Some KT employees' updated KakaoTalk profile photos.

 

 

[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] As competition intensifies among South Korean telecom providers to attract defecting SK Telecom customers, KT employees have reportedly been asked to change their KakaoTalk profile photos as part of an aggressive subscriber recruitment campaign.



According to industry sources on July 10, several KT regional headquarters recently sent internal emails urging staff to update their KakaoTalk profile pictures with a promotional image reading: “SKT customers — penalty waiver until July 14.”



The email stated, “KT has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but time is short. Our goal is to spread the word and win over as many SKT customers as possible. We would appreciate it if employees could update their personal profile photos just for one week.”



The campaign follows SK Telecom’s July 4 announcement that it would waive early termination fees for customers who canceled their service in the wake of a major security breach, as well as those who plan to cancel by July 14.



According to the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KTOA), thousands of SKT users have been switching to rival carriers daily since the announcement.



The KT New Labor Union criticized the move, calling it “a backward corporate practice that places undue pressure on employees.” The union’s secretary-general added, “A KakaoTalk profile is part of one’s personal space. Asking employees to change it for corporate purposes is highly inappropriate.”

 

 

 

 

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