South Korea fines SK Telecom US$97M over data breach

According to Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), SK Telecom was fined 134.8 billion won (about US$97 million) for weak security and for failing to report breaches quickly. The case stems from a breach disclosed in April when hackers stole universal subscriber identity module (USIM) data, with the company offering free replacements to affected users while regulators launched a deeper probe. The PIPC said the penalty is the largest it has handed down since it was formed in 2020. The breach exposed the personal details of nearly half the country’s people.