Form 20-F
Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2015

 

 

 

 

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

Form 20-F

 

 

(Mark One)

 

  ¨ REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

OR

 

  þ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

       For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014

OR

 

  ¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

OR

 

  ¨ SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of event requiring this shell company report

For the transition period from              to             

Commission file number 1-14418

SK Telecom Co., Ltd.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

SK Telecom Co., Ltd.

(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)

The Republic of Korea

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

SK T-Tower

65, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea

(Address of principal executive offices)

Ms. Tae Hee Kim

65, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea

Telephone No.: 82-2-6100-2114

Facsimile No.: 82-2-6100-7830

(Name, telephone, email and/or facsimile number and address of company contact person)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.

 

Title of Each Class

 

Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered

American Depositary Shares, each representing

one-ninth of one share of Common Stock

  New York Stock Exchange

Common Stock, par value ₩500 per share

  New York Stock Exchange*

* Not for trading, but only in connection with the registration of the American Depositary Shares.

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act.

None

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act.

None

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.

70,936,336 shares of common stock, par value 500 per share (not including 9,809,375 shares of common stock held by the company as treasury shares)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  þ    No  ¨

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.    Yes  ¨    No   þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  þ    No   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  ¨    No   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer  þ            Accelerated filer  ¨            Non-accelerated filer  ¨

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

U.S. GAAP  ¨    International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board  þ    Other  ¨

Indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow. Item 17  ¨    Item 18  þ

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ¨    No   þ

 

 

 

 


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

CERTAIN DEFINED TERMS AND CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS ANNUAL REPORT

     1   

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     1   

PART I

     4   

Item 1.

 

IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

     4   

Item 1.A.

 

Directors and Senior Management

     4   

Item 1.B.

 

Advisers

     4   

Item 1.C.

 

Auditors

     4   

Item 2.

 

OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

     4   

Item 3.

 

KEY INFORMATION

     4   

Item 3.A.

 

Selected Financial Data

     4   

Item 3.B.

 

Capitalization and Indebtedness

     7   

Item 3.C.

 

Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

     7   

Item 3.D.

 

Risk Factors

     8   

Item 4.

 

INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

     23   

Item 4.A.

 

History and Development of the Company

     23   

Item 4.B.

 

Business Overview

     26   

Item 4.C.

 

Organizational Structure

     50   

Item 4.D.

 

Property, Plants and Equipment

     50   

Item 4A.

 

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

     50   

Item 5.

 

OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

     50   

Item 5.A.

 

Operating Results

     51   

Item 5.B.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

     64   

Item 5.C.

 

Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, etc.

     73   

Item 5.D.

 

Trend Information

     73   

Item 5.E.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

     74   

Item 5.F.

 

Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations

     74   

Item 5.G.

 

Safe Harbor

     74   

Item 6.

 

DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES

     74   

Item 6.A.

 

Directors and Senior Management

     74   

Item 6.B.

 

Compensation

     76   

Item 6.C.

 

Board Practices

     76   

Item 6.D.

 

Employees

     77   

Item 6.E.

 

Share Ownership

     78   

Item 7.

 

MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

     78   

Item 7.A.

 

Major Shareholders

     78   

Item 7.B.

 

Related Party Transactions

     80   

Item 7.C.

 

Interests of Experts and Counsel

     80   

Item 8.

 

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

     80   

Item 8.A.

 

Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information

     80   

Item 8.B.

 

Significant Changes

     83   

Item 9.

 

THE OFFER AND LISTING

     83   

Item 9.A.

 

Offering and Listing Details

     83   

Item 9.B.

 

Plan of Distribution

     83   

Item 9.C.

 

Markets

     84   

Item 9.D.

 

Selling Shareholders

     90   

Item 9.E.

 

Dilution

     90   

Item 9.F.

 

Expenses of the Issue

     90   

 

(i)


Table of Contents
     Page  

Item 10.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     90   

Item 10.A.

 

Share Capital

     90   

Item 10.B.

 

Memorandum and Articles of Incorporation

     90   

Item 10.C.

 

Material Contracts

     102   

Item 10.D.

 

Exchange Controls

     103   

Item 10.E.

 

Taxation

     107   

Item 10.F.

 

Dividends and Paying Agents

     111   

Item 10.G.

 

Statements by Experts

     111   

Item 10.H.

 

Documents on Display

     111   

Item 10.I.

 

Subsidiary Information

     111   

Item 11.

  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK      111   

Item 12.

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES

     112   

Item 12.A.

 

Debt Securities

     112   

Item 12.B.

 

Warrants and Rights

     112   

Item 12.C.

 

Other Securities

     113   

Item 12.D.

 

American Depositary Shares

     113   

PART II

     114   

Item 13.

 

DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES

     114   

Item 14.

  MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS      114   

Item 15.

 

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

     114   

Item 16.

 

[RESERVED]

     115   

Item 16A.

 

AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT

     115   

Item 16B.

 

CODE OF ETHICS

     115   

Item 16C.

 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

     115   

Item 16D.

  EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES      116   

Item 16E.

  PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS      116   

Item 16F.

 

CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT

     116   

Item 16G.

 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

     116   

Item 16H.

 

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

     117   

PART III

     117   

Item 17.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     117   

Item 18.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     117   

Item 19.

 

EXHIBITS

     118   

EX-1.1

    

EX-8.1

    

EX-12.1

    

EX-12.2

    

EX-13.1

    

EX-13.2

    

EX-15.3

    

EX-15.4

    

EX-15.5

    

 

(ii)


Table of Contents

CERTAIN DEFINED TERMS AND CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS ANNUAL REPORT

All references to “Korea” contained in this annual report shall mean The Republic of Korea. All references to the “Government” shall mean the government of The Republic of Korea. All references to “we,” “us,” or “our” shall mean SK Telecom Co., Ltd. and, unless the context otherwise requires, its consolidated subsidiaries. References to “SK Telecom” shall mean SK Telecom Co., Ltd., but shall not include its consolidated subsidiaries. All references to “U.S.” shall mean the United States of America.

All references to “MHz” contained in this annual report shall mean megahertz, a unit of frequency denoting one million cycles per second. All references to “GHz” shall mean gigahertz, a unit of frequency denoting one billion cycles per second. All references to “Mbps” shall mean one million bits of information per second. All references to “GB” shall mean gigabytes, which is one billion bytes. Any discrepancies in any table between totals and the sums of the amounts listed are due to rounding.

All references to “Won,” or “₩” in this annual report are to the currency of Korea, all references to “Dollars” or “US$” are to the currency of the United States of America, all references to “CHF” or “Franc” are to the currency of Switzerland, all references to “MYR” are to the currency of Malaysia, all references to “euro” or “€” are to the currency of the European Union and all references to “Australian Dollars” or “AUD” are to the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Pursuant to amendments to the Government Organization Act and the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Korea Communications Commission, both effective as of March 23, 2013, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (the “MSIP”) was established. The MSIP is charged with regulating information and telecommunications, which function was formerly performed by the Korea Communications Commission (the “KCC”) under the previous Government. The KCC, which had taken over the regulatory functions relating to information and telecommunications policies and radio and broadcasting management from the Ministry of Information and Communication (the “MIC”) in 2008, is currently charged with regulating the public interest aspects of and fairness in broadcasting. In this annual report, we refer to the MIC and the KCC as the relevant governmental authorities in connection with any approval granted or action taken by the MIC or the KCC, as applicable, prior to such amendments and to the MSIP or other relevant governmental authority in connection with any approval granted or to be granted or action taken or to be taken by the MSIP or such other relevant governmental authority subsequent to such amendments.

The consolidated financial statements included in this annual report are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (the “IASB”). As such, we make an explicit and unreserved statement of compliance with IFRS, as issued by the IASB, with respect to our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 included in this annual report.

In accordance with rule amendments adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which became effective on March 4, 2008, we are not required to provide a reconciliation to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or U.S. GAAP.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, all financial data included in this annual report are presented on a consolidated basis.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report contains “forward-looking statements,” as defined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are based on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about our company and our industry. The forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “considering,” “depends,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “planning,” “planned,” “project” and similar expressions, or that certain events, actions or results “may,” “might,” “should” or “could” occur, be taken or be achieved.

 

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Forward-looking statements in this annual report include, but are not limited to, statements about the following:

 

   

our ability to anticipate and respond to various competitive factors affecting the wireless telecommunications industry, including new services that may be introduced, changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions and discount pricing strategies by competitors;

 

   

our implementation of high-speed downlink packet access (“HSDPA”) technology, high-speed uplink packet access (“HSUPA”) technology, evolved high-speed uplink packet access (“HSPA+”) technology, wireless broadband Internet (“WiBro”) technology, long-term evolution (“LTE”) technology and long-term evolution advanced (“LTE-A”) technology;

 

   

our plans for capital expenditures in 2015 for a range of projects, including investments to improve our LTE network and launch our LTE-A services, investments to maintain our wide-band code division multiple access (“WCDMA”) network-based products and services, investments in our wireless Internet-related and convergence businesses and funding for mid- to long-term research and development projects, as well as other initiatives, primarily related to the development of our new businesses such as our business-to-business (“B2B”) solutions and healthcare businesses, as well as initiatives related to our ongoing businesses in the ordinary course;

 

   

our efforts to make significant investments to build, develop and broaden our businesses, including developing and providing wireless data, multimedia, mobile commerce and Internet services;

 

   

our ability to comply with governmental rules and regulations, including the regulations of the Government related to telecommunications providers, the Mobile Device Distribution Improvement Act (“MDDIA”), rules related to our status as a “market-dominating business entity” under the Korean Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act (the “Fair Trade Act”) and the effectiveness of steps we have taken to comply with such regulations;

 

   

our ability to manage effectively our bandwidth and to implement timely and efficiently new bandwidth-efficient technologies;

 

   

our expectations and estimates related to interconnection fees, tariffs charged by our competitors, regulatory fees, operating costs and expenditures, working capital requirements, principal repayment obligations with respect to long-term borrowings, bonds and obligations under capital leases, and research and development expenditures and other financial estimates;

 

   

the success of our various joint ventures and investments;

 

   

our ability to successfully manage our acquisition in 2012 of a stake in SK hynix Inc. (known as Hynix Semiconductor Inc. at the time of such acquisition, “SK Hynix”), a memory-chip maker;

 

   

our ability to successfully manage our investments in various overseas businesses;

 

   

our ability to successfully enter and operate in new business areas, including the platform, B2B solutions and healthcare businesses;

 

   

our ability to successfully attract and retain subscribers; and

 

   

the growth of the telecommunications industry in Korea and other markets in which we do business and the effect that economic, political or social conditions have on our number of subscribers, call volumes and results of operations.

We caution you that reliance on any forward-looking statement involves risks and uncertainties, and that although we believe that the assumptions on which our forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and, as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions could be incorrect. Risks and uncertainties associated with our business include, but are not limited to, risks related to changes in the regulatory environment, technology changes, potential litigation and governmental actions, changes in the competitive environment, political changes, foreign exchange

 

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currency risks, foreign ownership limitations, credit risks and other risks and uncertainties that are more fully described under the heading “Item 3. Key Information — Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this annual report. In light of these and other uncertainties, you should not conclude that we will necessarily achieve any plans and objectives or projected financial results referred to in any of the forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to release the results of any revisions of these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

 

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PART I

 

Item 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

 

Item 1.A. Directors and Senior Management

Not applicable.

 

Item 1.B. Advisers

Not applicable.

 

Item 1.C. Auditors

Not applicable.

 

Item 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

Not applicable.

 

Item 3. KEY INFORMATION

 

Item 3.A. Selected Financial Data

You should read the selected consolidated financial and operating data below in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this annual report. The selected consolidated financial data set forth below as of and for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto, which have been prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB.

In addition to preparing consolidated financial statements in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB included in this annual report, we also prepare financial statements in accordance with Korean International Financial Reporting Standards (“K-IFRS”) as adopted by the Korean Accounting Standards Board (the “KASB”), which we are required to file with the Financial Services Commission of Korea (the “FSC”) and the Korea Exchange Inc. (the “Korea Exchange”) under the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act (the “FSCMA”). English translations of such financial statements are furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. Beginning with our financial statements prepared in accordance with K-IFRS as of and for the year ended December 31, 2012, we are required to adopt certain amendments to K-IFRS No. 1001, Presentation of Financial Statements, as adopted by the KASB in 2012. The amendments require operating income, which is calculated as operating revenue less operating expense, to be separately presented on the consolidated statement of income. Operating expense represents expenses incurred in our main operating activities and includes cost of products that have been resold and selling, general and administrative expenses.

In our consolidated statements of income prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB included in this annual report, such changes in presentation were not adopted. As a result, the presentation of operating income in our consolidated statements of income prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB included in this annual report differs from the presentation of operating income in the consolidated statements of income prepared in accordance with K-IFRS for the corresponding periods. For additional information, see “Item 5.A. Operating Results — Explanatory Note Regarding Presentation of Certain Financial Information under K-IFRS.”

 

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    Year Ended December 31,  
    2014     2013     2012     2011     2010  
    (In billions of Won, except per share and number of shares data)  

STATEMENT OF INCOME DATA

         

Operating Revenue and Other Income

  17,220.3      16,677.0      16,343.3      15,852.8      15,473.4   

Revenue

    17,163.8        16,602.1        16,141.4        15,803.2        15,392.7   

Other income

    56.5        74.9        201.9        49.6        80.7   

Operating Expense

    15,612.4        15,098.6        14,605.6        13,690.1        13,139.3   

Operating Income

    1,607.8        1,578.4        1,737.6        2,162.7        2,334.1   

Profit before Income Tax

    2,253.8        1,827.1        1,519.4        2,212.3        2,363.5   

Profit from Continuing Operations

    1,799.3        1,426.3        1,231.2        1,610.3        1,813.8   

Profit (Loss) from Discontinued Operation, net of income taxes

           183.2        (115.5     (28.3     (36.1

Profit for the Year

    1,799.3        1,609.5        1,115.7        1,582.1        1,766.8   

Basic Earnings per Share(1)

    25,154        23,211        16,525        22,848        25,598   

Diluted Earnings per Share(2)

    25,154        23,211        16,141        22,223        24,942   

Basic Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations(1)

    25,154        20,708        18,015        23,339        24,843   

Diluted Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations(2)

    25,154        20,708        17,583        22,699        24,208   

Dividends Declared per Share (Won)

    9,400        9,400        9,400        9,400        9,400   

Dividends Declared per Share (US$)(3)

    8.6        8.9        8.8        8.1        8.3   

Weighted Average Number of Shares

    70,936,336        70,247,592        69,694,999        70,591,937        71,942,387   

 

    As of December 31,  
    2014     2013     2012     2011     2010  
    (In billions of Won)  

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION DATA

         

Working Capital (Deficit)(4)

  (337.2   (945.8   (880.5   (556.1     451.8   

Property and Equipment, Net

    10,567.7        10,196.6        9,712.7        9,031.0        8,153.4   

Total Assets

    27,941.2        26,576.5        25,595.6        24,366.0        23,132,4   

Non-current Liabilities(5)

    7,272.7        6,340.7        6,565.9        4,959.7        4,522.2   

Share Capital

    44.6        44.6        44.6        44.6        44.6   

Total Equity

    15,248.3        14,166.6        12,854.8        12,732.7        12,408.0   

 

    Year Ended December 31,  
    2014     2013     2012     2011     2010  
    (In billions of Won, except percentage data)  

OTHER FINANCIAL DATA

         

Capital Expenditures(6)

  3,008.0      2,879.1      3,394.3      2,960.6      2,142.3   

R&D Expense(7)

    397.8        363.7        346.3        295.9        355.9   

Depreciation and Amortization Expense

    2,714.7        2,661.6        2,421.1        2,286.6        2,118.4   

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

    3,677.4        3,558.6        3,999.7        6,306.4        4,343.4   

Net Cash Used in Investing Activities

    (3,683.2     (2,506.5     (5,309.6     (4,239.1     (2,339.0

Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities

    (559.4     (573.2     585.3        (1,079.3     (2,246.1

Margins (% of total sales):

         

Operating Margin(8)

    9.3     9.5     10.6     13.6     15.0

Net Margin(8)

    10.4     9.7     6.8     9.9     11.3

 

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    As of or for the Year Ended December 31,  
    2014     2013     2012     2011     2010  

SELECTED OPERATING DATA

         

Population of Korea (in millions)(9)

    51.3        51.1        50.9        50.7        50.5   

Our Wireless Penetration(10)

    55.7     53.5     52.9     52.3     50.9

Number of Employees(11)

    25,689        23,789        22,148        20,955        20,143   

Wireless Subscribers(12)

    28,613,341        27,352,482        26,961,045        26,552,716        25,705,049   

Average Monthly Outgoing Voice Minutes per Subscriber(13)

    195        182        179        192        199   

Average Monthly Churn Rate(14)

    2.0     2.3     2.6     2.7     2.7

Cell Sites

    50,158        44,764        35,584        21,999        17,483   

 

 

(1)   Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing profit attributable to owners of SK Telecom by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Basic earnings per share from continuing operations is calculated by dividing profit from continuing operations attributable to owners of SK Telecom by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period.

