As South Korea reels from a major cyberattack involving SK Telecom’s USIM data breach, public frustration is growing over the government’s refusal to name the country allegedly behind the hack. The silence from officials has only intensified speculation—particularly whether the attacker might be one of South Korea’s allies.
South Korean Government’s Silence Sparks Public Fury
On April 30, during a National Assembly hearing, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ji-won openly criticized the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and Minister Lee Jong-ho for withholding the attacker’s identity. “The government must disclose which country was responsible for the hacking and present clear preventative measures. That’s the government’s duty to its people,” Park said.
Minister Lee acknowledged a “certain country” had made similar attempts in the past but stopped short of naming it, citing “diplomatic issues.” His evasive answers prompted outrage, both from lawmakers and online communities. Netizens questioned whether the attacker might be a friendly nation, with one user writing, “If it really was an ally, then it’s even more urgent to make this a diplomatic issue.”
SK Telecom initially revealed on April 22 that it detected signs of a malware attack on April 19 targeting USIM card systems. The infected equipment was swiftly isolated, but the breach sparked widespread alarm given SKT’s dominant market share, 40.2%, serving around 25 million users including budget carrier customers.
Acting President Han Duck-soo has ordered relevant government agencies to take immediate action, including the Korea Communications Commission and the Personal Information Protection Commission, in an effort to contain public concern and potential fallout.
“Was It an Ally?” — Speculation Grows as SKT Hack Probe Deepens Without Answers
At the heart of public discontent is the suspicion that the attacker may be a country considered friendly to South Korea, prompting concerns over whether diplomatic sensitivities are taking precedence over national security and transparency.
During the Assembly hearing, Park Ji-won challenged Minister Lee’s rationale, “If it were North Korea, would you still call it a diplomatic concern? What if it were China or Russia? Or is this hesitance because it’s an ally?”
Minister Lee maintained the government is still investigating:
“We’ve identified quite a lot. But naming the country could trigger diplomatic problems, so we’ll speak later. There’s no longer a clear division between allies and enemies. I apologize on behalf of the government.”
Public sentiment continues to sour, with social media users voicing concern:
- “The whole country is in turmoil, and we can’t even say who did it?”
- “The victim can’t even name the perpetrator?”
- “Our own people should come first.”
Even the ruling People Power Party is pressing for accountability. Acting chair Kwon Young-se emphasized during a May 1 emergency party meeting, “The government must clearly fulfill its role. It needs to identify and analyze the problem quickly and offer concrete solutions.”
With national cybersecurity on high alert and public trust in crisis, the next steps from the government—and whether they will ever name the responsible country—remain under close scrutiny.
