South Korean authorities have determined that SK Telecom (SKT) is responsible for a major data breach involving the leakage of USIM card information affecting about half of the country's population. The Ministry of Science and ICT and a joint government-private investigation team concluded that SKT's negligence, including failure to report the presence of malware installed on its servers since August 6, 2021, led to inadequate data security measures. As a result, the government has ordered SKT to waive penalties for subscribers who choose to terminate or switch their contracts due to the breach. SK Telecom has accepted this directive and announced a comprehensive compensation and information protection plan valued at approximately 1 trillion won (about $750 million). The company has also started a refund inquiry service for affected users as of July 5. Despite these measures, SKT's stock price dropped over 5% following the announcement. The government has warned that refusal to comply with the penalty waiver could lead to corrective orders or even deregistration of the company. The incident has raised concerns about SKT's overall information security system and its long-term financial impact, with estimates suggesting potential losses of up to 7 trillion won over three years. President Lee has emphasized that victims should not suffer any financial damages due to the breach.