Latest news with #LGUplus
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Time of India
Probe into SK Telecom data breach expands to KT, LG Uplus
Seoul: A joint government-private investigation team looking into SK Telecom Co.'s recent large-scale data breach has extended its probe to the servers of two other major mobile carriers, KT Corp and LG Uplus, but found no signs they have been compromised, industry sources said on Monday. Initially, the team had asked local telecommunications and platform companies to conduct their own cybersecurity inspections. However, the approach was revised last week amid growing concerns that hackers using BPFDoor malware variants may have also targeted other South Korean mobile carriers, according to the sources. Following the expanded investigation, no traces of hacking activity have yet been found on the servers of KT or LG Uplus, they added, reports Yonhap news agency. In a media briefing last week, the investigation team revealed interim findings indicating that 25 malware variants had been discovered on 23 servers belonging to SK Telecom. These included 24 variants of the BPFDoor malware and one variant of WebCell. Two of the affected servers had been used as temporary storage for personal data, such as names, birthdates, phone numbers and email addresses, as well as international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) data. The IMEI is a unique identifier for each device on a network and could potentially be exploited in financial transactions. Servers at SK Telecom Co. containing personal information and universal subscriber identity module (USIM) data of all subscribers have been compromised in a cyberattack, raising concerns that critical USIM data used in financial transactions may have been leaked, a joint government-private investigation team. According to the team's interim findings, the breach dates back to June 15, 2022, when unidentified attackers are believed to have planted malware on the company's servers. SK Telecom discovered the breach only a month ago, on April 18. Investigators said it is believed that 9.32 gigabytes of USIM data, equivalent to roughly 26.9 million international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) numbers, have been leaked. SK Telecom currently has 25 million subscribers, including 2 million budget phone users.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LG Uplus Corp (XKRX:032640) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Profit Growth Amid ...
Service Revenue Growth: 1.6% year-over-year increase on a consolidated basis; 1.7% increase on a separate basis. Operating Profit: KRW 255.4 billion, up 15.6% year-over-year. Net Profit: KRW 162.5 billion, up 24.6% year-over-year. EBITDA: KRW 921.3 billion, up 3.8% year-over-year. Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 124.5%, improved by 2.3 percentage points. CapEx: KRW 333.1 billion, down 13.4% year-over-year. Mobile Service Revenue: KRW 1.5428 billion, up 2.4% year-over-year. Total Mobile Subscription Count: 29,000,075, up 10.7% year-over-year. 5G Handset Subscription Penetration: 74.8%, up 14% year-over-year. Marketing Spend: KRW 555.8 billion, up 1.6% year-over-year. Smart Home Revenue: KRW 630.6 billion, up 2.4% year-over-year. IPTV Revenue: Decreased by 1.2% year-over-year. Internet Revenue: KRW 296.5 billion, up 6.9% year-over-year. IPTV Subscriber Count: 5,611,000, up 2.4% year-over-year. Internet Subscriber Count: 5,396,000, up 3.4% year-over-year. B2B Infrastructure Revenue: KRW 409.7 billion, up 2.1% year-over-year. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Signs with XKRX:032640. Release Date: May 08, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. LG Uplus Corp (XKRX:032640) reported a 15.6% year-over-year increase in consolidated operating profit for Q1 2025, reaching KRW255.4 billion. The company's net profit increased by 24.6% year-over-year, amounting to KRW162.5 billion. Service revenue grew by 1.6% on a consolidated basis and 1.7% on a separate basis, indicating a positive trend in revenue generation. The mobile service segment saw a 2.4% year-over-year increase in revenue, driven by a 10.7% growth in total mobile subscriptions. LG Uplus Corp has entered strategic partnerships with global leaders like Google and AWS to enhance its AI business, aiming to expand both B2C and B2B markets. IPTV revenue experienced a decline of 1.2% year-over-year due to impacts from home shopping commissions. Marketing expenses increased by 1.6% year-over-year, attributed to costs associated with the MWC event. The company's debt-to-equity ratio, although improved, remains relatively high at 124.5%. CapEx for Q1 2025 was KRW333.1 billion, representing a 13.4% increase year-over-year, which could impact cash flow. The Solutions Business within the B2B infrastructure segment showed minimal growth of 0.4% year-over-year, indicating challenges in this area. Q: Can you explain the key driver behind the turnaround in the first quarter and provide an outlook for the year? Also, what are your plans regarding Treasury share buyback