The Korea Communications Commission has ruled that SK Telecom(SKT) must waive termination fees until the end of the year for customers who want to switch carriers after the massive hacking incident that compromised their privacy.

The state broadcasting watchdog said Thursday that its dispute mediation committee for telecommunication services made the decision in response to four complaints from customer who objected to the carrier’s deadline of July 14.

As a result, users who cancel SKT’s mobile services before the end of the year will have all termination fees waived, while for service bundles combining mobile and fixed-line internet, SKT must cover part of the penalties.

On July 4, SKT said it would waive termination fees for a ten-day period for customers canceling services over the SIM hacking incident, leading to the four complaints. 

The committee decided that a customer’s legitimate right to terminate a contract cannot be restricted or revoked without legal grounds, ruling that there were so such grounds for SKT’s deadline.