SK Telecom Co., Ltd. — Ethics Grade C-

SK Telecom Co., Ltd. receives an overall ethics grade of C- (48/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Telecommunications. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 55
• privacy: 35
• consumer: 40
• environment: 65
• humanRights: 60

Documented incidents (3)

• Smartphone Price Collusion (high, 2012) — The Korea Fair Trade Commission fined SK Telecom for conspiring with handset manufacturers to artificially inflate smartphone prices and hide retail subsidies. This practice misled consumers regarding the actual discounts offered on devices.
• Customer Data Breach (medium, 2014) — Investigators found that customer information from millions of subscribers was leaked through subsidiary intermediaries. The company faced scrutiny for failing to implement sufficient technical safeguards over outsourced marketing data.
• Voice Service Blackout (medium, 2018) — A major technical failure caused a widespread voice call outage for over three hours, affecting millions of users across South Korea. The company was forced to pay significant compensation to those unable to access emergency services.

Documented good deeds

• AI Care for Elderly — Implemented an AI-based 'NUGU' care service for seniors living alone, which has reportedly prevented thousands of emergency situations through voice-activated SOS features.

Ethical alternatives

• KT Corporation — Demonstrates higher transparency in ESG reporting and stronger carbon neutrality commitments.