SKT to Pay Partners 131.8 Billion Won Early Ahead of Chuseok

[Financial News] SKT will make an early payment of 131.8 billion won to ease the financial burden on partner companies ahead of the Chuseok holiday. It will also activate a special communications response system to provide stable services during the holiday and the Asian Games.
SKT said on the 18th that it would operate special communications measures centered on a central situation room and linked to regional situation rooms for five days from the 23rd through the 27th, the day before and during the Chuseok holiday. It will also operate a separate monitoring and control system during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which will be held from the 19th through the fourth of the following month.
During the holiday, a cumulative total of 3,625 personnel from SKT, SK Broadband, SK O&S, Home & Service, affiliated companies, and operations and maintenance partners will monitor communications networks nationwide around the clock.
In particular, AI will be used to identify signs of network problems in advance and accelerate the response. The in-house wireless network AI operations system, A-One, analyzes traffic and equipment conditions across the nationwide network in real time to detect early signs of quality deterioration. The core network AI integrated monitoring and control system, Spider, also continuously monitors for abnormal signs.
SKT expects maximum hourly data usage on the 25th, Chuseok Day, to increase by 10.3% from ordinary levels. It has therefore completed preliminary inspections of highways, national roads, ancestral grave sites, and tourist and recreational facilities, where communications traffic is expected to rise as travelers and visitors head home or go on trips. It has also completed capacity expansions for 5G and LTE base stations.
Video calling services will be provided free of charge from the 24th through the 27th. Separate situation rooms will also be operated for major services, including TMAP, A., and PASS, to respond to changes in traffic.
SKT will also strengthen its roaming and security measures in preparation for an increase in overseas travelers. The company expects the number of international roaming users during the holiday to rise by up to 25% from ordinary levels and will strengthen cooperation with overseas operators. A 24-hour security monitoring system will also be operated through the integrated security operations center.
Early payments will be made to partner companies and distribution networks to ease their financial burden.
SKT, together with SK Broadband, will make an early payment totaling 131.8 billion won to around 200 partner companies responsible for network construction, maintenance, and service contracts, as well as around 250 distribution networks.
SKT makes payments early every year ahead of Seollal and Chuseok to reduce the financial burden on its partner companies. This year's combined early payments ahead of the two holidays will total 243.8 billion won.
SKT also operates a financial support program for partner companies. Introduced in 2004, Daegum Jigeup Baro is a system that pays small and medium-sized partner companies 100% in cash within two business days of the expenditure approval date. There are no separate usage requirements or limits on the payment amount.
SKT also operates the Win-Win Growth Fund on a permanent basis. The fund uses interest from deposits provided by SKT to reduce its partners' loan interest burden and support emergency loans. Top-performing partner companies are eligible for interest-free loans.

[email protected] Yoon Hong-jip Reporter