Sk Telecom (SKM) Risk Factors

As a result of changes in the composition and value of our assets as implied by the price of our ADSs, we believe that we may be classified as a "passive foreign investment company," or "PFIC," for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our taxable year ending December 31, 2020, and that there is a significant risk that we will be a PFIC for the current and future taxable years. A non-U.S. corporation will be a PFIC if, in any particular taxable year, either (a) 75% or more of its gross income for such year consists of certain types of "passive" income or (b) 50% or more of the value of its assets (generally determined on the basis of a quarterly average) is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income. If we are classified as a PFIC in any taxable year, a U.S. holder (as defined in "Item 10.E. Additional Information - Taxation - United States Federal Income Tax Considerations") may incur significantly increased U.S. federal income tax on gain recognized on the sale or other disposition of the common shares or ADSs and on the receipt of distributions on the common shares or ADSs to the extent such gain or distribution is treated as an "excess distribution" under the U.S. federal income tax rules, and such U.S. holder may be subject to burdensome reporting requirements. The amount of income tax on any excess distributions will be increased by an interest charge to compensate for tax deferral, calculated as if the excess distributions were earned ratably over the period that the U.S. holder holds its common shares or ADSs. Further, if we are a PFIC for any year during which a U.S. holder holds our commons shares or ADSs, we generally will continue to be treated as a PFIC for all succeeding years during which such U.S. holder holds our common shares or ADSs unless we cease to be a PFIC and the U.S. holder makes a special election. A U.S. holder may be able to avoid the unfavorable rules described above by electing to mark its ADSs to market, provided the ADSs are treated as "marketable stock." The ADSs generally will be treated as marketable stock if the ADSs are "regularly traded" on a "qualified exchange or other market" (which includes the New York Stock Exchange). Further, it should be noted that only the ADSs and not the common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Consequently, a U.S. holder that holds common shares that are not represented by ADSs may not be eligible to make a mark-to-market election in respect of those common shares. U.S. holders are strongly urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding our potential classification as a PFIC and regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of acquiring, holding, and disposing of our common shares or ADSs if we are so classified, including the advisability of making a "mark-to-market" election, if available. See "Item 10.E. Additional Information - Taxation - United States Federal Income Tax Considerations - Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules" for more details.

In the past, allegations that serious health risks may result from the use of wireless telecommunications devices or other transmission equipment have adversely affected share prices of some wireless telecommunications companies in the United States. In May 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (the "IARC"), a part of the World Health Organization, announced that it has classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields associated with wireless phone use as possibly carcinogenic to humans, based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer. The IARC conducts research on the causes of human cancer and the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and aims to develop scientific strategies for cancer control. We cannot assure you that these health concerns will not adversely affect our business. Several class action and personal injury lawsuits have been filed in the United States against several wireless phone manufacturers and carriers, asserting product liability, breach of warranty and other claims relating to radio transmissions to and from wireless phones. Certain of these lawsuits have been dismissed. We could be subject to liability or incur significant costs defending lawsuits brought by our subscribers or other parties who claim to have been harmed by or as a result of our services. In addition, the actual or perceived risk of wireless telecommunications devices could have an adverse effect on our business by reducing the number of our subscribers or the usage per subscriber.

COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 that was first reported to have been transmitted to humans in late 2019 and has since spread globally, has materially and adversely affected the global economy and caused significant volatility in global financial markets to date as well as disrupted our business operations. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020. We have implemented remote work arrangements for most of our employees at our headquarters and certain other locations from time to time in light of the Government's recommendation for social distancing. In addition, the travel restrictions imposed by governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a decrease in revenue from roaming services, and the pandemic has also contributed to lower customer demand for new wireless devices, resulting in a decrease in our wireless device sales revenue. While we do not believe that the COVID 19 pandemic and the resulting temporary remote work arrangements or such decreases in revenue have had a material adverse impact on our business to date, a prolonged outbreak of COVID-19 may result in further disruption in the normal operations of our business, including implementation of further work arrangements requiring employees to work remotely and/or temporary closures of our facilities, which may, among others, lead to a reduction in labor productivity, as well as further decrease in revenue from roaming services or wireless device sales. Other risks associated with a prolonged outbreak of COVID-19 or other types of widespread infectious diseases include: -   an increase in unemployment among, and/or a decrease in disposable income of, our customers, who may not be able to meet payment obligations or otherwise choose to decrease their spending levels, which in turn may decrease demand for some of our products and services or cause an increase in delinquent subscriber accounts;-   a slowdown in the rate of subscriber migration to our 5G service, which generally entails higher-priced subscription plans and wireless devices;-   disruptions in operations, and/or a decrease in the demand for products and services, of our corporate customers, which in turn may decrease such customers' demand for our services and products;-   service disruptions, outages and performance problems due to capacity constraints caused by an overwhelming number of people accessing our services simultaneously;-   disruptions in supply of mobile handsets or telecommunications equipment from our vendors as well as in the installation of our network infrastructure;-   unstable global and Korean financial markets, which may adversely affect our ability to meet capital funding needs on a timely and cost-effective basis;-   a decrease in the fair value of our investments in companies that may be adversely affected by the pandemic; and -   depreciation of the Won against major foreign currencies, which in turn may increase the cost of imported equipment necessary for expansion and enhancement of our telecommunications infrastructure. It is not possible to predict the duration or full magnitude of harm from COVID-19. In the event that COVID-19 or other types of widespread infectious diseases cannot be effectively and timely contained, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Substantially all of our revenues are denominated in Won. Depreciation of the Won may materially affect our results of operations because, among other things, it causes: -   an increase in the amount of Won required by us to make interest and principal payments on our foreign currency-denominated debt; and -   an increase, in Won terms, of the costs of equipment that we purchase from overseas sources which we pay for in Dollars or other foreign currencies. Fluctuations in the exchange rate between the Won and the Dollar will affect the Dollar equivalent of the Won price of the our common shares on the KRX KOSPI Market. These fluctuations also will affect: -   the amounts a registered holder or beneficial owner of ADSs will receive from the American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") depositary in respect of dividends, which will be paid in Won to the ADR depositary and converted by the ADR depositary into Dollars;-   the Dollar value of the proceeds that a holder will receive upon sale in Korea of our common shares; and -   the secondary market price of our ADSs.

