Seoul: KT Corp., South Korea's No. 2 mobile carrier, announced plans to offer free universal subscriber identity module (USIM) replacements to all customers starting this week, following recent unauthorized mobile payment breaches. The company's board approved the measure at a meeting held earlier in the day. According to Yonhap News Agency, the replacement service is set to commence at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, with customers able to apply for the replacement via KT's website. This initiative is part of KT's broader strategy to enhance network security and protect personal information, ensuring a safe environment for communication services. The decision was prompted by financial losses suffered by 368 KT users in August, amounting to 240 million won (approximately US$167,000), due to illegally operated micro base stations facilitating unauthorized mobile payment breaches. Records of about 22,200 users were linked to these illegal operations. Compromised data potentially includes USIM-related information such a s international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) numbers, and phone numbers. Despite growing customer concerns about possible hacking of KT's core network servers, the company maintains that there is no evidence of data leaks affecting the majority of users. In response to customer concerns, KT has introduced compensation packages, including free data and discount vouchers. Additionally, the company plans to waive penalty fees for customers affected by the breach who wish to switch to other mobile carriers. In a related development, KT's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kim Young-shub announced his decision not to seek reappointment, acknowledging responsibility for the incident. During the board meeting, Kim stated he would not partake in the open recruitment process for the next CEO, as confirmed by the company.