South Korean Government is planning to get rid of all of 200,000 ‘Daepo Phones (phones that illegally use other people’s names’ in South Korea. After granting a period of guidance until the middle of November, it is going to close one’s authority to these phones. This act is predicted to contribute in clearing the future of mobile network markets.
Ministry of Science, ICP and Future Planning is currently getting rid of these phones along with 3 mobile network operators such as SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus and 36 mobile virtual network operators. Even if these phones are opened through normal activations, phones that have different users and registered people are due to deaths, complete leave of country, expiration of one’s stay, and closure of business) subjected to this act.
Mobile network operators are going to induce users of these phones to change registered names by the 14th of November and are going to terminate their ownership of these phones if they do not respond on the 15th of November. This is the first time when South Korean Government is responding towards these phones with an ultimatum like this.
According to mobile network operators, there are about 200,000 South Koreans who use these phones and most of them are illegal immigrants. Currently they cannot make any calls.
The Telecommunications Business Act has people who steal other people’s names imprisoned for less than 3 years or imposes $90,723 (100 million KRW).
Staff Reporter Kim, Yongjoo | kyj@etnews.com