 

(2)   Diluted earnings per share is calculated by dividing profit attributable to owners of SK Telecom adjusted for dilution by the potential dilutive weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, taking into account the conversion of outstanding convertible bonds. Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations is calculated by dividing profit from continuing operations attributable to owners of SK Telecom adjusted for dilution by the potential dilutive weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, taking into account the conversion of outstanding convertible bonds.

 

(3)   The Dollar amounts shown for the years ended December 31, 2014. 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 were translated at the rate of Won 1,090.9 to US$1.00, Won 1,055.3 to US$1.00, Won 1,063.2 to US$1.00, Won 1,158.5 to US$1.00 and Won 1,130.6 to US$1.00, respectively, the noon buying rates in effect at the end of the respective years.

 

(4)   Working capital means current assets minus current liabilities.

 

(5)   Our monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are valued at the exchange rates prevailing at the end of each reporting period. See note 4(19) of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

 

(6)   Consists of cash outflows for the acquisition of property and equipment.

 

(7)   Consists of research and development costs that are expensed and costs that are amortized during the respective period as well as donations to Korean research institutions and educational organizations in 2012, 2011 and 2010 of Won 4.0 billion, Won 20.0 billion and Won 81.6 billion, respectively.

 

(8)   Operating revenue and other income and operating income used in the calculation of these ratios exclude the operating revenue and other income and operating income from discontinued operations.

 

(9)   Population numbers reflect the number of registered residents as published by the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs of Korea.

 

(10)   Wireless penetration is determined by dividing our subscribers by total estimated population, as of the end of the period.

 

(11)   Includes regular employees and temporary employees. See “Item 6.D. Employees.”

 

(12)   Wireless subscribers include those subscribers who are temporarily deactivated, including (i) subscribers who voluntarily deactivate temporarily for a period of up to three months no more than twice a year and (ii) subscribers with delinquent accounts who may be involuntarily deactivated up to two months before permanent deactivation, which we determine based on various factors, including prior payment history. The number of subscribers as of December 31, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011 include 2,141,172 subscribers, 1,066,848 subscribers, 406,018 subscribers and 55,449 subscribers, respectively, of mobile virtual network operators (“MVNO”) that lease our wireless networks.

 

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(13)   The average monthly outgoing voice minutes per subscriber is derived by dividing the total minutes of outgoing voice usage for the period by the monthly average number of subscribers for the period, then dividing that number by the number of months in the period. The monthly average number of subscribers is derived by dividing (i) the sum of the average number of SK Telecom subscribers for each month in the period, calculated as the average of the number of SK Telecom subscribers on the first and last days of the relevant month, by (ii) the number of months in the period.

 

(14)   The average monthly churn rate for a period is the number calculated by dividing the sum of voluntary and involuntary deactivations during the period by the simple average of the number of subscribers at the beginning and end of the period, then dividing that number by the number of months in the period. Churn includes subscribers who upgrade to a next generation service, such as LTE, by terminating their service and opening a new subscriber account.

Exchange Rates

The following table sets forth, for the periods and dates indicated, certain information concerning the noon buying rate for translations of Won amounts into Dollars. We make no representation that the Won or Dollar amounts we refer to in this annual report could have been or could be converted into Dollars or Won, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.

 

Year Ended December 31,

  At End  of
Period
    Average
Rate(1)
    High     Low  
    (Won per US$1.00)  

2010

    1,130.6        1,155.7        1,253.2        1,104.0   

2011

    1,158.5        1,106.9        1,197.5        1,049.2   

2012

    1,063.2        1,126.2        1,185.0        1,063.2   

2013

    1,055.3        1,094.7        1,161.3        1,050.1   

2014

    1,090.9        1,052.3        1,117.7        1,008.9   

 

     Past Six Months  
     High      Low  
     (Won per US$1.00)  

October 2014

     1,074.4         1,043.9   

November 2014

     1,114.7         1,077.0   

December 2014

     1,117.7         1,080.8   

January 2015

     1,109.1         1,075.3   

February 2015

     1,112.8         1,086.8   

March 2015

     1,135.7         1,095.7   

April 2015 (through April 24)

     1,100.4         1,075.9   

 

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

 

(1) The average rates for the annual periods were calculated based on daily noon buying rates for cable transfers in New York City certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

On April 24, 2015, the noon buying rate was Won 1,075.9 to US$1.00.

 

Item 3.B. Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

 

Item 3.C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable.

 

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Item 3.D. Risk Factors

Risks Relating to Our Business

Competition may reduce our market share and harm our results of operations and financial condition.

We face substantial competition across all our businesses, including our wireless telecommunications business. We expect competition to intensify as a result of continuing consolidation of market leaders and the development of new technologies, products and services. We expect that such trends will continue to put downward pressure on the prevailing tariffs we can charge our subscribers.

Prior to April 1996, we were the only wireless telecommunications service provider in Korea. Since then, several new providers have entered the market, offering wireless voice and data transmission services that compete directly with our business. The collective market share of these other providers amounts to approximately 50.0%, in terms of numbers of wireless subscribers, as of December 31, 2014. Since 2000, there has also been considerable consolidation in the wireless telecommunications industry, resulting in the emergence of stronger competitors, including the merger of KT Freetel Co., Ltd. (“KTF”), one of our principal wireless competitors before the merger, into KT Corporation (“KT”), Korea’s principal fixed-line operator, in June 2009 and the merger in January 2010 of LG DACOM Corporation and LG Powercomm Co., Ltd. into LG Telecom Co., Ltd. (“LG Telecom”), which subsequently changed its name to LG Uplus Corp. (“LG U+”). Such consolidation has created large, well-capitalized competitors with substantial financial, technical, marketing and other resources to respond to our business offerings. In addition, our broadband Internet access service provided through SK Broadband Co., Ltd. (“SK Broadband”) (formerly, Hanarotelecom Incorporated) competes with other providers of Internet access services, including KT, LG U+ and cable companies, and our fixed-line telephone service provided through SK Broadband competes with KT, as well as providers of voice over Internet protocol (“VoIP”) services. Future business combinations and alliances in the telecommunications industry may also create significant new competitors or enhance the abilities of our current competitors to offer more competitive services and could harm our business and results of operations.

Continued competition from the 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 2014, the churn rate in our wireless telecommunications business ranged from 1.7% to 2.3%, with an average churn rate of 2.0%, which was a decrease from 2.3% in 2013. Intensification of competition in the future may cause our churn rates to increase. The increased competition may cause us to increase our marketing expenses as a percentage of sales to attract and retain subscribers.

In 2007, the KCC introduced certain regulations to allow telecommunication service providers to bundle their services as well as allow our competitors to employ services provided by us so that they can offer similar discounted package services. Competition intensified as licensed transmission service providers were permitted to offer local, domestic long-distance and international telephone services, as well as broadband Internet access and Internet phone services, without additional business licenses. Moreover, beginning in September 2010, we were required to lease our networks to any MVNO at such MVNO’s request, at a rate mutually agreed upon that complies with the standards set by the KCC, which remain effective. To date, ten MVNOs have commenced providing wireless telecommunications services using the networks leased from us. Furthermore, CJ HelloVision Co., Ltd. commenced providing wireless voice and data transmission services as an MVNO using the networks leased from KT in January 2012. In addition, other companies may enter the telecommunications service market by applying for the required licenses from the MSIP. For example, between 2010 and 2014, Korea Mobile Internet and Internet Space Time Co., Ltd. applied for such licenses multiple times but all of their applications were either rejected or withdrawn. We believe the introduction of bundled services and the entrance of MVNOs or another wireless telecommunications service provider into 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.

Increasingly, our wireless and fixed-line voice and text message services also face competition from companies that provide voice and text message services over the fixed-line or mobile Internet such as Skype, Kakao

 

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Talk and Line, some without charging a fee for such services. This trend could negatively impact customer demand for our voice and text message services and may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

We expect competition to intensify as a result of continued consolidation of our competitors, regulatory changes and the rapid development of new technologies, products and services. Our ability to compete successfully will depend on our ability to anticipate and respond to various competitive factors affecting the industry, including new services that may be introduced, changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions and discount pricing strategies by competitors.

Inability to successfully implement or adapt our network and technology to meet the continuing technological advancements affecting the wireless telecommunications industry will likely have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operation, cash flows and business.

The telecommunications industry has been characterized by continual improvement and advances in technology, and this trend is expected to continue. We and our competitors have continually implemented technology upgrades from our basic code division multiple access (“CDMA”) network to WCDMA, which is the third generation technology implemented by us, and to LTE technology, which is generally referred to as a fourth generation technology. We commenced commercial LTE services in July 2011 at the same time with LG U+, while KT commenced its commercial LTE services in January 2012. In June 2013, we commenced providing commercial LTE-A services using carrier aggregation technology which combines spectrum frequencies to improve data transmission speeds and since then, we have continued to deploy improved LTE-A technology to increase the maximum data transmission speed of our services. KT and LG U+ have also launched similar LTE-A services around the same time as us. The more successful operation of an LTE network or development of improved LTE technology by a competitor, including better market acceptance of a competitor’s LTE services, could materially and adversely affect our existing wireless telecommunications businesses as well as the returns on future investments we may make in our LTE network or our other businesses.

For a more detailed description of our backbone networks, see “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Digital Wireless Network.”

Our business could also be harmed if we fail to implement, or adapt to, future technological advancements in the telecommunications sector in a timely manner. In addition to introducing new technologies and offerings, we must phase out outdated and unprofitable technologies and services. If we are unable to do so on a cost-effective basis, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Implementation of LTE technology has required, and may continue to require, significant capital and other expenditures, which we may not recoup.

We have made, and intend to continue to make, capital investments to develop, launch and enhance our LTE service, including launching LTE-A services. In 2014, 2013 and 2012, we spent Won 1,357.2 billion, Won 1,439.4 billion and Won 1,767.1 billion, respectively, in capital expenditures to build and enhance our LTE network. We plan to make further capital investments related to our LTE and LTE-A services in the future. Our LTE-related investment plans are subject to change, and will depend, in part, on market demand for LTE and LTE-A services, the competitive landscape for provision of such services and the development of competing technologies. There may not be sufficient demand for our LTE or LTE-A services, as a result of competition or otherwise, to permit us to recoup or profit from our LTE-related capital investments.

Our growth strategy calls for significant investments in new businesses and regions, including businesses and regions in which we have limited experience.

We seek growth through investments in new businesses. While we believe that entering into new businesses enables us to diversify our business portfolio, we may be exposed to additional risks. For example, in February 2012, we acquired a 21.1% equity stake in SK Hynix, one of the world’s largest memory-chip makers by revenue, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately Won 3.4 trillion, and became its largest shareholder. Since the memory semiconductor industry in which SK Hynix operates is subject to cyclical fluctuations, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by a downturn in the memory semiconductor industry.

 

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From time to time, the memory semiconductor industry has experienced significant and sometimes prolonged downturns, which often occur in connection with a deterioration of global economic conditions, and is subject to intense competition. For example, SK Hynix and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, incurred net losses of Won 158.8 billion and Won 56.0 billion in 2012 and 2011, respectively, primarily due to increased supply and weak demand for semiconductor products. Accordingly, SK Hynix’s operating results would be adversely affected if it fails to compete successfully or decrease manufacturing costs at an adequate level. Since our share of any net losses incurred by SK Hynix would be reflected in our income statement as share of losses related to investments in associates, any significant loss of SK Hynix could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We also continue to seek other opportunities to expand our business abroad, as such opportunities present themselves. These global businesses may require further investment from us. For a more detailed description of our investments in our global business, see “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Global Business.”

We believe that we must continue to make significant investments to build, develop and broaden our existing businesses. Entering into new businesses and regions in which we have limited experience may require us to make substantial investments, and despite such investments, we may still be unsuccessful in these efforts to expand and diversify. We might not be able to recoup or profit from our investments in new businesses and regions. For example, in November 2010, we invested approximately US$60 million in LightSquared Inc. (“LightSquared”), which planned to build a wholesale wireless broadband network in the United States. However, LightSquared is currently in bankruptcy proceedings in the United States pursuant to Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In addition, when we enter into these businesses and regions with partners through joint ventures or other strategic alliances, we and those partners may have disagreements with respect to strategic directions or other aspects of business, or may otherwise be unable to coordinate or cooperate with each other, any of which could materially and adversely affect our operations in such businesses and regions.

We may fail to successfully integrate our new acquisitions and joint ventures and may fail to realize the anticipated benefits.

We continue to seek opportunities to develop new businesses that we believe are complementary to our existing product and service portfolio and expand our global business through selective acquisitions. In 2014, we acquired a 66.7% interest in Neosnetworks Co., Ltd. (“Neosnetworks”), a provider of residential and small business electronic security and other related alarm monitoring services, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately Won 24.0 billion and a 49.0% equity stake in Iriver Ltd. (“Iriver”), a manufacturer of digital audio players and other portable media devices, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately Won 54.5 billion. In 2014, SK Planet acquired (through its 95.2%-owned subsidiary) a 100.0% ownership interest in Shopkick Inc. (“Shopkick”), a developer of a shopping app for mobile devices that provides benefits to customers for visiting stores, in order to penetrate the mobile commerce market in the United States. For a more detailed description of our recent investments in new businesses, see “Item 5.B. Liquidity and Capital Resources — Capital Requirements — Investments in New Businesses and Global Expansion and Other Needs.”

While we are hoping to benefit from a range of synergies from the acquisitions as well as develop new growth engines for our business, we may not be able to integrate our new businesses and may fail to realize the expected benefits in the near term, or at all.

Due to the existing high penetration rate of wireless telecommunications services in Korea, we are unlikely to maintain our subscriber growth rate, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

According to data published by the MSIP and the historical population data published by the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, the penetration rate for the Korean wireless telecommunications industry as of December 31, 2014 was approximately 111.5%, which is relatively high compared to many industrialized countries. Therefore, the penetration rate for wireless telecommunications service in Korea will not grow significantly. As a result of the already high penetration rate in Korea for wireless telecommunications services coupled with our leading market share, we expect our subscriber growth rate to decrease. Slowed growth in the penetration rate without a commensurate increase in revenues through the introduction of new services and increased use of our services by existing subscribers would likely have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 

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Our business and results of operations may be adversely affected if we fail to acquire adequate additional spectrum or use our bandwidth efficiently to accommodate subscriber growth and subscriber usage.

