take full responsibility and are using every available resource to prevent further damage and fully resolve the issue.

“As soon as we have a clear understanding of the cause and our response plans are in place, we will report them promptly to the National Assembly and the public,” he added.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]