and cancellation? A: Yeo Myunghee, CFO: The improved Q1 results were due to reduced intangible amortization and fixed costs, alongside a strategic focus on qualitative growth and profitability. We have scaled down underperforming businesses, which positively impacted operating profit. We aim to enhance operational efficiencies and leverage AI for productivity. Regarding shareholder returns, we plan a flexible share buyback policy, potentially buying back up to 20% of net profit. Details on share buyback size will be shared after the first half of the year. Q: What are the investment plans for the Paju data center, and when will it start contributing to revenue? A: An Hyun-kyun, Enterprise AI Business: The disclosed investment of KRW620 billion is included in our CapEx. The data center will use advanced cooling and efficiency technologies. Revenue contribution is expected four to five years post-completion, with anticipated revenue at 60-70% of our Pyeongchon center. Plans for additional buildings are in progress. Q: How is LG Uplus addressing security concerns, especially regarding eSIM privacy? A: Yeo Myunghee, CFO: We conduct ongoing security checks and have enhanced our systems to prevent breaches. We monitor for large file transmissions and track IPs for anomalies. Our security measures have been strengthened since previous incidents, and we offer eSIM protection services, including for roaming. Q: Has there been any impact on subscriber acquisition due to recent industry incidents? A: Yeo Myunghee, CFO: It's too early to determine specific impacts on subscriber acquisition or bundling services due to recent incidents. We are monitoring the situation and will provide updates as more information becomes available. Q: What is the company's strategy for maintaining profitability amid slowing market growth? A: Yeo Myunghee, CFO: Our strategy focuses on profitability, ensuring profit growth outpaces revenue growth. We aim to streamline operations, enhance cost efficiencies, and leverage AI for productivity improvements, supporting stable financial performance. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Korea Herald
04-05-2025
- Korea Herald
What SK Telecom USIM leak means for you
SK Telecom, South Korea's largest telecommunications provider, confirmed last week that its internal systems were breached in a hacking attack, raising concerns over a possible data leak involving universal subscriber identity module (USIM) cards. As public anxiety continues to grow, the company has rolled out a three-tier protection plan that includes an upgraded fraud detection system, its existing USIM protection service and free USIM card replacements upon request. Since the free replacement program began Monday, approximately 705,000 users — just 2.8 percent of SK Telecom's subscriber base — have replaced their USIM cards, with progress reportedly slowed by limited inventory. Despite these protective measures, customer trust appears to be eroding. On Tuesday alone, 35,902 subscribers switched to rival carriers, following 34,132 the previous day. About 60 percent moved to KT Corp., with most of the rest opting for LG Uplus. To help consumers better understand the situation, The Korea Herald answers key questions surrounding the recent USIM data leak. Q. What is a USIM? A universal subscriber identity module is a smart card that stores subscriber information to authenticate users on mobile networks. It contains data such as the subscriber's phone number and international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), but does not contain personal information like their name, resident registration number, or address. Q. What USIM information was leaked in the recent security incident? According to the Ministry of Science and ICT's preliminary findings on Tuesday, subscriber phone numbers and IMSI data were leaked. However, international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) numbers, the 15-digit serial numbers that uniquely identify a mobile device, like a smartphone or tablet, were not compromised. The ministry said that users subscribed to SK Telecom's USIM protection service are safeguarded from illegal USIM cloning and unauthorized use, commonly known as SIM swapping. Q. What protective measures is SK Telecom taking for customers? SK Telecom has implemented a three-layered protection system: an enhanced fraud detection system to block suspicious authentication attempts, a USIM protection service and free USIM card replacement upon request. Q. What is the fraud detection system? The FDS monitors real-time network activity and blocks abnormal authentication attempts. For instance, if a subscriber is located in Seoul but a login is attempted from Busan, the system identifies it as suspicious and denies access. SK Telecom has upgraded this system to its highest security level in response to the breach. Q. What is the USIM protection service? This service binds a USIM card to a specific mobile device, preventing it from being used if cloned and inserted into another device. Even if a USIM is illegally copied, it cannot