One of the principal limitations on a wireless network’s subscriber capacity is the amount of spectrum available for use by the network. We currently use 10 MHz of bandwidth in the 800 MHz spectrum for our CDMA services, 40 MHz of bandwidth in the 2.1 GHz spectrum for our WCDMA services, 20 MHz of bandwidth in the 2.1 GHz spectrum, 20 MHz of bandwidth in the 800 MHz spectrum and 35 MHz of bandwidth in the 1.8 GHz spectrum for our LTE services, as well as 27 MHz of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band for our WiBro services.

The growth of our wireless data businesses has been a significant factor in the increased utilization of our bandwidth, since wireless data applications are generally more bandwidth-intensive than voice services. In particular, the increasing popularity of smartphones and data intensive applications among smartphone users has recently been a major factor for the high utilization of our bandwidth. This trend has been offset in part by the implementation of new technologies, such as our tri-band LTE-A technology, which enables more efficient usage of our bandwidth than was possible on our basic LTE network. However, if the current trend of increased data transmission use by our subscribers continues, or the volume of the multimedia content we offer through our wireless data services substantially grows, our bandwidth capacity requirements are likely to increase. While we believe that we can address the capacity constraint issue through system upgrades and efficient allocation of bandwidth, inability to address such capacity constraints in a timely manner may adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial position and cash flows. In the event we are unable to maintain sufficient bandwidth capacity, our subscribers may perceive a general slowdown of wireless telecommunications services. Growth of our wireless telecommunications business will depend in part upon our ability to effectively manage our bandwidth capacity and to implement efficiently and in a timely manner new bandwidth-efficient technologies if they become available. We cannot assure you that bandwidth constraints will not adversely affect the growth of our wireless telecommunications business. Furthermore, we may be required to pay a substantial amount to acquire bandwidth capacity in order to meet increasing bandwidth demand, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We rely on key researchers and engineers and senior management, and the loss of the services of any such personnel or the inability to attract and retain them may negatively affect our business.

Our success depends to a significant extent upon the continued service of our research and development and engineering personnel, and on our ability to continue to attract, retain and motivate qualified researchers and engineers. In particular, our focus on leading the market in introducing new services has meant that we must aggressively recruit engineers with expertise in cutting-edge technologies.

We also depend on the services of experienced key senior management, and if we lose their services, it would be difficult to find and integrate replacement personnel in a timely manner, or at all.

The loss of the services of any of our key research and development and engineering personnel or senior management without adequate replacement, or the inability to attract new qualified personnel, would have a material adverse effect on our operations.

We need to observe certain financial and other covenants under the terms of our debt instruments, the failure to comply with which would put us in default under those instruments.

Certain of our debt instruments contain financial and other covenants with which we are required to comply on an annual and semi-annual basis. The financial covenants with respect to SK Telecom’s debt instruments include, but are not limited to, a maximum net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 2.75 and a minimum interest coverage ratio of 4.00, each as determined on a separate basis. The debt arrangements also contain negative pledge provisions limiting our ability to provide liens on our assets as well as cross-default and cross-acceleration clauses, which give related creditors the right to accelerate the amounts due under such debt if an event of default or acceleration has occurred with respect to our existing or future indebtedness, or if any material part of our indebtedness or indebtedness of our subsidiaries is capable of being declared payable before the stated maturity date. In addition, such covenants restrict our ability to raise future debt financing.

If we breach our financial or other covenants, our financial condition will be adversely affected to the extent we are not able to cure such breaches or repay the relevant debt.

 

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We may have to make further financing arrangements to meet our capital expenditure requirements and debt payment obligations.

As a network-based wireless telecommunications provider, we have had, and expect to continue to have, significant capital expenditure requirements as we continue to build out, maintain and upgrade our networks. We spent Won 3,008.0 billion for capital expenditures in 2014. We expect to spend less for capital expenditures in 2015 compared to 2014 for a range of projects, including investments to improve our LTE network and launch our LTE-A services, investments to maintain our WCDMA network-based products and services, investments in our wireless Internet-related and convergence businesses and funding for mid- to long-term research and development projects, as well as other initiatives, primarily related to the development of our new businesses such as our B2B solutions and healthcare businesses, as well as initiatives related to our ongoing businesses in the ordinary course.

In particular, we continue to make significant capital investments to expand and upgrade our wireless networks in response to growing bandwidth demand by our subscribers. Bandwidth usage by our subscribers has rapidly increased in recent years primarily due to the increasing popularity of smartphones and data intensive applications among smartphone users. If heavy usage of bandwidth-intensive services grows beyond our current expectations, we may need to invest more capital than currently anticipated to expand the bandwidth capacity of our networks or our customers may have a suboptimal experience when using our services. Any of these events could adversely affect our competitive position and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operation and cash flow. For a more detailed discussion of our capital expenditure plans and a discussion of other factors that may affect our future capital expenditures, see “Item 5.B. Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

As of December 31, 2014, we had approximately Won 1,755.5 billion in contractual payment obligations due in 2015, almost all of which involve repayment of debt obligations. See “Item 5.B. Liquidity and Capital Resources — Contractual Obligations and Commitments.”

We have not arranged firm financing for all of our current or future capital expenditure plans and contractual payment obligations. We have, in the past, obtained funds for our proposed capital expenditure and payment obligations from various sources, including our cash flow from operations as well as from financings, primarily debt and equity financings. Any material adverse change in our operational or financial condition could impact our ability to fund our capital expenditure plans and contractual payment obligations. Still volatile financial market conditions may also curtail our ability to obtain adequate funding. Inability to fund such capital expenditure requirements may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and business. In addition, although we currently anticipate that the capital expenditure levels estimated by us will be adequate to meet our business needs, such estimates may need to be adjusted based on developments in technology and markets. In the event we are unable to meet any such increased expenditure requirements or to obtain adequate financing for such requirements, on terms acceptable to us, or at all, this may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and business.

Termination or impairment of our relationship with a small number of key suppliers for network equipment and for leased lines could adversely affect our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

We purchase wireless network equipment from a small number of suppliers. To date, we have purchased substantially all of the equipment for our CDMA network from Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (“Samsung Electronics”) and substantially all of the equipment for our WCDMA network, including the software and firmware used to upgrade our WCDMA network, from Samsung Electronics and Ericsson-LG Co., Ltd. (formerly known as LG-Ericsson Co., Ltd.) (“Ericsson-LG”). To date, we have purchased substantially all of the equipment for our LTE network from Samsung Electronics, Ericsson-LG and Nokia Siemens Networks B.V. We believe Samsung Electronics currently manufactures approximately 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

 

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could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. 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.

Our business relies on technology developed by us, and our business will suffer if we are unable to protect our proprietary rights.

We own numerous patents and trademarks worldwide, and have applications for patents pending in many countries, including Korea, Japan, China and the United States, and in Europe. In addition to active research and development efforts, our success depends in part on our ability to obtain patents and other intellectual property rights covering our services.

We may be required to defend against charges of infringement of patent or other proprietary rights of third parties. Although we have not experienced any significant patent or other intellectual property disputes, we cannot be certain that any significant patent or other intellectual property disputes will not occur in the future. Defending our patent and other proprietary rights could require us to incur substantial expense and to divert significant resources of our technical and management personnel, and could result in our loss of rights to employ certain technologies to provide services.

Malicious and abusive Internet practices could impair our services.

Our wireless and fixed-line subscribers increasingly utilize our network to access the Internet and, as a consequence, we or they may become victim to common malicious and abusive Internet activities, such as unsolicited mass advertising (i.e., “spam”), hacking of personal information and dissemination of viruses, worms and other destructive or disruptive software. These activities could have adverse consequences on our network and our customers, including degradation of service, excessive call volume to call centers and damage to our or our customers’ equipment and data. Significant incidents could lead to customer dissatisfaction and, ultimately, loss of customers or revenue, in addition to increased costs to us to service our customers and protect our network. For example, in July 2011, there was a leak of personal information of subscribers of the NATE and Cyworld websites operated by SK Communications Co., Ltd. (“SK Communications”), our consolidated subsidiary. Various lawsuits have been filed against SK Communications alleging that the leak was caused by its poor management of subscribers’ personal information. With respect to three of the lawsuits for which final judgments have been rendered, the relevant courts have rendered judgments in favor of SK Communications. As of March 31, 2015, nineteen of the lawsuits, seeking damages of approximately Won 1.2 billion in aggregate, were pending at various district courts, various high courts and the Supreme Court of Korea. Any significant loss of our subscribers or revenue due to incidents of malicious and abusive Internet practices or significant increase in costs of serving those subscribers could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Labor disputes may disrupt our operations.

Although we are not experiencing any significant labor disputes, there can be no assurance that we will not experience labor disputes in the future, including protests and strikes, which could disrupt our business operations and have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operation.

Every two years, the union and management negotiate and enter into a new collective bargaining agreement that has a two-year duration, which is focused on employee benefits and welfare. Employee wages are separately negotiated on an annual basis. Although we consider our relations with our employees to be good, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain such a working relationship with our employees and will not experience labor disputes resulting from disagreements with the labor union in the future.

We may be exposed to potential claims for unpaid wages and become subject to additional labor costs arising from the Supreme Court of Korea’s interpretation of ordinary wages.

Under the Labor Standards Act, an employee’s “ordinary wage” is a key legal construct used to calculate many statutory benefits and entitlements in Korea. Increasing or decreasing the amount of compensation included in employees’ ordinary wages has the effect of increasing or decreasing the amounts of various statutory entitlements

 

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that are calculated based on “ordinary wage,” such as overtime premium pay. Under guidelines previously issued by the Ministry of Employment and Labor (formerly the Ministry of Labor), an employee’s ordinary wage included base salary and certain fixed monthly allowances. Prior to the Supreme Court of Korea’s decision described below, we and other companies in Korea had, in reliance on these guidelines, excluded from the scope of ordinary wages, fixed bonuses that are paid other than on a monthly basis, namely on a bi-monthly, quarterly or biannual basis.

On December 18, 2013, the Supreme Court of Korea ruled that regular bonuses (including those that are paid other than on a monthly basis) shall be deemed ordinary wages if these bonuses are paid “regularly” and “uniformly” on a “fixed basis” notwithstanding differential amounts based on seniority. Under this decision, any collective bargaining agreement or labor-management agreement which attempts to exclude such regular bonuses from employees’ ordinary wages will be deemed void for violation of the mandatory provisions of Korean law. However, the Supreme Court of Korea further ruled that employees’ claims for underpayments during the past three years (within the statute of limitations) due to failure to include a regular bonus in employees’ ordinary wages, may be denied based on principles of good faith if (i) there has been an agreement between the employer and employees that the regular bonus shall be excluded from employees’ ordinary wages in determining the total amount of wages, (ii) such claims, if successful, would result in further wage payments that far exceed the total amount of wages agreed between the employer and employees, and (iii) such payments would cause an unexpected financial burden to the employer leading to material managerial difficulty or a threat to the employer’s existence. These principles of good faith, however, do not apply to an agreement on wages entered into between the employer and employees after December 18, 2013, the date of the above decision of the Supreme Court of Korea.

We anticipate that this decision will result in additional labor costs for us in the form of additional payments required under the expanded scope of ordinary wages, both those incurred during the past three years and those to be incurred in the future. Any such additional payments may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operation.

Our businesses are subject to extensive Government regulation and any change in Government policy relating to the telecommunications industry could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Most of our businesses are subject to extensive governmental supervision and regulation. When the current president Park Geun-hye took office in February 2013, she announced that the Government will work toward reducing telecommunications service charges and promoting transparency in the decision making of telecommunications service providers. Accordingly, the Government has set detailed policy objectives to (1) gradually reduce and abolish initial subscription fees by 2015, (2) expand MVNO and mobile VoIP (“m-VoIP”) service, (3) intensify regulations on handset subsidies and (4) construct a data-based tariff system.

Pursuant to the above policy objectives, the MSIP discussed with us, KT and LG U+ gradually reducing and abolishing initial subscription fees by 2015. Accordingly, we gradually reduced our initial subscription fees by 40% in August 2013 and again by an additional 50% in August 2014. Starting in November 2014, we ceased charging initial subscription fees to new subscribers. KT and LG U+ also gradually reduced the initial subscription fees that they charge and have ceased charging initial subscription fees to new subscribers as of March 31, 2015. Similarly, the Government has periodically reviewed the tariffs charged by wireless telecommunications service providers and has, from time to time, suggested tariff reductions. Although these suggestions were not binding, we have implemented some tariff reductions in response to such recommendations. The MSIP may suggest other tariff reductions in the future and any further tariff reductions we make in response to such suggestion may adversely affect our results of operations.

In furtherance of the above policy objectives, the Government also enacted the MDDIA, which became effective on October 1, 2014. The MDDIA was enacted for the purpose of establishing a transparent and fair distribution practice for mobile devices, and it limits the amount of subsidies a wireless telecommunications service provider can provide to subscribers in order to prevent excessive competition among wireless telecommunications service providers. Pursuant to the MDDIA, wireless telecommunications service providers are prohibited from (i) unfairly providing discriminatory subsidies based on criteria such as type of subscription, subscription plan and characteristics of the subscriber, (ii) providing subsidies exceeding a maximum limit established by the KCC (such

 

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limit to be determined between Won 250,000 and Won 350,000, which may be adjusted every six months, with the current limit set at Won 330,000, effective as of April 24, 2015) for the purchase of mobile phone models that were launched within the last 15 months, and (iii) entering into a separate agreement with subscribers imposing obligations to use a specific subscription plan as a condition for providing subsidies. In addition, under the MDDIA, wireless telecommunications service providers are obliged to provide certain benefits, such as discounted rates, to subscribers who subscribe to their service without receiving subsidies, in an amount corresponding to such subsidies. It is difficult to estimate the impact the MDDIA will have on our results of operations as we believe the imposition of the MDDIA may affect the wireless telecommunications industry in various ways that we cannot fully predict, including the impact on our competitors and consumer behavior, which may have an adverse impact on our business. See “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Law and Regulation — Competition Regulation — Rate Regulation.”

The Government also plays an active role in the selection of technology to be used by telecommunications operators in Korea. For example, the MIC adopted the WCDMA and CDMA2000 technologies as the only standards available in Korea for implementing third generation (“3G”) services. The MSIP may impose similar restrictions on the choice of technology used in future telecommunications services, and it is possible that technologies promoted by the Government in the future may not provide the best commercial returns for us.

Furthermore, the Government sets the policies regarding the use of frequencies and allocates the spectrum of frequencies used for wireless telecommunications. See “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Law and Regulation — Competition Regulation — Frequency Allocation.” The reallocation of the spectrum to our existing competitors could increase competition among wireless telecommunications service providers, which may have an adverse effect on our business.

Pursuant to the Telecommunications Business Act, certain wireless telecommunications service providers designated by the MSIP, which currently include only us, are required to lease their networks or allow use of their networks (collectively, “wholesale lease”) to other network service providers, such as an MVNO, that have requested such wholesale lease in order to provide their own services using the leased networks. To date, ten MVNOs have commenced providing wireless telecommunications services using the networks leased from us. We believe that leasing a portion of our bandwidth capacity to an MVNO would impair our ability to use our bandwidth in ways that would generate maximum revenues and would strengthen our MVNO competitors by granting them access and lowering their costs to enter into our markets. Accordingly, our profitability may be adversely affected.

