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Photo: SK Telecom |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] The number of mobile subscribers switching carriers in South Korea reached 933,509 in May, the highest monthly total since February 2014, according to data released on June 2 by the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KTOA).
The unprecedented spike is widely attributed to the fallout from a recent hacking incident at SK Telecom, which led to a surge in customers leaving the country’s largest mobile carrier.
Before the implementation of the Mobile Device Distribution Improvement Act ("DanTongBeop") in October 2014, aggressive subsidy competition among telecom providers resulted in monthly average porting volumes of 900,000 to 1 million. However, following the law's enforcement—which restricted such practices—monthly number portability (MNP) fell to 400,000–500,000 on average. Last month’s figures mark a rare return to pre-2014 levels.
Compared to the same period last year (May 2024), the number of porting cases jumped by 68.1%, and was the highest monthly figure since 1.29 million in February 2014.
SK Telecom was hit hardest:
440,490 users switched from SK Telecom to KT, LG Uplus, and budget carriers (MVNOs).
In contrast, only 34,960 users ported into SK Telecom during the same period.
MVNOs also saw a boost, benefiting from the shake-up in the market. Out of 131,317 new MVNO subscribers, a significant 85,180 had switched from SK Telecom.
Industry observers see this as a major shift in customer loyalty and a wake-up call for telecom operators to enhance data protection measures and customer trust.
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