function unless it is paired with the original device. Q. Do customers using the USIM protection service still need to replace their USIM cards? The USIM protection service offers equivalent security to USIM replacement. However, SK Telecom provides free USIM replacement for customers seeking additional protection. Users will need to reinstall any data stored on the USIM, such as digital certificates. Q. What is the newly proposed 'USIM formatting' method? The so-called 'USIM format' is a software-based method currently being developed by SK Telecom. It aims to provide the same security as replacing the physical USIM card but with less inconvenience. Instead of swapping hardware, the USIM's internal software will be reconfigured. While users still need to visit a service center, the process is expected to be quicker and more user-friendly. The service is planned for rollout in May. Q. Can financial assets be stolen using leaked USIM information? No. Even if a USIM is cloned using the leaked data, it cannot connect to SK Telecom's network without passing through security systems like the FDS. Furthermore, financial theft requires additional personal information, such as passwords or identity verification. No related financial crimes have been reported to date. Q. If a USIM is cloned, are contacts, messages or apps also copied? No. The leaked data only includes identification information stored on the USIM. Personal content such as contacts, messages and apps is not related to the incident. Q. Does setting a USIM PIN help in this case? A USIM PIN locks the USIM to prevent unauthorized use if physically stolen, but it is not directly related to the recent data leak. Q. Can someone use services like calls or texts on a cloned phone without the owner knowing? No. Only one line per phone number can access the network at any given time. SK Telecom's FDS and USIM protection service are designed to prevent unauthorized access. Customers are strongly encouraged to enroll in the USIM protection service. Q. Is the Pass app's identity theft protection enough to replace the USIM protection service? No. Personal smartphone authentication app Pass app prevents identity theft by blocking unauthorized phone account registrations using stolen personal data. It does not protect against USIM cloning. Therefore, the USIM protection service is still necessary.
Korea Herald
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
LG Uplus' KidsTopia Combines AI Edutainment with Ecology and K-POP Content for a New Customer Experience
SEOUL, South Korea, April 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Uplus ( is leading the way in providing unique customer experiences by updating the experience center of its digital kids theme park, 'KidsTopia'. This platform allows children to explore and learn about foreign languages, animals, dinosaurs, and space through interactions with AI characters in a 3D virtual space. The number of users from Southeast Asia, including Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand, is growing, with over 1.6 million cumulative subscribers. Southeast Asian users make up 60% of the monthly user base. Virtual Tidal Flat Experience: Recognized for its unique ecological value and listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, the tidal flat has been recreated as a virtual space. Children can take pictures of about 120 different species or dig them up from the tidal flat to complete a guidebook. Detailed information about each species and quizzes are also available. This includes rare creatures like the 'swimming crab', 'nerite snail', and 'mudskipper', which are expected to be popular with overseas users. K-POP Virtual Experience Center: The 'ifeye' virtual experience center allows users to immerse themselves in K-POP. At the entrance, KASIA, a member of the girl group 'ifeye', introduces the group. Inside, users can watch videos and pictorials, enjoy virtual performances of each member's character, and follow the choreography with their own character. The 'ifeye' is a six-member girl group that debuted on the 8th of this month, and their debut song "NERDY" reached 10 million views in just 11 days. KidsTopia's virtual experiences stand out from traditional one-way content like videos by allowing users to engage with the content interactively and earn rewards through a mission-reward structure. KidsTopia has been recognized for its service stability and suitability for children, winning the 'Minister of Science and ICT Award' at the '2024 Metaverse Alliance and Self-Regulation Achievement Sharing Conference' in Korea and the 'Gold Medal' in the application category at the '2024 Mom's Choice Awards', a global certification program for child suitability. Kim Min-gu, PM of LG Uplus' KidsTopia TF, said, "KidsTopia's experiential content effectively connects learning experiences to the global alpha generation, providing fun and immersive learning opportunities. We look forward to future collaborations with various companies that have experiential content and brands targeting the global alpha generation."