Our wireless telecommunications services depend, in part, on our interconnection arrangements with domestic and international fixed-line and other wireless networks. Our interconnection arrangements, including the interconnection rates we pay and interconnection rates we charge, affect our revenues and operating results. The MSIP determines the basic framework for interconnection arrangements, including policies relating to interconnection rates in Korea. The KCC, which determined such basic framework under the previous Government, changed the basic framework for interconnection arrangements several times. We cannot assure you that we will not be adversely affected by the MSIP’s interconnection policies and future changes to such policies. See “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Interconnection — Domestic Calls.”

In January 2003, the MIC announced its plan to implement number portability with respect to wireless telecommunications service in Korea. The number portability system allows wireless subscribers to switch wireless telecommunications service providers while retaining the same mobile phone number. In addition, the MIC has also required all new subscribers to be given numbers with the “010” prefix starting January 2004, and it has been gradually retracting the mobile service identification numbers which had been unique to each wireless telecommunications service provider, including “011” for our cellular services. The MSIP, which is pursuing the integration process, required all 3G and LTE service users to change their mobile telephone number prefix to “010” by December 31, 2013 as the next step in the “010” integration process. As a result, all 3G and LTE service users’ mobile telephone numbers start with the “010” prefix as of January 1, 2014. The MSIP plans to complete the integration process by around 2018, when all mobile telephone numbers would have the prefix identification number “010.” Historically, “011” has had high brand recognition in Korea as the prefix for premium wireless telecommunications service. The Government’s adoption of the number portability system and the consolidation of the prefix numbers have resulted in and may continue to result in weakened customer loyalty, increased competition among wireless telecommunications service providers and higher costs of marketing, increased subscriber

 

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deactivations and increased churn rate, all of which had, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on our results of operations. See “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Subscribers — Number Portability.”

In addition, the MSIP may revoke our licenses or suspend any of our businesses if we fail to comply with its rules, regulations and corrective orders, including the rules restricting beneficial ownership and control or any violation of the conditions of our licenses. Alternatively, in lieu of suspension of our business, the MSIP may levy a monetary penalty of up to 3.0% of the average of our annual revenue for the preceding three fiscal years. The KCC had the same authority in the previous Government and exercised such authority to suspend our business and impose fines on us. For example, in December 2013, the KCC imposed fines on each of us, KT and LG U+, which amounted to a combined amount of approximately Won 106 billion, which is the largest fine ever imposed by the KCC for providing discriminatory handset subsidies to subscribers. In March 2014, the MSIP imposed a suspension on each of us, KT and LG U+ from acquiring new subscribers for a period of 45 days, which is the longest suspension period imposed on us by the Government for providing discriminatory handset subsidies to subscribers. In addition, the MSIP announced that it plans to bring criminal charges with monetary fines of up to Won 150 million and up to three-years imprisonment against any carrier and responsible personnel that fails to adhere to the suspension or continues to offer illegal subsidies after the suspension is completed. The KCC also imposed an additional suspension of business on us for a period of seven days and on LG U+ for a period of 14 days and imposed a fine on each of us, KT and LG U+ for the same reason. On March 26, 2015, the KCC imposed a fine of Won 23.5 billion on us and imposed a suspension on acquiring new subscribers for a period of seven days for providing subsidies to subscribers in excess of the amounts permitted under the MDDIA. For more information about the penalties imposed for violating Governmental regulations, see “Item 8.A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information — Legal Proceedings — MIC, KCC and MSIP Proceedings.” The revocation of our cellular licenses, suspension of our business or imposition of monetary penalties by the MSIP could have a material adverse effect on our business. We believe we are currently in compliance with the material terms of all our cellular licenses, including our WCDMA, LTE and WiBro licenses.

We are subject to additional regulations as a result of our dominant market position in the wireless telecommunications sector, which could harm our ability to compete effectively.

The Government endeavors to promote competition in the Korean telecommunications markets through measures designed to prevent a dominant service provider from exercising its market power and deterring the emergence and development of viable competitors. We have been designated by the MSIP as the “dominant network service provider” in respect of our wireless telecommunications business. As such, we are subject to additional regulations to which certain of our competitors are not subject. For example, under current Government regulations, we must obtain prior approval from the MSIP to raise our existing rates or introduce new rates. See “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Law and Regulation — Competition Regulation — Rate Regulation.” The MSIP could also require us to charge higher usage rates than our competitors for future services or to take certain actions earlier than our competitors, as when the KCC required us to introduce number portability earlier than our competitors, KT and LG U+.

We also qualify as a “market-dominating business entity” under the Fair Trade Act, which subjects us to additional regulations. For instance, during our acquisition of Shinsegi Telecom, Inc. (“Shinsegi”), which closed in 2002, the FTC approved the acquisition on the condition that, among other things, our and Shinsegi’s combined market share in the wireless telecommunications market, based on numbers of subscribers, be less than 50.0% as of June 30, 2001. In order to satisfy this condition, we reduced the level of our subscriber activations and adopted more stringent involuntary subscriber deactivation policies beginning in 2000 and ceased accepting new subscribers from April 1, 2001 through June 30, 2001. While we are no longer subject to any market share limitations, the Government may impose restrictions on our market share in the future. If we become subject to market share limitations, our ability to compete effectively will be impeded.

The additional regulation to which we are subject has affected our competitiveness in the past and may materially hurt our profitability and impede our ability to compete effectively against our competitors in the future.

 

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Concerns that radio frequency emissions may be linked to various health concerns could adversely affect our business and we could be subject to litigation relating to these health concerns.

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.

Our ability to deliver services may be disrupted due to a systems failure, shutdown in our networks or natural disasters.

Our services are currently carried through our wireless and fixed-line networks, which could be vulnerable to damage or interruptions in operations due to fires, floods, earthquakes, power losses, telecommunication failures, network software flaws, unauthorized access, computer viruses and similar events. The occurrence of any of these events could impact our ability to deliver services and have a negative effect on our results of operations.

A global or Korean economic downturn may have a material adverse impact on our business and the ability to meet our funding needs, and could cause the market value of our common shares and American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) to decline.

In recent years, difficulties affecting the global financial sectors, adverse conditions and volatility in the worldwide credit and financial markets, fluctuations in oil and commodity prices and the general weakness of the global economy have increased the uncertainty of global economic prospects in general and have adversely affected the global and Korean economies. The legislators and financial regulators in the United States and other jurisdictions, including Korea, have implemented a number of policy measures designed to add stability to financial markets. The overall impact of these legislative and regulatory efforts on the global financial markets continues to be uncertain, and they may not have the intended stabilizing effects. While the rate of deterioration of the global economy has slowed since the second half of 2009, with some signs of stabilization and improvement, the overall prospects for the Korean and global economy in 2015 and beyond remain uncertain. For example, commencing in the second half of 2011, the global financial markets have experienced significant volatility as a result of, among other things, the financial difficulties affecting many other governments worldwide, in particular in Southern Europe and Latin America and the slowdown of economic growth in China and other major emerging market economies, as well as political instability in various countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa, including in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, as well as in the Ukraine and Russia. In light of the high level of interdependence of the global economy, these or other developments could potentially trigger another financial and economic crisis.

We are exposed to risks related to changes in the global and Korean economic environments, changes in interest rates and instability in the global financial markets. Adverse global and Korean economic conditions may lead to overall decline and volatility in securities prices of Korean companies, including ours, which may result in trading and valuation losses on our trading and investment securities portfolio. Increases in credit spreads, as well as limitations on the availability of credit resulting from heightened concerns about the stability of the markets generally and the strength of counterparties specifically may lead many lenders and institutional investors to reduce or cease providing funding to borrowers, which may negatively impact our liquidity and results of operations. Major market disruptions and adverse changes in economic conditions and regulatory climate may further impair our ability to meet our desired funding needs. We cannot predict future changes in economic conditions. Adverse

 

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developments in the global or Korean economies or financial markets may have a material adverse effect on our business and the ability to meet our funding needs, as well as negatively affect the market value of our common shares and ADSs.

Depreciation of the value of the Won against the Dollar and other major foreign currencies may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the market value of our common shares and ADSs.

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 of the Korea Exchange (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.

For historical exchange rate information, see “Item 3.A. Selected Financial Data — Exchange Rates.”

Risks Relating to Korea

Unfavorable financial and economic developments in Korea may have an adverse effect on us.

We are incorporated in Korea, and a significant portion of our operations is based in Korea. As a result, we are subject to political, economic, legal and regulatory risks specific to Korea. The economic indicators in Korea in recent years have shown mixed signs of growth and uncertainty, and future growth of the economy is subject to many factors beyond our control.

In recent years, adverse conditions and volatility in the worldwide financial markets, fluctuations in oil and commodity prices and the general weakness of the U.S. and global economy have contributed to the uncertainty of global economic prospects in general and have adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, the Korean economy. The value of the Won relative to major foreign currencies in general and the U.S. dollar in particular has also fluctuated widely. See “Item 3.A. Selected Financial Data — Exchange Rates.” A depreciation of the Won increases the cost of imported goods and services and the Won revenue needed by Korean companies to service foreign currency denominated debt. An appreciation of the Won, on the other hand, causes export products of Korean companies to be less competitive by raising their prices in terms of the relevant foreign currency and reduces the Won value of such export sales. Furthermore, as a result of adverse global and Korean economic conditions, there has been continuing volatility in the stock prices of Korean companies. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (“KOSPI”) declined from 1,897.1 on December 31, 2007 to 938.8 on October 24, 2008. While the KOSPI has recovered since 2008, closing at 2,147.67 on April 28, 2015, there is no guarantee that the stock prices of Korean companies will not decline again in the future. Future declines in the KOSPI and large amounts of sales of Korean securities by foreign investors and subsequent repatriation of the proceeds of such sales may continue to adversely affect the value of the Won, the foreign currency reserves held by financial institutions in Korea and the ability of Korean companies to raise capital. Any future deterioration of the Korean or global economy could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Developments that could have an adverse impact on Korea’s economy in the future include:

 

   

difficulties in the financial sectors in Europe and elsewhere and increased sovereign default risks in selected countries and the resulting adverse effects on the global financial markets;

 

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adverse changes or volatility in foreign currency reserve levels, commodity prices (including oil prices), exchange rates (including fluctuation of the U.S. dollar, the euro or the Japanese yen exchange rates or revaluation of the Chinese renminbi), interest rates, inflation rates or stock markets;

 

   

increasing levels of household debt;

 

   

continuing adverse conditions in the economies of countries and regions that are important export markets for Korea, such as the United States, Europe, Japan and China, or in emerging market economies in Asia or elsewhere;

 

   

further decreases in the market prices of Korean real estate;

 

   

increasing delinquencies and credit defaults by retail and small- and medium-sized enterprise borrowers;

 

   

declines in consumer confidence and a slowdown in consumer spending;

 

   

difficulties in the financial sector in Korea, including the savings bank sector;

 

   

the continued emergence of the Chinese economy, to the extent its benefits (such as increased exports to China) are outweighed by its costs (such as competition in export markets or for foreign investment and the relocation of the manufacturing base from Korea to China);

 

   

social and labor unrest;

 

   

a decrease in tax revenues and a substantial increase in the Government’s expenditures for fiscal stimulus measures, unemployment compensation and other economic and social programs that, together, would lead to an increased Government budget deficit;

 

   

financial problems or lack of progress in the restructuring of Korean conglomerates, other large troubled companies, their suppliers or the financial sector;

 

   

loss of investor confidence arising from corporate accounting irregularities and corporate governance issues concerning certain Korean conglomerates;

 

   

increases in social expenditures to support an aging population in Korea or decreases in economic productivity due to the declining population size in Korea;

 

   

the economic impact of any pending or future free trade agreements;

 

   

geo-political uncertainty and risk of further attacks by terrorist groups around the world;

 

   

natural disasters that have a significant adverse economic or other impact on Korea or its major trading partners;

 

   

the occurrence of severe health epidemics in Korea and other parts of the world including the recent Ebola outbreak;

 

   

deterioration in economic or diplomatic relations between Korea and its trading partners or allies, including deterioration resulting from territorial or trade disputes or disagreements in foreign policy;

 

   

political uncertainty or increasing strife among or within political parties in Korea;

 

   

hostilities or political or social tensions involving oil producing countries in the Middle East and North Africa and any material disruption in the global supply of oil or increase in the price of oil;

 

   

an increase in the level of tensions or an outbreak of hostilities between North Korea and Korea or the United States; and

 

   

changes in financial regulations in Korea.

Escalations in tensions with North Korea could have an adverse effect on us and the market value of our common shares and ADSs.

Relations between Korea and North Korea have been tense throughout Korea’s modern history. The level of tension between the two Koreas has fluctuated and may increase abruptly as a result of future events. In particular, since the death of Kim Jong-il in December 2011, there has been increased uncertainty with respect to the future of

 

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North Korea’s political leadership and concern regarding its implications for political and economic stability in the region. Although Kim Jong-il’s third son, Kim Jong-un, has assumed power as his father’s designated successor, the long-term outcome of such leadership transition remains uncertain.

In addition, there have been heightened security concerns in recent years stemming from North Korea’s nuclear weapon and long-range missile programs as well as its hostile military and other actions against Korea. Some of the significant incidents in recent years include the following:

 

   

In April 2013, North Korea blocked access to the inter-Korean industrial complex in its border city of Gaeseong to South Koreans, while the U.S. deployed nuclear-capable stealth bombers and destroyers to Korean air and sea space.

 

   

In March 2013, North Korea stated that it had entered “a state of war” with Korea, declaring the 1953 armistice invalid, and put its artillery at the highest level of combat readiness to protest the Korea-United States allies’ military drills and additional sanctions imposed on North Korea for its missile and nuclear tests.

 

   

North Korea renounced its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in January 2003 and conducted three rounds of nuclear tests between October 2006 to February 2013, which increased tensions in the region and elicited strong objections worldwide. In response, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed resolutions that condemned North Korea for the nuclear tests and expanded sanctions against North Korea, most recently in March 2013.

 

   

In December 2012, North Korea launched a satellite into orbit using a long-range rocket, despite concerns in the international community that such a launch would be in violation of the agreement with the United States as well as United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit North Korea from conducting launches that use ballistic missile technology.

 

   

In March 2010, a Korean naval vessel was destroyed by an underwater explosion, killing many of the crewmen on board. The Government formally accused North Korea of causing the sinking, while North Korea denied responsibility. Moreover, in November 2010, North Korea fired more than one hundred artillery shells that hit Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island near the Northern Limit Line, which acts as the de facto maritime boundary between Korea and North Korea on the west coast of the Korean peninsula, causing casualties and significant property damage. The Government condemned North Korea for the attack and vowed stern retaliation should there be further provocation.

North Korea’s economy also faces severe challenges, which may further aggravate social and political pressures within North Korea.

There can be no assurance that the level of tension affecting the Korean peninsula will not escalate in the future. Any further increase in tensions, which may occur, for example, if North Korea experiences a leadership crisis, high-level contacts between Korea and North Korea break down or military hostilities occur, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and the market value of our common shares and ADSs.

Korea’s legislation allowing class action suits related to securities transactions may expose us to additional litigation risk.