We purchase wireless network equipment from a small number of suppliers. To date, we have purchased substantially all of the equipment for our networks from Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. ("Samsung Electronics"), Ericsson-LG Co., Ltd. ("Ericsson-LG") and Nokia Corporation ("Nokia"). We believe Samsung Electronics currently manufactures more than half of the wireless handsets sold to our subscribers. Although other manufacturers sell the equipment we require, sourcing such equipment from other manufacturers could result in unanticipated costs in the maintenance and enhancement of our wireless networks. Inability to obtain the equipment needed for our networks in a timely manner may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. We cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to obtain the necessary equipment from one or more of our suppliers. Any discontinuation or interruption in the availability of equipment from our suppliers for any reason could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, inability to lease adequate lines at commercially reasonable rates may impact the quality of the services we offer and may also damage our reputation and our business.

We face substantial competition across all our businesses, including our wireless telecommunications business. We expect competition to intensify as a result of the development of new technologies, products and services. We expect that such trends will continue to put downward pressure on the rates we can charge our subscribers. Historically, there has been considerable consolidation in the telecommunications industry, resulting in the current competitive landscape comprising three mobile and fixed network operators in the Korean market, us, KT Corporation ("KT") and LG Uplus Corp. ("LG U+"). Each of our competitors has substantial financial, technical, marketing and other resources to respond to our business offerings. The collective market share of KT and LG U+ amounts to approximately 54.9%, in terms of number of wireless subscribers (including an aggregate of 9.8% attributable to MVNOs that lease KT's and LG U+'s respective networks), as of December 31, 2020. Our competitors for subscriber activations include MVNOs, including MVNOs that lease our networks. MVNOs generally provide rate plans that are relatively cheaper than similar rate plans of the wireless network providers from which they lease their networks, including us. In addition, other companies may enter the wireless network services market. While new entries into such market have historically required obtaining requisite licenses from the MSIT, pursuant to an amendment to the Telecommunications Business Act that went into effect in June 2019, companies meeting certain regulatory criteria may become a network service provider by registering with the MSIT without a separate license requirement. Although such amendment has not yet resulted in any new entries into the Korean wireless network services market, it may have the effect of encouraging new entries in the future. We believe that an increase in market share of MVNOs and the entrance of new mobile network operators, if any, in the wireless telecommunications market may further increase competition in the telecommunications sector,as well as cause downward price pressure on the fees we charge for our services, which, in turn, may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows. Our fixed-line telephone service competes with KT and LG U+, as well as other providers of voice over Internet protocol ("VoIP") services. As of December 31, 2020, our market share of the fixed-line telephone and VoIP service market was 15.8% (including the services provided by SK Broadband Co., Ltd. ("SK Broadband") and SK Telink Co., Ltd. ("SK Telink")) in terms of number of subscribers compared to KT with 56.8% and LG U+ with 19.1%. In addition, our broadband Internet access, Internet protocol TV ("IPTV") and cable TV services provided through SK Broadband compete with other providers of such services, including KT, LG U+ and cable companies. Furthermore, our IPTV and cable TV services are facing an increasing level of competition from global operators of online video streaming platforms, such as YouTube, Amazon Video and Netflix, and the video services offered by leading domestic online and mobile search and communications platforms including NAVER and Kakao, as such services continue to become increasingly popular to serve as a substitute to traditional television programming. As of December 31, 2020, our market share of the broadband Internet market was 29.0% in terms of number of subscribers compared to KT with 41.1% and LG U+ with 20.3%. As of December 31, 2020, our market share of the pay TV market (which includes IPTV, cable TV and satellite TV) was 24.4% compared to KT with 32.2% (including its IPTV and satellite TV services) and LG U+ with 25.0% (including its IPTV and cable TV services), and the collective market share of other pay TV providers was 18.4%. Recently, the Korean fixed-line telecommunications industry has been going through significant