Korea Herald
24-04-2025
- Korea Herald
[Editorial] Data breach, trust broken
SK Telecom's hacking incident exposes cracks in South Korea's digital armor In a hyper-connected nation where smartphones function as an extension of personal identity, the recent data breach at SK Telecom — a company with over 23 million subscribers — is more than another cybersecurity mishap. It is a stark wake-up call for consumers, regulators and telecom providers alike. SK Telecom disclosed Tuesday that a hacking incident had resulted in the partial leakage of universal subscriber identity module data — critical for authenticating mobile users. The breach stemmed from a malicious code attack detected Saturday, which infiltrated parts of its Home Subscriber Server. The company insisted that no resident registration numbers or bank account details were exposed, but that is scant consolation. USIM authentication keys, while not as overtly sensitive, can be weaponized in SIM swapping scams, identity theft and unauthorized access to financial services. This is not an isolated event. LG Uplus suffered a breach in 2023, affecting 300,000 customers. KT saw even larger breaches, impacting 8.3 million users in 2012, followed by 12 million in 2014. South Korea's three telecom giants have all experienced large-scale data leaks. Public trust should be on the line. Yet the corporate playbook remains painfully predictable: a formal apology, vague promises to boost cybersecurity and then silence until the next breach. What sets the SK Telecom breach apart is not just its scope but its systemic implications. Telecom companies increasingly resemble public utilities. Smartphones today are not mere gadgets; they are digital vaults housing everything from personal chats to biometric gateways to banking apps. The data they hold is not simply metadata — it is a mirror of identity. SK Telecom acted by deleting the malicious code and offering a free USIM protection service. However, customers were only notified via text four days later. In the world of cybersecurity, where every hour can spell the difference between containment and catastrophe, that delay reflects a mindset dangerously out of sync with the digital age. Assurances that no misuse has been reported offer little reassurance. Forensic analysis is ongoing, and the full impact of the breach remains murky. In the meantime, one uncomfortable question looms: Are South Korea's corporations doing enough to protect user data? The track record suggests not. Regulators are now investigating and considering sanctions. South Korea's revised Personal Information Protection Act allows fines of up to 3 percent of related revenues. But past enforcement has lacked teeth. Kakao was fined a record 15.1 billion won ($10.5 million) last year — a sum that barely grazed its 7.87 trillion won in revenue. The three major telecoms posted combined operating profits of 3.5 trillion won in 2024; SK Telecom alone earned 1.82 trillion won. Penalties are increasing. So are the breaches. It's clear that fines alone will not suffice. What's needed is structural change — from mandatory investment in cybersecurity to regular independent audits. More fundamentally, a cultural shift is overdue: companies must stop treating data as a monetizable asset and start seeing it as the core of user trust. Speculation is already circulating about foreign actors, including North Korea, being behind recent breaches. Whether true or not, the growing sophistication of cyberattacks underscores a simple truth — the threat is global, but the defense starts at home. South Korea has long prided itself on its digital prowess, from advanced mobile services to nationwide broadband infrastructure. Yet that ambition has not been matched by cybersecurity rigor. The cycle of breaches followed by boilerplate apologies must end. It is time for Korean corporations to treat data protection not as a compliance box to tick, but as a pillar of public trust. Consumers have handed over their digital lives. The least they deserve in return is robust protection.