The Securities-related Class Action Act of Korea enacted in January 2004 allows class action suits to be brought by shareholders of companies (including us) listed on the KRX KOSPI Market for losses incurred in connection with purchases and sales of securities and other securities transactions arising from (1) false or inaccurate statements provided in the registration statements, prospectuses, business reports, audit reports, semi-annual or quarterly reports and material fact reports and omission of material information in such documents, (2) insider trading, (3) market manipulation and (4) unfair trading. This law permits 50 or more shareholders who collectively hold 0.01% of the shares of a company to bring a class action suit against, among others, the issuer and its directors and officers. Because of the relatively recent enactment of the act, there is not enough judicial precedent to predict how the courts will apply the law. Litigation can be time-consuming and expensive to resolve, and can

 

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divert management time and attention from the operation of a business. We are not aware of any basis upon which such suit may be brought against us, nor are any such suits pending or threatened. Any such litigation brought against us could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Securities

If SK Holdings causes us to breach the foreign ownership limitations on our common shares, we may experience a change of control.

The Telecommunications Business Act currently sets a 49.0% limit on the aggregate foreign ownership of our issued shares. Under the Telecommunications Business Act, as amended, a Korean entity, such as SK Holdings Co., Ltd. (“SK Holdings”), is deemed to be a foreign entity if its largest shareholder (determined by aggregating the shareholdings of such shareholder and its related parties) is a foreigner and such shareholder (together with the shareholdings of its related parties) holds 15.0% or more of the issued voting stock of the Korean entity. As of December 31, 2014, SK Holdings owned 20,363,452 shares of our common stock, or approximately 25.22%, of our issued shares. If SK Holdings were considered to be a foreign shareholder, then its shareholding in us would be included in the calculation of our aggregate foreign shareholding and our aggregate foreign shareholding (based on our foreign ownership level as of December 31, 2014, which we believe was 43.47%) would exceed the 49.0% ceiling on foreign shareholding. As of December 31, 2014, a foreign investment fund and its related parties collectively held a 1.1% stake in SK Holdings. We could breach the foreign ownership limitations if the number of common shares or ADSs owned by other foreign persons significantly increases.

If our aggregate foreign shareholding limit is exceeded, the MSIP may issue a corrective order to us, the breaching shareholder (including SK Holdings if the breach is caused by an increase in foreign ownership of SK Holdings) and the foreign investment fund and its related parties who own in the aggregate 15.0% or more of SK Holdings. Furthermore, if SK Holdings is considered a foreign shareholder, it will be prohibited from exercising its voting rights with respect to the shares held in excess of the 49.0% ceiling, which may result in a change in control of us. In addition, the MSIP will be prohibited from granting us licenses or permits necessary for entering into new telecommunications businesses until our aggregate foreign shareholding is reduced to below 49.0%. For a description of further actions that the MSIP could take, see “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Law and Regulation — Foreign Ownership and Investment Restrictions and Requirements.”

Sales of our shares by SK Holdings and/or other large shareholders may adversely affect the market value of our common shares and ADSs.

Sales of substantial amounts of our common shares, or the perception that such sales may occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market value of our common shares or ADSs or our ability to raise capital through an offering of our common shares.

As of December 31, 2014, SK Holdings owned 25.22% of our total issued common shares and has not agreed to any restrictions on its ability to dispose of our shares. See “Item 7.A. Major Shareholders.” We can make no prediction as to the timing or amount of any sales of our common shares. We cannot assure you that future sales of our common shares, or the availability of our common shares for future sale, will not adversely affect the prevailing market value of our common shares or ADSs from time to time.

If an investor surrenders his or her ADSs to withdraw the underlying shares, he or she may not be allowed to deposit the shares again to obtain ADSs.

Under the deposit agreement, holders of our common shares may deposit those shares with the ADR depositary’s custodian in Korea and obtain ADSs, and holders of ADSs may surrender ADSs to the ADR depositary and receive our common shares. However, under the terms of the deposit agreement, as amended, the depositary bank is required to obtain our prior consent to any such deposit if, after giving effect to such deposit, the total number of our common shares represented by ADSs, which was 10,000,488 shares as of March 31, 2015, exceeds a specified maximum, subject to adjustment under certain circumstances. In addition, the depositary bank or the custodian may not accept deposits of our common shares for issuance of ADSs under certain circumstances, including (1) if it has been determined by us that we should block the deposit to prevent a violation of applicable

 

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Korean laws and regulations or our articles of incorporation or (2) if a person intending to make a deposit has been identified as a holder of at least 3.0% of our common shares. See “Item 10.B. Memorandum and Articles of Incorporation — Description of American Depositary Shares.” It is possible that we may not give the consent. Consequently, an investor who has surrendered his or her ADSs and withdrawn the underlying shares may not be allowed to deposit the shares again to obtain ADSs.

An investor in our ADSs may not be able to exercise preemptive rights for additional new shares and may suffer dilution of his or her equity interest in us.

The Korean Commercial Code and our articles of incorporation require us, with some exceptions, to offer shareholders the right to subscribe for new shares in proportion to their existing ownership percentage whenever new shares are issued. If we offer a right to subscribe for additional new common shares or any other rights of similar nature, the ADR depositary, after consultation with us, may make the rights available to an ADS holder or use reasonable efforts to dispose of the rights on behalf of the ADS holder and make the net proceeds available to the ADS holder. The ADR depositary, however, is not required to make available to an ADS holder any rights to purchase any additional shares unless it deems that doing so is lawful and feasible and:

 

   

a registration statement filed by us under the Securities Act is in effect with respect to those shares; or

 

   

the offering and sale of those shares is exempt from, or is not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

We are under no obligation to file any registration statement with respect to any ADSs. If a registration statement is required for an ADS holder to exercise preemptive rights but is not filed by us, the ADS holder will not be able to exercise his or her preemptive rights for additional shares. As a result, ADS holders may suffer dilution of their equity interest in us.

Short selling of our ADSs by purchasers of securities convertible or exchangeable into our ADSs could materially adversely affect the market price of our ADSs.

SK Holdings, through one or more special purpose vehicles, has engaged and may in the future engage in monetization transactions relating to its ownership interest in us. These transactions have included and may include offerings of securities that are convertible or exchangeable into our ADSs. Many investors in convertible or exchangeable securities seek to hedge their exposure in the underlying equity securities at the time of acquisition of the convertible or exchangeable securities, often through short selling of the underlying equity securities or similar transactions. Since a monetization transaction could involve debt securities linked to a significant number of our ADSs, we expect that a sufficient quantity of ADSs may not be immediately available for borrowing in the market to facilitate settlement of the likely volume of short selling activity that would accompany the commencement of a monetization transaction. This short selling and similar hedging activity could place significant downward pressure on the market price of our ADSs, thereby having a material adverse effect on the market value of ADSs owned by you.

A holder of our ADSs may not be able to enforce a judgment of a foreign court against us.

We are a corporation with limited liability organized under the laws of Korea. Substantially all of our directors and officers and other persons named in this document reside in Korea, and all or a significant portion of the assets of our directors and officers and other persons named in this document and substantially all of our assets are located in Korea. As a result, it may not be possible for holders of our ADSs to effect service of process within the United States, or to enforce against us any judgments obtained from the United States courts based on the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States. There is doubt as to the enforceability in Korea, either in original actions or in actions for enforcement of judgments of United States courts, of civil liabilities predicated on the United States federal securities laws.

We are generally subject to Korean corporate governance and disclosure standards, which may differ from those in other countries.

Companies in Korea, including us, are subject to corporate governance standards applicable to Korean public companies, which may differ in some respects from standards applicable in other countries, including the United States. As a reporting company registered with the SEC and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the

 

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“NYSE”), we are, and in the future will be, subject to certain corporate governance standards as mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”). However, foreign private issuers, including us, are exempt from certain corporate governance requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or under the rules of the NYSE. There may also be less publicly available information about Korean companies, such as us, than is regularly made available by public or non-public companies in other countries. Such differences in corporate governance standards and less public information available could result in corporate governance practices or disclosures that are perceived as less than satisfactory by investors in certain countries.

There are special risks involved with investing in securities of Korean companies, including the possibility of restrictions being imposed by the Government in emergency circumstances.

As we are a Korean company and operate in a business and cultural environment that is different from that of other countries, there are risks associated with investing in our securities that are not typical for investments in securities of companies in other jurisdictions.

Under the Korean Foreign Exchange Transactions Law, if the Government deems that certain emergency circumstances, including sudden fluctuations in interest rates or exchange rates, extreme difficulty in stabilizing the balance of payments or substantial disturbance in the Korean financial and capital markets, are likely to occur, it may impose any necessary restriction such as requiring Korean or foreign investors to obtain prior approval from the Minister of Strategy and Finance for the acquisition of Korean securities or for the repatriation of interest, dividends or sales proceeds arising from Korean securities or from disposition of such securities or other transactions involving foreign exchange.

 

Item 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

 

Item 4.A. History and Development of the Company

As Korea’s first wireless telecommunications service provider, we have a recognized history of leadership and innovation in the domestic telecommunications sector. Today, we remain Korea’s leading wireless telecommunications services provider and have continued to pioneer the commercial development and implementation of state-of-the-art wireless technologies. We also continue to look outside Korea for investment and growth opportunities. We believe we are also a leader in developing new products and services that reflect the increasing convergence of telecommunications technologies, as well as the growing synergies between the telecommunications sector and other industries.

We provide our wireless telecommunications services principally through backbone networks using CDMA, WCDMA and LTE technologies. Collectively, these networks can access approximately 99% of the Korean population. In addition, we also provide wireless broadband Internet access through our WiBro service. For a more detailed description of our backbone networks, see “— Digital Wireless Network” below. Our advanced and extensive wireless telecommunications infrastructure has enabled us to offer high-quality cellular voice transmission services at competitive prices, as well as to develop and deploy an increasingly sophisticated range of wireless data and multimedia products and services, including wireless Internet services, in step with technological advancements and growing consumer demand. We believe our network infrastructure also provides us with a competitive advantage in pioneering new business opportunities created by digital convergence.

As of December 31, 2014, we had approximately 28.6 million wireless subscribers throughout Korea, including the number of MVNO subscribers leasing our networks, of which 26.3 million owned Internet-enabled handsets capable of accessing our wireless Internet services. As of December 31, 2014, our share of the Korean wireless market was approximately 50.0%, based on number of subscribers, according to the MSIP. MVNOs leasing our networks had a total of 2.1 million subscribers, representing a market share of approximately 3.7%.

In March 2008, we completed the acquisition of an additional 38.7% equity stake in SK Broadband for approximately Won 1.1 trillion, increasing our total equity interest in SK Broadband to 43.4%. In September 2009, we acquired additional shares of SK Broadband’s common stock, increasing our equity stake to 50.6%, which we intend to increase to 100.0% pursuant to a share exchange transaction described in “— Recent Developments” below. Through SK Broadband, we currently provide broadband Internet access service and other Internet-related services, including video-on-demand and Internet protocol TV (“IP TV”) services, as well as fixed-line telephone

 

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services. As of December 31, 2014, we had approximately 4.8 million broadband Internet access subscribers, 2.8 million IP TV subscribers and 4.8 million fixed-line telephone subscribers (including subscribers to VoIP services of SK Broadband and SK Telink Co., Ltd. (“SK Telink”)).

In September 2009, we completed the acquisition of the leased-line business and related ancillary businesses of SK Networks Co., Ltd. (“SK Networks”) for approximately Won 892.8 billion and assumed Won 611.4 billion of debt as part of the transaction. Historically, we have relied on KT and SK Networks to provide a substantial majority of the transmission lines we lease.

In February 2012, we acquired a 21.1% equity stake in SK Hynix, one of the world’s largest memory-chip makers by revenue, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately Won 3.4 trillion, and became its largest shareholder.

On March 31, 2015, we had a market capitalization of approximately Won 22.0 trillion (US$19.9 billion, as translated at the noon buying rate of March 31, 2015) or approximately 1.7% of the total market capitalization on the KRX KOSPI Market, making us the seventh largest company listed on the KRX KOSPI Market based on market capitalization on that date. Our ADSs, each representing one-ninth of one share of our common stock, have traded on the NYSE since June 27, 1996.

We established our telecommunications business in March 1984 under the name of Korea Mobile Telecommunications Co., Ltd. We changed our name to SK Telecom Co., Ltd., effective March 21, 1997. In January 2002, we merged with Shinsegi, which was then the third-largest wireless telecommunications service provider in Korea. Our registered office is at SK T-Tower, 65, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-999, Korea and our telephone number is 82-2-6100-2114.

Recent Developments

On March 20, 2015, each of the board of directors of SK Telecom and SK Broadband resolved to approve a share exchange transaction (the “Share Exchange”) through which we plan to acquire all of the shares of SK Broadband that we do not otherwise own in exchange for our treasury shares such that SK Broadband will become our wholly-owned subsidiary. We believe that by SK Broadband becoming our wholly-owned subsidiary, we will be able to strengthen our competitiveness by improving management efficiency of, and maximizing synergies between, us and SK Broadband. The Share Exchange is currently scheduled for June 9, 2015, but remains subject to the approval of SK Broadband’s shareholders and our board of directors pursuant to applicable Korean law. In certain circumstances, the Share Exchange may require the approval of SK Telecom’s shareholders in lieu of the approval of our board of directors. We expect to exchange 2,471,883 treasury shares for the common shares of SK Broadband at a share exchange ratio of 1:0.0168936, subject to adjustments.

Upon the completion of the Share Exchange, (i) there will be no change in the share ownership interest of our existing shareholders, our corporate governance structure or our management, (ii) SK Telecom will be the parent company of SK Broadband with 100% ownership and will remain a listed corporation on the KRX KOSPI Market and the NYSE and (iii) SK Broadband will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of SK Telecom and will be delisted from the KRX KOSDAQ Market of the Korea Exchange (the “KRX KOSDAQ Market”). For further details regarding the Share Exchange, refer to the Form 6-K furnished to the SEC on March 20, 2015 and the Form 6-K/A furnished to the SEC on April 8, 2015 as well as our Form CB filed with the SEC on April 21, 2015.

Korean Telecommunications Industry

Established in March 1984, we became the first wireless telecommunications service provider in Korea. We remained the sole provider of wireless telecommunications services until April 1996, when Shinsegi commenced cellular service. The Government began to introduce competition into the fixed-line and wireless telecommunications services markets in the early 1990’s. During this period, the Government allowed new competitors to enter the fixed-line sector, sold a controlling stake in us to the SK Group, and granted a cellular license to our first competitor, Shinsegi. In October 1997, three additional companies, KTF, LG Telecom and Hansol PCS, began providing wireless telecommunications services under Government licenses to provide wireless telecommunications services.

 

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In 2000 and 2001, the Korean wireless telecommunications market experienced significant consolidation. In January 2002, Shinsegi was merged into us. Additionally, two of the other wireless telecommunications services providers merged. See “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Competition.”

There are currently three providers of wireless telecommunications services in Korea: our company, KT (into which KTF merged) and LG U+ (formerly, LG Telecom). According to the MSIP, as of December 31, 2014, the market share of the Korean wireless telecommunications market in terms of number of subscribers of KT and LG U+ was approximately 30.3% and 19.7%, respectively (compared to our market share of 50.0%), each including the number of MVNO subscribers leasing the respective networks. As of December 31, 2014, MVNOs had a combined market share of 8.0%, of which MVNOs leasing our networks represented 3.7%, MVNOs leasing KT’s networks represented 3.6% and MVNOs leasing LG U+’s networks represented 0.6%.

A one-way mobile number portability (“MNP”) system was first implemented in the beginning of January 2004 when our subscribers were allowed to transfer to KTF and LG Telecom. From July 2004, a two-way MNP system was implemented so that KTF subscribers could transfer to us and LG Telecom. A three-way MNP system has been in effect since January 2005 so that subscribers from each of the wireless telecommunications service providers may transfer to any other wireless telecommunications service provider. During 2014, 2013 and 2012, approximately 3.6 million, 4.2 million and 4.5 million, respectively, of our subscribers migrated to our competitors and approximately 3.4 million, 3.8 million and 4.5 million, respectively, of our competitors’ subscribers migrated to our service.

