Hwaum Law Firm Completes Initial Filing of Damages Lawsuit on Behalf of 320 Plaintiffs in SK Telecom SIM Data Breach Case
Hwaum, our Law Firm, announced on the 26th that it has filed a damages lawsuit on behalf of 320 individuals affected by SK Telecom’s SIM information data breach.
Jae-kwon Jung, Managing Attorney at Hwaum Law Firm, commented, “The SIM information compromised in this incident is highly sensitive data that could potentially be used to create cloned phones and facilitate spoofing and SIM-swapping attacks. A key issue in this litigation will be whether the compromised SIM information constitutes personal information under applicable law.”
This determination is significant because, if the compromised SIM information is deemed personal information, SK Telecom’s legal obligations under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) would apply, including the question of whether statutory damages under the PIPA may be claimed.
Hwaum Law Firm takes the position that the SIM information involved in this case, when combined with a telephone number, constitutes personal information. The firm further argues that individuals have a right to informational self-determination over their personal information and that SK Telecom is therefore obligated to compensate the plaintiffs for the non-economic harm they have suffered.
Hwaum is also pursuing a claim for statutory damages under the PIPA, arguing that SK Telecom breached its duty of care in protecting personal information and consequently bears liability for damages.
In addition, even if the SIM information were ultimately determined not to constitute personal information under the PIPA, Hwaum argues that SK Telecom should nevertheless be held liable for damages under general principles of tort law or for breach of contractual obligations, given the highly sensitive nature of SIM information and the alleged failure to adequately safeguard it.
Individuals wishing to participate in Hwaum Law Firm’s group litigation concerning the SK Telecom SIM information breach may join by paying an initial retainer of KRW 10,000. Applications are currently being accepted through the application form available on Hwaum’s website. The first group consisted of individuals who applied by May 30, while Hwaum is currently recruiting participants for the second group through July.
Attorney Jung stated, “Because compensation will be available only to those who participate in the litigation, SK Telecom users have shown significant interest in the case and are actively joining the lawsuit.”
Hwaum Law Firm is a law firm comprised of attorneys with expertise in the IT sector, including Managing Attorney Jae-kwon Jung, who has been appointed as legal counsel to the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT).