 |
KT CEO Kim Young-seop answers questions during a National Assembly hearing on large-scale telecom and financial hacking incidents at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on September 24, 2025. (Photo = Yonhap News) |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Seoul, September 24, 2025 – KT CEO Kim Young-seop announced that the company is conducting a full review of all small-payment transactions processed through its authentication systems since January 1, 2025, amid growing concerns over recent hacking incidents.
Speaking at a National Assembly hearing on large-scale hacking cases, Kim responded to questioning from Rep. Choi Su-jin (People Power Party):
“I fully agree that KT must identify the full scope of damages. Our compliance team has already begun examining transactions authenticated via SMS and PASS, and we have now expanded the review to cover all small-payment transactions since January 1.”
Previous Investigations
In June, KT launched a comprehensive review of all micro-payment transactions processed through ARS authentication, as part of its probe into unauthorized charges. That investigation revealed that affected customers had connected to illegal micro base stations (femtocells). In addition to two fraudulent IDs previously identified, KT discovered two more illegal base station IDs.
Call for Extended Monitoring
Rep. Choi emphasized the need for a longer audit period, stating,
“The review period should be set at a minimum of one year to ensure all damages are captured.”
KT pledged continued cooperation with regulators and lawmakers as it works to strengthen its authentication systems and prevent recurrence of fraudulent billing.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
