KT customers hit with unauthorized transactions of nearly 1 million won in hacking attack

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KT customers hit with unauthorized transactions of nearly 1 million won in hacking attack

Published: 24 Sep. 2025, 17:00 Updated: 24 Sep. 2025, 17:06

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A KT service store is seen in downtown Seoul on Sept. 10. [YONHAP]

Hackers charged KT customers nearly 1 million won ($708) in single unauthorized transactions after stealing personal data from the telecom company’s servers, lawmakers said Wednesday.

Seven KT users each faced unauthorized charges of 996,000 won between Aug. 5 and Sept. 5, according to data the company submitted to Rep. Park Choong-kwon of the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee. All of the payments were used to purchase gift cards. Analysts said the hackers appeared to exploit knowledge of the system’s 1 million won per-transaction limit, setting charges just below the cap.

Separately, one customer was found to have accumulated more than 1 million won in unauthorized charges over the two months, suggesting KT’s monitoring systems failed to detect repeated anomalies.

In response, KT told the lawmaker’s office that it operates “a monitoring system designed to detect irregular activity within the micro-payment system.”

“This was a blatant theft of citizens’ hard-earned money, and the criminals must be punished under a strict zero-tolerance policy,” Rep. Park said. “A thorough investigation into the KT hacking case is needed to ensure that such crimes never happen again.”

The Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee of the National Assembly convened a hearing on Wednesday to examine recent data breaches, including the KT incident. Lawmakers summoned KT CEO Kim Young-shub and Lotte Card CEO Cho Jwa-jin as witnesses ahead of the hearing.

The committee questioned KT officials about how unauthorized micro-payment fraud occurred after hackers exploited illegal micro base stations to extract user information.

During the hearing, Kim said that KT is "actively considering cancellation fees for the 20,030 customers who suffered damages, including information leaks."

"We are considering waiving cancellation fees for all customers, but we will review the matter after reviewing the final investigation results," Kim said.

"Trust has been completely shattered, so waiving cancellation fees for all customers would be only natural," said Rep. Hwang Jung-a during the hearing. "KT should not just focus on compensation, but also seek legal restitution for the emotional distress."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM NAM-YOUNG [[email protected]]