[Edaily Reporter Yun Junghoon ] South Korea’s three major mobile carriers have elevated “information security” to their top management priority in response to past personal data breaches. Moving away from the previous view of information security investment as merely an “expense,” they have established a governance structure in which CEOs personally oversee these matters and are accelerating efforts to build next-generation security systems based on artificial intelligence (AI) and zero-trust principles.

According to information security disclosures by the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) on the 1st SKTelecom(017670), KTCorporation(030200), and LG Uplus(032640), the total information security investment by the three companies last year amounted to 3675억원. This represents an increase of approximately 22.0% compared to the previous year (3012억원) and is the result of significant budget increases and the expansion of specialized personnel at each company.

SKT Launches Integrated Security Center Reporting Directly to the CEO… Driving 257 Innovation Initiatives

SKT has elevated information security to the top of its management agenda and established a risk management system headed by the Board of Directors and the ESG Committee. It operates a company-wide Risk Management (RM) meeting—chaired by the CEO as the highest decision-making body—and the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) regularly reports the status of security and sensitive information protection to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis.

Notably, the CISO organization has been elevated to report directly to the CEO, and a new “Integrated Security Center” (comprising 4 divisions and 13 teams) has been established to unify information security and personal data protection.

A key feature is the “Red Team,” which proactively identifies vulnerabilities in the company’s infrastructure from an attacker’s perspective and reports directly to the CISO. The company has also implemented “Zero Trust” access control (ZTNA), which verifies all requests when accessing the internal network, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) company-wide.

According to a recently published white paper, SKT has completed 66.5% (171 out of 257) of its detailed innovation tasks since establishing its “Information Security Innovation Plan” last year.

Lee Jong-hyun, Head of SKT’s Integrated Security Center (CISO), stated, “As cyber threats become more sophisticated through their integration with AI, our security responsibilities have expanded,” adding, “We will pursue a balanced approach to building security infrastructure and strengthening employee capabilities.”

KTCorporation’s Roadmap for “AI-Based Autonomous Security”… Phased Rollout Over Three Years

KTCorporation has also strengthened its governance by establishing an “Information Security Strategy Committee” reporting directly to the CEO. To enhance expertise in security and personal information protection, the company has adopted a structure where the CISO and the Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) are appointed separately and operate independently. Additionally, KTCorporation established a “Personal Information Protection Advisory Committee” composed of six external experts to improve its ability to address personal information issues arising from the expansion of AI and digital platforms.

KTCorporation has finalized a three-year information security roadmap covering 2026 through 2028. Following the establishment of an “Integrated Security Monitoring and AI-Based Vulnerability Detection System” this year, the company plans to roll out a “Zero Trust” framework company-wide next year and implement an AI-based attack defense system. In 2028, the final phase of the plan, the company intends to fully launch an “AI-based autonomous security system” that automates threat detection and prevents their spread.

LG Corp., Ranked No. 1 in Material Issues… Strengthening “Double Pillar” of Investment and Workforce

#In its “2025 Sustainability Report,” LG Corp. identified information security and personal data protection as the top priority among its four major material issues—ranking highest in terms of financial, environmental, and social impact. Accordingly, the company reorganized the CISO office to report directly to the CEO, centralizing authority and responsibility. Major security-related management decisions are made through “Fundamentals Review Meetings” presided over personally by CEO Hong Beom-sik each month.

Growth in quantitative metrics is also notable. LGU+’s investment in information security rose from 632억 원 in 2023 to 966억 원 in 2025, accounting for 7.7% of total IT investment. During the same period, the number of dedicated information security personnel more than doubled, from 157 to 351.

LGU+ applies the “Privacy by Design” principle, which involves reviewing security at every stage from service planning to operation, and plans to raise its Zero Trust maturity level—currently at 2.4—to 3.0 (Advanced) by 2028.

A telecommunications industry official stated, “Mobile carriers, which handle large volumes of customer data, suffer a devastating double blow in the event of a security incident: the imposition of fines and a plunge in brand trust,” adding, “There has been a clear shift in perspective, with security investment now viewed not merely as a means of risk hedging but as a core competitive advantage essential to the company’s sustainability.”