LG Uplus said on Wednesday the cumulative number of SIM updates and free replacements being carried out for all customers has exceeded 1 million.

LG Uplus has been rolling out SIM updates and free replacements to all customers since April 13. Over the 10 days from April 13 to 22, it completed 427,385 SIM updates and 581,094 SIM replacements, for a total of 1,008,479 cases. The cumulative replacement rate is 5.9 percent.

LG Uplus combined text messages, online guidance including the U+one app, reservation-based operations and on-site support to minimise customer inconvenience. It is also expanding its "visiting service" for customers who find it difficult to visit stores. It carried out replacement work using a senior welfare centre in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang province, a mountainous area, as a base. It is also providing on-site support at senior welfare centres in urban areas including Jung-gu and Dobong-gu in Seoul, Busan and Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi province.

It also supported customers in island areas. LG Uplus provided on-site customer support on April 13 and 14 on Ulleungdo in Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang province, and Yeongheungdo in Ongjin County, Incheon. From the end of this month, it plans to roll out visiting services sequentially in Deokjeokdo, Jawoldo, Yeonpyeongdo, Bukdo, Baengnyeongdo and Daecheongdo.

The SIM updates and free replacements are linked to controversy over the design of the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). LG Uplus has assigned IMSI values since 2011 by partially reflecting customers' phone numbers. The IMSI, a value that identifies subscribers when accessing a mobile network, became controversial because it could lead to security threats if combined with other information.

Lee Jae-won (이재원), head of LG Uplus' consumer division and a vice president, said the company is continuing to strengthen customer guidance because the SIM updates and free replacements are an important measure to protect customers. He said it will responsibly support customers through to the end so they can take the steps without inconvenience by combining online guidance, stores and visiting services.