In January 2005, the Government granted each of us and KT a license to offer WiBro service.

Telecommunications industry growth in Korea has been among the most rapid in the world, with fixed-line penetration being under five lines per 100 population in 1978 and increasing to 47.9 lines per 100 population as of December 31, 2006 before decreasing to 33.0 lines per 100 population as of December 31, 2014, and wireless penetration increasing from 7.0 subscribers per 100 population in 1996 to 111.5 subscribers per 100 population as of December 31, 2014. The table below sets forth certain subscription and penetration information regarding the Korean telecommunications industry as of the dates indicated:

 

     As of December 31,  
     2014      2013      2012      2011      2010  
     (In thousands, except for per population amounts)  

Population of Korea(1)

     51,328         51,141         50,948         50,734         50,516   

Wireless Subscribers(2)

     57,208         54,681         53,624         52,507         50,767   

Wireless Subscribers per 100 Population

     111.5         106.9         105.3         103.5         100.5   

Telephone Lines in Service(2)

     16,939         17,620         18,261         18,633         19,273   

Telephone Lines per 100 Population

     33.0         34.5         35.8         36.7         38.2   

 

 

(1) Source: The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs.

 

(2) Source: MSIP.

The Korean telecommunications industry is one of the most developed in the world in terms of wireless penetration and in terms of the growth of wireless data services, including wireless Internet services. The wireless penetration rate, which is calculated by dividing the number of wireless subscribers by the population, was 111.5% as of December 31, 2014 and the number of wireless subscribers has increased from approximately 3.2 million in 1996 to approximately 57.2 million as of December 31, 2014.

Since the introduction of short text messaging in 1998, Korea’s wireless data market has grown rapidly. This growth has been driven, in part, by the rapid development of wireless Internet service since its introduction in the second half of 1999. All of the Korean wireless telecommunications service providers have developed extensive wireless Internet service portals.

 

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As of December 31, 2014, approximately 52.8 million Korean wireless subscribers owned Internet-enabled handsets capable of accessing wireless Internet services, including 40.6 million subscribers that own smartphones that have direct access to the Internet using mobile Internet technology. The table below sets forth certain penetration information regarding the number of Internet-enabled handsets, smartphones and wireless subscribers in Korea as of the dates indicated:

 

     As of December 31,  
     2014     2013     2012     2011     2010  
     (In thousands, except for percentage data)  

Number of Wireless Internet-Enabled Handsets

     52,833        50,858        50,420        49,297        48,085   

Number of Smartphones

     40,560        37,517        32,727        22,578        N/A   

Total Number of Wireless Subscribers

     57,208        54,681        53,624        52,507        50,767   

Penetration of Wireless Internet-Enabled Handsets

     92.4     93.0     94.0     93.9     94.7

Penetration of Smartphones

     68.2     66.9     61.0     43.0     N/A   

 

 

Source: MSIP.

 

N/A = Not available.

In addition to its well-developed wireless telecommunications sector, Korea has one of the largest Internet markets in the Asia Pacific region. According to Korea Internet & Security Agency (“KISA”), the number of Internet users in Korea increased from approximately 3.1 million in 1998 to approximately 41.1 million as of July 2014, representing a 17.6% compound annual growth rate. From the end of 2005 to the end of 2014, the number of broadband Internet access subscribers increased from approximately 12.2 million to approximately 19.2 million, representing a 5.2% compound annual growth rate. In connection with such growth in broadband Internet usage, the number of IP TV subscribers has also increased rapidly. The table below sets forth certain information regarding Internet users and broadband Internet access subscribers as of the dates indicated:

 

     As of December 31,  
     2014     2013     2012     2011     2010  
     (In thousands)  

Number of Internet Users(1)

     41,118 (2)      40,080 (2)      38,120 (2)      37,180 (2)      37,010 (3) 

Number of Broadband Internet Access Subscribers(4)

     19,199        18,738        18,253        17,860        17,224   

Number of IP TV Subscribers(5)

     10,840        8,738        6,457        4,894        3,646   

 

 

(1) Source: KISA.

 

(2) As of July 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

 

(3) As of May 2010.

 

(4) Source: MSIP. Includes subscribers accessing Internet service using digital subscriber line, or xDSL, connections; cable modem connections; local area network, or LAN, connections; fiber-to-the-home, or FTTH, connections and satellite connections.

 

(5) Source: MSIP.

 

Item 4.B. Business Overview

Overview

We are Korea’s leading wireless telecommunications services provider and continue to pioneer the commercial development and implementation of state-of-the-art wireless technologies. We provide the following core services:

 

   

Cellular voice services.    We provide wireless voice transmission services to our subscribers through our backbone wireless networks and also offer wireless global roaming services through service agreements with various foreign wireless telecommunications service providers. (Accordingly, while “cellular voice services” principally refer to our core wireless voice transmission services, they also comprise our wireless voice and data global roaming services.)

 

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Wireless data services.    We also provide wireless data transmission services, including wireless Internet access services, which allow subscribers to access a wide range of online digital contents and services, as well as to send and receive text and multimedia messages, using their mobile phones.

 

   

Broadband Internet, IP TV and fixed-line telephone services.    Through SK Broadband, we provide broadband Internet access service and other Internet-related services, including video-on-demand and IP TV services. We also provide local, domestic long-distance and international long-distance fixed-line telephone services to residential and commercial subscribers.

 

   

New businesses.    We also strive to continually diversify our services by engaging in various new businesses that we believe are complementary to our existing product and service portfolio. The principal new businesses that we are engaged in include the following:

 

   

our platform business, which is operated by our wholly-owned subsidiary, SK Planet Co., Ltd. (“SK Planet”) and includes platforms such as 11th Street, Syrup, T Store, T-Map Navigation and Hoppin;

 

   

our B2B solutions business, through which we provide customized business solutions and applications to corporate customers;

 

   

our healthcare business; and

 

   

our other businesses, including our multimedia and audio/video product business through which we provide products such as smart beams, smart speakers and other audio products developed by Iriver, which we acquired in 2014.

We provide our wireless telecommunications services through our proprietary backbone networks based on CDMA, WCDMA and LTE technologies. We also offer wireless data transmission and wireless Internet access services through our WiBro network. For more information on our backbone networks, see “— Digital Wireless Network.”

Our Business Strategy

We believe that trends in the Korean telecommunications industry during the next decade will mirror those in the global market and will be characterized by rapid technological change, reduced regulatory barriers and increased competition. Against the backdrop of these industry trends, we aim to enhance shareholder value by maintaining and consolidating our leading position in the Korean market for wireless telecommunications services, including wireless voice and data transmission services, as well as by leveraging our competitive strengths to exploit new opportunities arising from increasing digital convergence and the globalization of the telecommunications market.

Our principal strategies are to:

 

   

Enhance the technical capabilities of our wireless networks to improve data transmission speed and service quality and to offer an increased range of services, including in connection with our development of new and advanced wireless technologies.    We believe we have the most extensive and advanced wireless telecommunications network in Korea, and we are committed to ensuring that our delivery platforms keep pace with the latest technological advancements. We commenced commercial LTE services in July 2011 and LTE smartphone services in September 2011, and expanded the coverage area of our LTE services to nationwide by the end of April 2012. We launched our LTE multi-carrier service (which allows mobile devices to seamlessly wander between our LTE frequency spectrums) in the 1.8 GHz spectrum in July 2012. In June 2013, we commenced providing commercial LTE-A services using carrier aggregation technology which combines spectrum frequencies to improve data transmission speed of up to 150 Mbps. In June 2014, we launched wideband LTE-A services of up to 225 Mbps and expanded coverage nationwide in 2014. In December 2014, we commenced tri-band LTE-A services which bundles three different bandwidths to allow faster network service at speeds of up to 300 Mbps in Seoul and other metropolitan areas and we expect to expand our coverage for such services in 2015. We plan to continue upgrading and expanding our backbone network infrastructure in line with new developments in wireless telecommunications technology. We believe that ensuring the quality and technical sophistication of our wireless networks will, among other

 

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things, allow us to provide our subscribers with top-quality service, to introduce the latest wireless telecommunications products and services more quickly and to efficiently implement new wireless technologies as market opportunities arise.

 

   

Drive the growth of wireless Internet in Korea.    In recent years, the Korean telecommunications industry has experienced significant growth in wireless Internet services as the number of smartphone users has increased rapidly. We plan to establish and maintain our leadership by securing a competitive line-up of various devices including smartphones and tablets and streamlining the subscription process and pricing structures to enable subscribers to easily access their mobile content from multiple devices. We also intend to focus on developing differentiated services and various platforms in order to achieve our goal of leading the Korean wireless telecommunications market.

 

   

Offer a broad range of new and innovative wireless data contents and services.    We plan to improve the service quality and expand the range of our wireless data contents and services with a view to increasing revenues from these services to complement our core cellular revenues. In particular, we believe demand for wireless access to entertainment-related digital contents and services, wireless access to community and social networking platforms and wireless access to financial-related contents and services, or mobile commerce services, will continue to grow. We continue to actively seek partnerships with, as well as strategic investments in, digital media content providers, financial services providers and wireless application developers to improve the breadth and quality of the wireless data contents and services we offer to our subscribers. We also intend to expand the operation of T Store by constructing an environment where outstanding developers can be nurtured and high-quality content can be produced.

 

   

Create increasing synergies with the businesses operated by our subsidiaries.    We continue to create synergies among our various product and service offerings to increase customer loyalty from our subscribers and increase our competitiveness. For example, we provide various bundled fixed-line, mobile telecommunications, broadband Internet and IP TV, including mobile IP TV, services together with SK Broadband, and we believe such bundled service offerings contribute to increased customer retention for both SK Telecom and SK Broadband and also increase our competitiveness in acquiring new subscribers due to more competitive pricing and increased convenience. In addition, while SK Planet’s various platform services generate independent revenue streams, certain of their services are offered as value-added services to SK Telecom’s wireless subscribers free of charge, which we believe increases customer loyalty. For example, T-Map Navigation is provided to SK Telecom’s wireless subscribers free of charge whereas wireless subscribers to KT and LG U+ pay a fee to use this service.

 

   

Pursue our platform business and our B2B solutions business.    We plan to grow our platform business by sharing our telecommunication infrastructure with other service providers and application developers. We also plan to enhance our enterprise value by expanding into media platforms and advertising platforms. In addition, we plan to grow our B2B solutions business to generate greater value and growth for both us and our customers and partners around the globe. For example, in April 2014, we acquired a controlling interest in Neosnetworks, a provider of residential and small business electronic security and other related alarm monitoring services. Through our B2B solutions business, we endeavor to provide customized value-added services such as applications and solutions to clients in different businesses based on existing network infrastructure. Building on existing infrastructures, we anticipate that value-added services to business clients will generate greater revenues compared to the current B2B business model. Once we establish prototypes categorized by the type and size of the business, we intend to expand and apply such business models to other businesses in the same field. We are in the process of working with various clients in finance, education, health, shopping and other areas.

 

   

Pursue diversification and growth through M&A opportunities.    We continue to seek opportunities to develop new businesses that we believe are complementary to our existing product and service portfolio and expand our global business through selective acquisitions. For example, in 2014, we acquired interests in Neosnetworks, a provider of residential and small business electronic security and other related alarm monitoring services, and Iriver, a manufacturer of digital audio players and other portable media devices, and SK Planet acquired Shopkick, a developer of a shopping app for mobile devices that provides benefits to customers for visiting stores, in order to penetrate the mobile commerce market in the United States.

 

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Digital Wireless Network

We offer wireless voice and data transmission services throughout Korea using digital wireless networks, including a CDMA network, a WCDMA network, an LTE network, a WiBro network and a Wi-Fi network. We commenced commercial LTE services in Seoul on July 1, 2011 and expanded the coverage area of our LTE services to 28 cities as of January 1, 2012. We further expanded the coverage area of our LTE services to nationwide by the end of April 2012. The table below sets forth the number of subscribers, including subscribers of MVNOs that lease our wireless networks, using our various digital wireless networks as of the dates indicated:

 

     As of December 31,  
     2014      2013      2012      2011      2010  
     (In thousands)  

Network

              

CDMA

     3,521,205         3,956,520         4,972,306         6,881,756         9,804,407   

WCDMA

     8,354,711         9,909,196         14,458,523         19,036,649         15,900,632   

LTE

     16,737,425         13,486,766         7,530,216         634,311           

 

Source: MSIP.

CDMA Network

CDMA technology is a continuous digital transmission technology that accommodates higher throughput than analog technology by using various coding sequences to allow concurrent transmission of voice and data signals for wireless communication. In January 1996, we launched our first wireless network based on CDMA technology and became the world’s first to commercialize CDMA cellular service. In 2004, we completed the full upgrade of our CDMA network to CDMA 1xEV-DO technology which enables data to be transmitted at speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps allowing for interactive transmission of data required for videophone services, a high-speed wireless Internet connection, as well as a multitude of multimedia services.

WCDMA Network

WCDMA is a high capacity wireless communication system that enables us to offer significantly faster and higher-quality voice and data transmission and supports more sophisticated wireless data transmission services, including video telephony and other multimedia communications, than is possible through our CDMA networks. We commenced provision of our WCDMA services using our HSDPA-upgraded WCDMA network on a limited basis in Seoul at the end of 2003. In 2005, we completed commercial development of HSDPA technology and integrated this technology in the subsequent build-out of our WCDMA network. HSDPA, which represents an evolution of the WCDMA standard, is a more advanced technology than the initial WCDMA technology we implemented. In March 2007, we completed the nationwide expansion of our HSDPA-capable WCDMA network. In May 2010, we commenced commercial HSUPA services and in October 2010, we commenced HSPA+ services. In particular, while HSDPA enables significantly improved downlink data transmission speeds, HSUPA permits faster uplink speeds. Our implementation of HSDPA, HSUPA and HSPA+ technology allows us to offer significantly improved, and a wider range of, wireless data transmission services, including more sophisticated multimedia digital contents and products, within our WCDMA network.

WiBro Network

We received a license from the MIC in 2005 to provide WiBro services which we believe complements our existing networks and technologies. WiBro is a data-only transmission technology that enables high-speed wireless broadband access to portable computers, mobile phones and other portable devices. We conducted initial pilot testing of WiBro service in limited areas of metropolitan Seoul in May 2006 and currently provide service nationwide. We use our WiBro network as a backhaul for our mobile Wi-Fi network.

Wi-Fi Network

Wi-Fi technology enables our subscribers with Wi-Fi-capable devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablet computers to access mobile Internet at a speed faster than our WCDMA or WiBro networks, although the service range of each Wi-Fi access point is smaller than that of our WCDMA or WiBro networks. We started to build Wi-Fi

 

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access points in 2010 and, as of December 31, 2014, we had more than 142,000 Wi-Fi access points in public areas such as shopping malls, restaurants, coffee shops, subways and airports where, generally, the demand for high-speed wireless Internet service is high. While each Wi-Fi access point typically has a radius of approximately 20-30 meters, some of our Wi-Fi hot zones, which have multiple Wi-Fi access points, including those installed at public transportation facilities and amusement parks, have much wider service areas. We plan to continue to increase the number of Wi-Fi access points in 2015.

