[Exclusive] 'SKT Hacking' Class Action Plaintiffs Request Introduction of US-Style Election Pledge

[Financial News] As 235 users affected by the hacking of SK Telecom (SKT) USIM information have filed a lawsuit against SKT for damages, the victims are raising their voices for the introduction of the 'US-style class action' system, where the effect of the ruling applies to all victims instead of the current class action system.
According to the legal community on the 29th, the SKT class action victims and their legal representative, Law Firm DaeRyoon, plan to send a legislative proposal with this intent to the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee and the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee on the 30th. They also plan to request it as an election pledge.
The US-style class action they are demanding stipulates that when a large number of consumers or investors suffer minor damages due to the same or similar cause, the effect of the ruling applies to all victims. A representative files a lawsuit on behalf of all victims. It can be widely used in various fields such as environmental pollution, consumer damage, and securities transactions.
The US-style class action is noted for its advantages such as △efficiently remedying small and numerous damages △increasing deterrence and recovery potential against companies △applying the ruling's effect without separate active consent through the 'opt-out method'. If any victim files a lawsuit for the group's benefit and wins, the opt-out applies unless a separate exclusion application is made.
In fact, after the 2021 T-Mobile hacking incident in the US, where the personal information of 76.6 million customers, including social security numbers and driver's license information, was leaked, a lawsuit proceeded, and a settlement of 500 million dollars (about 655 billion won) was paid. Compensation of up to 2,500 dollars (about 328,000 won) per person was made.
On the other hand, our class action, specifically consumer group lawsuits, allows consumer groups meeting certain conditions to request prohibition or cessation of business operators' illegal acts that infringe on the rights and interests of many consumers. However, it has the limitation that it cannot demand monetary compensation for damages.
Moreover, unlike the US, our class action is a joint lawsuit method. Victims must directly participate in the lawsuit to receive compensation. It does not lead to punitive damages or automatic relief for all victims. Due to these institutional limitations, the actual compensation scale or social impact of the SKT class action is inevitably significantly limited compared to the US, they argue.
A DaeRyoon representative expressed concern, "The US-style class action is effective in realizing the rights of the entire group as it can protect even passive victims, but due to the limitations of our system, the actual compensation scale and corporate responsibility are still lower compared to the US."
They continued, "Legislation should be enacted to supplement the existing consumer group lawsuit system and adopt the advantages of the US, such as the opt-out method and prevention measures against frivolous lawsuits."


yesji@fnnews.com Kim Yeji Reporter