Seoul: The head of KT Corp. on Friday urged employees to step up efforts to restore customer trust and remain vigilant against potential cyber risks across all areas of the telecom company. "Not only traditional information technology (IT) domains or specific departments but every routine task we perform -- from networking and marketing to customer service -- is now a potential target for attacks and must be protected," Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kim Young-shub said in his New Year's message, referring to a major data breach reported in September that led to a series of unauthorized micropayments.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim emphasized the necessity of a shift in awareness to defend against increasingly sophisticated security threats. He called on employees to unite in restoring customer trust while also outlining KT's longer-term growth strategy centered on artificial intelligence (AI).

Kim highlighted that KT will prioritize strengthening its AI transformation capabilities and aims to position itself as a leading global AI partner. "If we continue to enhance our AI transformation capabilities and pursue bold innovation and challenges, we can sustain our growth as a premier AI transformation partner recognized by customers and the market," Kim stated.