LTE Network

We commenced commercial wireless telecommunications services based on LTE technology, which is generally referred to as a fourth generation technology, on July 1, 2011 and expanded the coverage area of our LTE services to nationwide by the end of April 2012. We launched our LTE multi-carrier service in the 1.8 GHz spectrum in July 2012. In June 2013, we commenced providing commercial LTE-A services at speeds of up to 150 Mbps using carrier aggregation technology which combines spectrum frequencies to improve data transmission speed and capacity, and in June 2014, we launched wideband LTE-A services at speeds of up to 225 Mbps and expanded coverage nationwide in 2014. In December 2014, we commenced tri-band LTE-A services which bundles three different bandwidths to allow faster network service at speeds of up to 300 Mbps in Seoul and other metropolitan areas and we expect to expand our coverage for such services in 2015. Several wireless carriers in the United States, Europe and Asia commenced LTE services in 2010 and 2011 and LTE technology has become widely accepted globally as the standard fourth generation technology. LTE technology enables data to be transmitted at speeds faster than our CDMA, WCDMA or WiBro networks. Our continued upgrades to our LTE technology enables even faster data transmission speeds, as shown below.

 

Wireless network technology

(Month of commencement of services)

   Maximum download speed for data
transmission
     Maximum upload speed for data
transmission
 

LTE (July 2011)

     75 Mbps         37.5 Mbps   

LTE-A (June 2013)

     150 Mbps         75 Mbps   

Wideband LTE-A (June 2014)

     225 Mbps         112.5 Mbps   

Tri-band LTE-A (December 2014)

     300 Mbps         150 Mbps   

The faster data transmission speed of our LTE network has allowed us to offer significantly improved wireless data transmission services, providing our subscribers with faster wireless access to multimedia content. We have been building new access networks and evolved packet cores for our LTE network, while we utilize our existing WCDMA network for other parts of our LTE network. For more information about our capital expenditures relating to our LTE network, see “Item 5.B. Liquidity and Capital Resources.” As of December 31, 2014, we had 16.7 million LTE subscribers.

Network Infrastructure

The principal components of our wireless networks are:

 

   

Cell sites, which are physical locations equipped with transmitters, receivers and other equipment that communicate by radio signals with wireless handsets within range of the cell (typically a 3 to 40 kilometer radius);

 

   

Switching stations, which switch voice and data transmissions to their proper destinations, which may be, for instance, a mobile phone of one of our subscribers (for which transmissions would originate and terminate on our wireless networks), a mobile phone of a KT or LG U+ subscriber (for which transmissions would be routed to KT’s or LG U+’s wireless networks, as applicable), a fixed-line telephone number (for which calls would be routed to the public switched telephone network of a fixed-line network operator), an international number (for which calls would be routed to the network of a long distance service provider) or an Internet site; and

 

   

Transmission lines, which link cell sites to switching stations and switching stations with other switching stations.

As of December 31, 2014, our CDMA, WCDMA, LTE and WiBro networks had an aggregate of 50,158 cell sites.

 

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We have purchased substantially all of the equipment for our CDMA network from Samsung Electronics and have purchased substantially all of the equipment for our WCDMA network, including the software and firmware used to upgrade our WCDMA network, from Samsung Electronics and Ericsson–LG. We have purchased substantially all of the equipment for our LTE network from Samsung Electronics, Ericsson–LG and Nokia Siemens Networks B.V.

Most of the transmission lines we use, including virtually all of the lines linking switching stations, as well as a portion of the lines linking cell sites to switching stations, comprise optical fiber lines that we own and operate directly. However, we have not undertaken to install optical fiber lines to link every cell site and switching station. In places where we have not installed our own transmission lines, we have leased lines from SK Networks, KT and, to a lesser extent, SK Broadband and LG U+. In September 2009, we acquired the leased-line business and related ancillary businesses of SK Networks for Won 892.8 billion and assumed Won 611.4 billion of debt as part of the transaction. We intend to increase the efficiency of our network utilization and provide optimal services by internalizing transmission lines.

We use a wireless network surveillance system. This system oversees the operation of cell sites and allows us to monitor our main equipment located throughout the country from one monitoring station. The automatic inspection and testing provided to the cell sites lets the system immediately rebalance to the most suitable setting, and the surveillance system provides for automatic dispatch of repair teams and quick recovery in emergency situations.

Our Services

We offer wireless digital voice and data transmission services via networks that collectively can access approximately 99.0% of the Korean population. We continually upgrade and increase the capacity of our wireless networks to keep pace with advancements in technology, the growth of our subscriber base and the increased usage of voice and wireless data services by our subscribers.

For a discussion of our backbone networks, see “— Digital Wireless Network” above.

Cellular Voice Services

Our cellular voice services, which comprise basic wireless voice transmission services and related “value-added” services, as well as global roaming services, remain one of our core business areas. We derive revenues from our cellular voice services principally through monthly plan-based fees, usage charges for outgoing voice calls, roaming charges and value-added service fees. For a more complete description of the fees we charge, see “— Revenues and Rates” below.

To complement our basic voice transmission services, in recent years, we have offered increasingly sophisticated and differentiated subscriber-oriented value-added services made possible due to rapid advancements in network technology. Our most popular value-added voice-related services in 2014 included services that provide a record of missed calls in the event a subscriber’s mobile phone is engaged or switched off, known as our “Call Keeper” service; services that play a “ring back” melody in lieu of a conventional dial tone when callers dial a subscriber’s mobile phone, known as “COLORing” service, as well as COLORing services that periodically change the default ring back melody according to the subscriber’s music category selection, known as “Auto COLORing” service; and services that alert subscribers when a dialed number that was engaged when first dialed is no longer engaged. We also launched a voice-over-LTE service, known as our “HD Voice” service, in August 2012. HD Voice service is a premium communication service which features high quality voice transmission, fast call connection, voice-to-video call switching and digital content sharing during calls. In addition, we launched our “T phone” service in February 2014. Our T phone service provides our customers with a number of convenient call functions, including a function to block spam calls and a function called “T114” that informs customers of the phone numbers of stores, hospitals and other facilities closest in proximity to the customer’s current location.

We also offer cellular global roaming services, branded as our “T-Roaming” service, through service agreements with various foreign wireless telecommunications service providers. Global roaming services allow subscribers traveling abroad to make and receive calls, often using their regular mobile phone numbers. Subscribers

 

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using EV-DO-, WCDMA- and LTE-capable handsets are able to make and receive calls using their regular mobile phone number without changing their handsets. In addition, we provide global roaming service to foreigners traveling to Korea. In such cases, we generally receive a fee from the traveler’s local wireless telecommunications service provider.

Our global roaming service is offered in four technologies, in part depending on which mobile phone standards are available in a particular region: CDMA, Global System for Mobile (“GSM”) Communication standard for wireless telecommunications, WCDMA and LTE roaming. We currently offer CDMA voice roaming services in 14 countries, GSM voice roaming services in 200 countries and WCDMA voice roaming services in 109 countries. We currently do not provide any LTE voice roaming services. In addition, we offer CDMA data roaming services in 7 countries, GSM data roaming services in 153 countries, WCDMA data roaming services in 108 countries and LTE data roaming services in 32 countries. In 2014, approximately 12.0 million subscribers utilized our global roaming services.

SK Telink launched its pre-paid MVNO service in June 2012 and its post-pay MVNO service in January 2013. An MVNO leases the networks of a mobile network operator and provides wireless telecommunication services under its own brand and fee structure, without owning telecommunication networks or frequencies.

In addition, we provide interconnection service to connect our networks to domestic and international fixed-line and other wireless networks. See “— Interconnection” below.

Wireless Data Services (including Wireless Internet Services)

Our wireless data transmission services represent a key and growing business area. We currently offer our subscribers wireless data communications services, as well as wireless access to a wide variety of digital content and services, including Internet-based content and services. We intend to continue to build our wireless data services as a platform for growth, extending our portfolio of wireless data services and developing new content for our subscribers.

We plan to take advantage of the efficiency of our wireless network in order to enable our clients to easily access the Internet. For more information on our backbone networks, see “— Digital Wireless Network.”

Wireless Data, SMS and MMS Services.    We provide wireless data communication services, including our basic short text message service (“SMS”), which allows subscribers to send and receive short text messages to and from their mobile phones and other devices. In addition to text-only SMS, we also offer a multimedia message service (“MMS”). MMS allows subscribers to send and receive multimedia messages containing graphic, audio and video clips to and from their mobile phones. While MMS is possible through our CDMA network, the implementation of WCDMA and LTE technologies has significantly increased the quality, speed and range of our MMS. In December 2012, we also launched a new all-IP service called “joyn.T,” an integrated mobile and SMS messaging service with additional features such as photo, video and location sharing that is available over various networks and mobile devices. While our subscribers continue to use our SMS, MMS and joyn.T services, usage of such services has not increased in 2014, in part due to the widespread use of free text message services such as Kakao Talk and Line.

Wireless Internet Services.    We provide our smartphone subscribers with direct access to the Internet using mobile Internet technology. Prior to the introduction of smartphones, we offered our feature phone subscribers wireless Internet access to a wide variety of multimedia contents and interactive services through our “NATE” portal. As of December 31, 2014, approximately 19.5 million, or 68.1%, of our subscribers owned smartphones compared to approximately 18.3 million subscribers, or 66.9%, as of December 31, 2013.

In connection with the continued increase in smartphone usage by our subscribers and the faster data transmission speeds made available by our LTE network, we offer various rate plans that we believe are tailored to meet the increased data usage of our subscribers. Examples of our rate plans that target various data usage patterns include data plans that offer 8GB, 12 GB or 16 GB a month for a monthly fixed rate and up to 2GB of daily usage for any data usage over the monthly fixed amount as well as data plans that offer unlimited data based on time, place and occasion such as our “Subway Free” plan, which offers unlimited wireless data usage on subway platforms and inside subways and our “Commuter Free” plan, which offers unlimited wireless data usage during

 

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rush hour, each for a monthly fixed rate. We believe that such rate plan offerings contribute to a continual increase in data usage by our LTE and smartphone subscribers such that the monthly data usage per LTE subscriber increased to 3.0 GB in December 2014 from 2.0 GB in December 2013. For more detailed information relating to our various rate plans, see “— Revenue and Rates.”

Broadband Internet, IP TV and Fixed-line Telephone Services

In March 2008, we completed the acquisition of an additional 38.7% equity stake in SK Broadband for approximately Won 1.1 trillion, increasing our total equity interest in SK Broadband to 43.4%. In 2009, we purchased additional shares of SK Broadband’s common stock, further increasing our equity interest to 50.6%, which we intend to increase to 100.0% pursuant to the Share Exchange through which we plan to acquire all of the shares of SK Broadband that we do not otherwise own in exchange for our treasury shares. For additional details relating to the Share Exchange, see “Item 4.A. History and Development of the Company — Recent Developments.” Through SK Broadband, we currently provide broadband Internet access service and other Internet-related services, including video-on-demand and IP TV services, as well as fixed-line telephone services and corporate data services.

SK Broadband is the second largest provider of broadband Internet access services in Korea in terms of both revenue and subscribers, and its network covered more than 80% of households in Korea as of December 31, 2014. Its fixed-line telephone services comprise local, domestic long distance, international long distance and VoIP services. VoIP is a technology that transmits voice data through an Internet Protocol network. SK Broadband has offered video-on-demand services since 2006 and has rolled out real-time IP TV services since January 2009. In addition, SK Broadband offers “B tv Mobile,” a mobile IP TV service that currently provides subscribers access to a wide variety of media contents, including various television programs, movies and other video contents that can be downloaded to wireless devices. For the year ended December 31, 2014, SK Broadband had revenues of Won 2,654.4 billion and net profit of Won 4.3 billion, compared to revenues of Won 2,539.4 billion and net profit of Won 12.3 billion in 2013.

As of December 31, 2014, SK Broadband had approximately 4.8 million broadband Internet access subscribers. According to the MSIP, its market share of Korean broadband Internet access subscribers was approximately 25.1%. Broadband Internet access services accounted for 32.4% of SK Broadband’s revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014.

As of December 31, 2014, SK Broadband had approximately 2.8 million IP TV subscribers with a market share of approximately 26.6%. IP TV services (including revenues from video-on-demand services and B tv Mobile) accounted for 18.0% of SK Broadband’s revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014.

As of December 31, 2014, SK Broadband had approximately 4.5 million fixed-line telephone subscribers (including subscribers to VoIP services). Since the nationwide implementation of fixed line number portability on August 1, 2004, SK Broadband has been expanding the coverage and subscriber base with its integrated services of long distance and international telephony as well as VoIP services. Fixed-line telephone services accounted for 21.5% of SK Broadband’s revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014.

In addition, through our 83.5% owned subsidiary, SK Telink, we provide international telecommunications services, including direct-dial as well as pre- and post-paid card calling services, bundled services for corporate customers, voice services using Internet protocol, Web-to-phone services, and data services. SK Telink provides affordable international call services under the brand name “00700” and has been offering commercial long-distance telephone service since February 2005. SK Telink also operates certain value-added residential telephone services, including a “080” service that allows companies to establish “toll-free” customer service telephone hotlines, for which all call charges are paid by the company, as well as a “general corporate number” service that automatically routes calls made to a company’s general telephone number to the caller’s nearest local branch. SK Telink also offers VoIP services with telephone numbers that have the “070” prefix and provides low-priced residential telephone services with additional value-added services, including SMS, remote office, caller ID display and video call services as well as various commercial telephone services. As of December 31, 2014, SK Telink had 261,190 subscribers to its VoIP services.

 

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New Businesses

We strive to continually diversify our services by engaging in various new businesses that we believe are complementary to our existing products and services. The principal new businesses that we are engaged in are the platform business, the B2B solutions business and the healthcare business as well as other businesses.

Platform Business.    Our platform business provides business platforms and technological support systems for third-party content developers and merchants. We plan to grow our platform business by sharing our telecommunication infrastructure with other service providers and application developers. In October 2011, in order to develop a management system and corporate culture that is more suitable for the platform business and facilitate the expeditious execution of business strategies, we spun off our platform business into a new wholly-owned subsidiary, SK Planet. Our principal platforms are set forth below:

 

   

11th Street, an online shopping mall that links wired and wireless shopping services. As of December 31, 2014, 11th Street continues to be one of the three biggest enterprises in its field. In 2015, we intend to continue to expand and reinforce our mobile version of 11th Street and to consider opportunities in overseas markets to capitalize on developing mobile commerce markets;

 

   

Syrup, a mobile wallet service that is the successor to our Smart Wallet service that allows users to conveniently manage membership card points and payment methods such as coupons, Gifticon, credit cards and gift vouchers on their mobile devices for both online and offline purchases;

 

   

T Store, an online open marketplace for mobile applications. T Store is open to, and operates with, other open markets such as the Android market and manufacturers’ open markets;

 

   

T-Map Navigation, an interactive navigation service that uses global positioning system (“GPS”) technology to transmit driving directions, real-time traffic updates and emergency rescue assistance to wireless devices, including vehicle-mounted devices and portable handsets; and

 

   

Hoppin, a network-based personalized media platform through which we provide various video contents that can be viewed from multiple devices seamlessly, including smartphones, tablets, personal computers and TVs. We provide a broad selection of movies, television programs and music videos through Hoppin.

B2B Solutions Business.    Our B2B solutions business provides customized business solutions and applications to corporate customers. We plan to grow our B2B solutions business to generate greater value and growth for both us and our customers and partners around the globe.

In April 2014, we acquired a 66.7% controlling interest in Neosnetworks, a provider of residential and small business electronic security and other related alarm monitoring services, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately Won 24.0 billion. We acquired additional interests in Neosnetworks in April 2015 for Won 40.0 billion, resulting in an increase in our ownership of Neosnetworks to 83.9%. We expect that this acquisition will enable us to create synergies and provide cross-over services between our network services and home security and monitoring services.