consolidation involving major pay television service providers. In April 2020, we completed the merger of Tbroad Co., Ltd., a former leading cable television and other fixed-line telecommunication services provider in Korea, and two of its subsidiaries, Tbroad Dongdaemun Broadcasting Co., Ltd. and Korea Digital Cable Media Center Co. Ltd. (collectively, "Tbroad"), with and into SK Broadband. As a result of the merger and the issuance of SK Broadband's shares to the former shareholders of Tbroad with an aggregate fair value of Won 862.1 billion as of April 30, 2020, we own approximately 74.3% of SK Broadband's total outstanding shares as of December 31, 2020. In the same month, SK Telecom acquired a 55.0% equity interest in Broadband Nowon Co., Ltd. (formerly known as Tbroad Nowon Broadcasting Co., Ltd.), another subsidiary of Tbroad Co., Ltd., for a purchase price of Won 10.4 billion in cash. As a result of such transactions (the "Tbroad Merger"), we have become the third-largest pay TV provider in Korea in terms of number of subscribers as of December 31, 2020. In December 2019, LG U+ acquired a majority equity stake in CJ Hello Co., Ltd. and changed the acquired company's name to LG HelloVision Co., Ltd. ("LG HelloVision") to collectively become the second-largest pay TV provider in Korea in terms of number of subscribers as of December 31, 2020. Such transactions, as well as further consolidation in the fixed-line telecommunications industry, may result in increased competition, as the entities emerging from such consolidation and other remaining players in the industry may actively pursue expanding or protecting their respective market shares. Furthermore, the Government has historically enforced regulations on cable TV and IPTV service providers that prohibited them from having a market share of more than one-third of the total number of subscribers in the relevant pay TV market on each of their respective platforms. In June 2015, the Government amended the regulation to impose the same limit on the market share of the entire pay TV market, including satellite TV service providers as well. Such amended regulation, however, expired in June 2018. There are bills currently pending in the National Assembly to abolish the previous market share regulations on cable TV and IPTV service providers. It is uncertain whether such bills will be passed. Continued competition from other wireless and fixed-line service providers has also resulted in, and may continue to result in, a substantial level of deactivations among our subscribers. Subscriber deactivations, or churn, may significantly harm our business and results of operations. In 2020, the monthly churn rate in our wireless telecommunications business ranged from 1.1% to 1.4%, with an average monthly churn rate of 1.2%, which remained unchanged from 2019. Intensification of competition in the future may cause our churn rates to increase, which in turn may cause us to increase our marketing expenses as a percentage of sales to attract and retain subscribers. Our physical security business competes with other large physical security service providers, including S-1 Corporation ("S-1") and KT Telecop Co., Ltd. ("KT Telecop"). As of December 31, 2020, our market share of the physical security services market was 34% in terms of the aggregate revenue of these three companies, compared to S-1 with 55% and KT Telecop with 11%. Our information security services compete with other providers of similar products and services, such as Ahnlab, Inc., SECUi Corp. and Igloo Security, Inc. With respect to the e-commerce business operated by Eleven Street Co., Ltd. ("Eleven Street"), 11st, our marketplace business, faces intense competition from various e-commerce providers, including online open marketplaces and social commerce operators such as Coupang, Gmarket, Auction and Interpark. We also face competition from leading online and mobile search and communication platform companies with e-commerce operations, including NAVER and Kakao, as well as traditional retailers with online and mobile shopping portals such as SSG.com and Lotte.com, home shopping providers with online and mobile shopping portals such as CJ Mall by CJ O Shopping, GS Shop by GS Homeshopping and Hyundai Hmall by Hyundai Homeshopping, and various online marketplaces for specific consumer segments or product groups. Our television shopping ("T-commerce") business, SK stoa, primarily competes with other home shopping providers such as those listed above, as well as with various e-commerce providers and traditional retailers. The industries in which 11st and SK stoa compete are evolving rapidly and are intensely competitive, and we face a broad array of competitors domestically and increasingly, internationally. Our ability to compete successfully in all of the businesses in which we operate will depend on our ability to anticipate and respond to various competitive factors affecting the respective industries, including new services that may be introduced, changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions and discount pricing strategies by competitors.