Customers scroll through SK Telecom's services displayed on a monitor / Courtesy of SK Telecom

SK Telecom, Korea’s largest wireless carrier, secured the top position in the mobile phone service category of the 2026 National Customer Satisfaction Index, extending an industry-leading streak that now spans nearly three decades.

The achievement, announced Monday, marks the 29th consecutive year the company has led the rankings. SK Telecom remains the only enterprise across all domestic industries to have held the top position every year since the index was introduced in 1998. The survey, conducted by the Korea Productivity Center, in partnership with the University of Michigan, is a primary benchmark for consumer sentiment, relying on direct user evaluations to quantify satisfaction levels across more than 30 countries.

Analysts and company officials attribute the sustained performance to a strategic pivot toward artificial intelligence (AI)-centered telecommunications and a localized effort to restore consumer confidence following a high-profile cyber intrusion incident in 2025. In the wake of that breach, the carrier implemented a series of network security upgrades and customer-facing initiatives intended to rebuild trust.

Among these efforts is the integration of artificial intelligence into daily operations. The company’s A.dot service, which uses real-time AI to identify and filter telecommunications fraud, reportedly blocked approximately 1.1 billion attempts at voice phishing and spam in 2025.

The 2026 results also highlighted the performance of SK Broadband, an SK Telecom subsidiary, which ranked first in both high-speed internet and internet protocol television categories for the 16th consecutive year.

To maintain its lead, the parent company has emphasized direct engagement. In the first quarter of 2026, SK Telecom conducted 187 outreach sessions, during which executives and staff met with consumers at retail channels and call centers to solicit feedback. These sessions resulted in more than 1,000 hours of direct customer support, a move designed to rapidly integrate user feedback into the product development cycle.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

Source: Korea Times News