Healthcare Business.    We believe that the healthcare business is one of the new growth industries as society ages and medical and health technologies evolve and become integrated with information and communication technologies (“ICT”). In 2011, we began pursuing new opportunities in the healthcare business area by acquiring a 9.3% equity interest in NanoEnTek Inc. (“NanoEnTek”), a biotechnology and nanotechnology company manufacturing, among others, point-of-care diagnostics devices. In April 2014, we became the largest shareholder of NanoEnTek with a 26.0% equity interest. In January 2012, we established a joint venture, Healthconnect Co., Ltd. (“Healthconnect”), with Seoul National University Hospital to develop a health management service model for mobile device users utilizing ICT and currently hold a 49.5% equity interest in Healthconnect. In March 2012, we established a new internal organization, the Health Group, dedicated to developing our healthcare business and related research and development efforts.

We are also seeking opportunities in global healthcare markets. In the first quarter of 2013, we acquired a 49.0% equity interest in X’ian Tianlong Service and Technology Co., Ltd. (“Tianlong”), a Chinese medical device manufacturer. In July 2014, we established the SK Telecom Healthcare R&D Center in Shenzhen, China and the Shenzhen VISTA-SK Medical Center, which we believe will provide us with a strong foothold in expanding our healthcare business in China. Shenzhen VISTA-SK Medical Center was established through a joint venture with Vista Medical Center, a major private healthcare service provider based in Beijing, China, and has the capacity to

 

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provide medical examinations and checkups to approximately 30,000 people annually. We believe that there are opportunities to create synergies among these centers and the medical device business of Tianlong in expanding our healthcare business in China.

In June 2014, we also entered into a contract to provide medical information systems to six Saudi Arabian hospitals for approximately Won 70.0 billion through a consortium with Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. We expect to further expand our healthcare business in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries in the future.

Other Businesses.    We also engage in other businesses, including the IoT business (our multimedia and audio/video product business through which we provide products such as smart beams, smart speakers and audio products developed by Iriver), the portal service business and the social networking services business.

In August 2014, we acquired a 39.3% equity interest of Iriver, a manufacturer of digital audio players and other portable media devices, which we increased to 49.0% in December 2014, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately Won 54.5 billion. We also acquired Won 5.0 billion of convertible bonds issued by Iriver, which may be converted into additional equity interests of Iriver when certain conditions are met. We expect that the “Internet of Things” (“IoT”) business, which refers to the network of physical electronic devices embedded with various software and connectivity, among other things, will continue to grow and that various smart devices offering advanced features utilizing wireless data networks will continue to be developed and commercialized. We believe the IoT business is one of the main features of the changing ICT business environment and with our acquisition of Iriver, we believe we have established a strong foundation to further engage in the smart device business and develop products such as smart beams, smart speakers, smart robots and other audio/video products which leverage our expertise in telecommunications and healthcare technology.

SK Communications offers a portal service under our “NATE” brand name at the website www.NATE.com. NATE.com offers a wide variety of content and services, including an Internet search engine, as well as access to free e-mail accounts. SK Communications also operates NATE-ON, an instant messaging service available to NATE users that allows users to chat online using a variety of mobile devices.

In the first quarter of 2012, SK Planet acquired Mad Smart Co., Ltd., which provides “tic-toc” service, in order to expand its business to mobile communication and social networking services. Mobile social networking service, still in its early stage of development, presents ample opportunities for new businesses and is expected to grow rapidly in the future. SK Planet has focused on providing “tic-toc” in global markets and launched this service in Southeast Asia and the United States in October 2012 and Turkey in November 2013, expecting to secure its subscriber base by offering a wide range of services, including m-VoIP, multimedia contents sharing and connection with other mobile social networking services. SK Planet plans to continue to create synergies from the acquisition by combining its know-how in platform service and the strengths of “tic-toc” in social networking services in global markets. SK Planet developed “Frankly”, a mobile messenger service that built upon and customized “tic-toc” to local market condition and launched this service in the United States in September 2013 and Korea in October 2013. While “tic-toc” and “Frankly” are also offered in Korea, we do not believe this service will have any material adverse effect on the level of SMS usage by our subscribers because free text messaging services were already popular before its launch.

Global Business

We participate in various overseas markets and continue to seek opportunities to expand our global business.

United States.    In November 2010, we acquired a 3.3% equity interest in LightSquared for approximately US$60 million. LightSquared planned to build a wholesale wireless broadband network in the United States. However, LightSquared is currently in bankruptcy proceedings in the United States pursuant to Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

In October 2014, SK Planet acquired (through its 95.2%-owned subsidiary) a 100.0% ownership interest in Shopkick, a developer of a shopping app for mobile devices that provides benefits to customers for visiting stores, in order to penetrate the mobile commerce business in the United States for an aggregate purchase price of Won 230.9 billion and the assumption of Won 18.7 billion in current liabilities.

 

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China.    In February 2008, through our wholly-owned Chinese subsidiary, SK Telecom China Holding Company, we invested US$15.6 million to acquire a 65.5% equity interest in Shenzhen E-eye High Tech Co., Ltd. (“Shenzhen E-eye High Tech”), a GPS service company in China. In 2009, Shenzhen E-eye High Tech and SK Marketing & Company Co., Ltd. (which was subsequently merged into SK Planet in February 2013) established a joint venture to provide telematics services in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. We believe the acquisition of Shenzhen E-eye High Tech allows us to leverage opportunities created by the rapidly growing telematics market in China.

In March 2008, we acquired a 42.2% equity interest in TR Music Co., Ltd., a major record label in China, for US$10.7 million. In addition, in May 2008 we invested US$7.8 million to acquire a 30.0% equity interest in Magic Tech Network Co., Ltd., a Hong Kong company that develops and publishes online games in China.

We are also expanding into the healthcare business in China through our acquisition of Tianlong and the establishment of SK Telecom Healthcare R&D Center in Shenzhen, China and the Shenzhen VISTA-SK Medical Center described in “— Our Services — New Businesses — Healthcare Business” above.

Malaysia.    In July 2010, we acquired a 27.2% equity interest in Packet One Networks (“P1”), a Malaysian fourth generation WiMAX telecommunications company and subsidiary of Green Packet Berhad, for US$101 million. In connection with P1’s plan to increase its capital, we made an additional investment of MYR50 million (approximately US$16.3 million) in 2011, which increased our ownership interest to 28.2%. P1 is the first WiMAX service provider in the country which has established itself as the market leader in high-speed wireless broadband services. In February 2014, Green Packet Berhad entered into a share purchase agreement with Telekom Malaysia Berhad (“TM”), the largest fixed-line telecommunications provider in Malaysia, under which TM became P1’s largest shareholder. As data communication usage continues to increase in Malaysia, we expect to see potential LTE-related business opportunities as the second largest shareholder in P1.

In November 2014, SK Planet and Celcom Axiata, which is a leading telecommunications service provider in Malaysia, established a joint venture, Celcom Planet, to launch online commerce services tailored to the Malaysian market in the first half of 2015 by combining SK Planet’s expertise in operating 11th Street and the local business capabilities of Celcom Axiata.

Indonesia.    In May 2010, we agreed with PT. Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk (“TELKOM”), the largest telecommunication company in Indonesia, to establish a joint venture to launch and operate a digital content exchange hub (“DCEH”) in Indonesia. DCEH is a new type of content distribution system to distribute digital content like music, games and video clips for access not only by consumers but also by online music stores and telephone operators. We will provide management expertise in building the DCEH business platform and digital content, while TELKOM will provide its knowledge of the Indonesian market utilizing its position as a key player in the Indonesian telecommunication industry. In July 2013, SK Planet and PT. XL Axiata Tbk, an Indonesian mobile telecommunications provider, established an equally-held joint venture, XL Planet, to launch and operate a mobile commerce business, and in March 2014, launched an online shopping mall “Elevenia.”

Turkey.    In June 2012, SK Planet and Dogus Group, a Turkish conglomerate engaged in various businesses, established an equally-held joint venture, Dogus Planet, to launch and operate mobile commerce businesses based on the commerce platform of 11th Street, in Turkey. In March 2013, Dogus Planet launched n11.com, an online marketplace for the Turkish market. The revenue of n11.com increased by 183% to Won 385.7 billion in 2014 from Won 136.3 billion in 2013 and with revenue of Won 157.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014, n11.com became the market leading service provider in Turkey in terms of quarterly revenue.

We also provide healthcare-related services in Saudi Arabia as described in “— Our Services — Healthcare Business” above and social networking services in Southeast Asia, United States and Turkey as described in “— Our Services — New Businesses — Other Businesses” above.

Regional and International Strategic Alliances.    We have also entered into various strategic alliances with leading companies in the Asian and European wireless telecommunications markets. For instance, we are a member of the Bridge Alliance, the largest pan-Asian alliance of its kind, which includes eleven of the region’s leading wireless telecommunications service providers. In June 2007, we also signed a memorandum of understanding with FreeMove, an alliance of leading European wireless telecommunications service providers, including Orange SA of

 

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France, Telecom Italia Mobile S.p.A. of Italy, T-Mobile International AG & Co. AG of Germany and TeliaSonera Mobile Networks AB of Sweden, for the development of expanded WCDMA-based roaming service in Europe. We plan to continue to improve customer service as well as service quality, by developing co-marketing programs and other joint projects with our regional and global partners and by further fostering our regional and international alliances.

Provision of Wireless Internet Platforms and Wireless Network Solutions to Foreign Wireless Network Operators.    We have also sought to expand our global business through sales of our wireless Internet platforms and wireless network solutions, as well as provision of consulting services in the field of mobile communications. In addition, we have also been successful in exporting to other Asian countries and the United States the technological solutions underlying certain value-added and other wireless telecommunications services, such as our color mail solution, which is a messaging service that allows subscribers to send messages containing multimedia files including graphic, audio and video clips.

Revenues and Rates

We offer our wireless telecommunications services on both a postpaid and prepaid basis. Postpaid accounts primarily represent retail subscribers under contract with SK Telecom under which a subscriber is billed in advance a monthly fixed rate in return for a monthly network service allowance, and usage for outgoing voice calls and wireless data services beyond the allowance is billed in arrears. The standard contract period for our rate plans is 24 months, although our subscribers have the option to enter into shorter term contracts or no contract at all. We provide various subsidies, including handset subsidies depending on the length of the contract. Our prepaid service enables individuals to obtain wireless telecommunications services without a long-term contract by paying for all services in advance according to expected usage. Approximately 4.9% of our subscribers received our wireless telecommunications services on a postpaid basis as of February 28, 2015. We do not charge our customers for incoming calls, although we do receive interconnection charges from KT and other companies for calls from the fixed-line network terminating on our networks and interconnection revenues from other wireless network operators. See “— Interconnection.”

We offer various postpaid account plans designed to meet a wide range of subscriber needs and interests, including the following popular plans for subscribers to our LTE network, which accounted for approximately 90% of our new or renewed subscriptions in 2014:

 

   

our “LTE Between T” plans, which feature unlimited domestic voice minutes with other SK Telecom subscribers, a fixed domestic voice minute allowance for calls to other wireless subscribers and a fixed data transmission allowance per month; and

 

   

our “LTE Nationwide” plans, which feature unlimited domestic voice minutes regardless of the call counterparty’s subscription network, a fixed data transmission allowance per month and depending on the plan, an additional 2GB of daily usage for any data usage over the monthly fixed amount.

Our fixed-rate LTE plans range from Won 35,000 to Won 100,000 per month and our fixed-rate WCDMA plans range from Won 34,000 to Won 100,000 per month. We also offer a standard rate plan for Won 11,000 per month, through which the subscriber is charged per usage amount, other than on SMS usage up to 50 messages per month.

In connection with the increase in data usage due to the widespread use of smartphones and faster transmission speeds made possible by LTE technology, rate plans that provide for increased data usage are our most popular plans. We offer a variety of differentiated optional “add-on” rate plans that are designed to meet a wide range of subscriber needs and interests, particularly with respect to increased data usage. For example, in the first half of 2014, we launched data plans that offer unlimited data based on time, place and occasion such as our “Subway Free” plan, which offers unlimited wireless data usage on subway platforms and inside subways and our “Commuter Free” plan, which offers unlimited wireless data usage during rush hour, each for a fixed rate of Won 9,000 per month. We also offer a daily allowance of 2GB of B tv Mobile access through our “Btv Mobile” plan for Won 9,000 per month.

We also provide fixed-rate international roaming plans such as our “T Roaming Data Unlimited OnePass,” which provides unlimited data roaming services for Won 9,000 per day and is available in 147 countries and our

 

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“T Roaming Data OnePass Premium,” which provides unlimited data roaming services and a usage charge for outgoing voice calls of Won 500 per minute for Won 12,000 per day and is available in 23 countries.

The Government has periodically reviewed the tariffs charged by wireless telecommunications service providers and has, from time to time, suggested tariff reductions. Although these suggestions were not binding, we have implemented some tariff reductions in response to such recommendations, including gradually reducing and abolishing initial subscription fees charged to new customers. See “Item 3.D. Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business — Our businesses are subject to extensive Government regulation and any change in Government policy relating to the telecommunications industry could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows,” “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Law and Regulation — Competition Regulation — Rate Regulation” and “Item 5.A. Operating Results — Overview.”

For all calls made from our subscribers’ handsets in Korea to any destination in Korea, we charge usage fees based on a subscriber’s cellular rate plan. The fees are the same whether the call is local or long distance. With respect to international calls placed by a subscriber, we bill the subscriber the international rate charged by the Korean international telephone service provider through which the call is routed. We remit to that provider the international charge less our usage charges. See “— Interconnection.”

We offer a variety of value-added services, including COLORing, Auto COLORing, Call Keeper and Perfect Call services. Depending on the rate plan selected by the subscriber, the monthly fixed rate may or may not include these value-added services, except Caller ID and call waiting services, which are offered free of charge to all subscribers. In addition, we charge subscribers for purchases of certain digital contents and for certain wireless telecommunications services, such as our mobile commerce transaction services.

Because we have been designated by the MSIP as a “dominant network service provider,” any modification to our fees, charges or the terms and condition of our service, including promotional rates, requires prior approval by the MSIP. Such pre-approval of the MSIP is not required if we are planning to reduce the rates for each type of services that we provide under the MSIP-approved contractual terms; however, we still have a duty to report the rate reduction to the MSIP.

We also charge our customers a 10.0% value-added tax. We can offset the value-added tax we collect from our customers against value-added tax refundable to us by the Korean tax authorities. We remit taxes we collect from our customers to the Korean tax authorities. We record revenues in our financial statements net of such taxes.

Subscribers

We had 28.6 million wireless subscribers, including the number of MVNO subscribers leasing our networks, as of December 31, 2014, representing a market share of 50.0%, the largest market share among Korean wireless telecommunications service providers. We believe that, historically, our subscriber growth has been affected by many factors, including:

 

   

our expansion and technical enhancement of our networks, including with high-speed data capabilities;

 

   

increasing consumer awareness of the benefits of wireless telecommunications;

 

   

an effective marketing strategy;

 

   

our focus on customer service;

 

   

the introduction of value-added services, such as COLORing, wireless Internet services and various mobile applications; and

 

   

the negative impact from highly saturated and competitive wireless market conditions.

 

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The following table sets forth selected historical information about our subscriber base for the periods indicated:

 

    As of or for the Year Ended December 31,  
    2014     2013     2012  

Wireless:

     

Subscribers(1)

    28,613,341        27,352,482        26,961,045   

Subscriber Growth Rate

    4.6     1.5     1.8

Activations

    7,834,510        7,755,292        8,643,852   

Deactivations

    6,573,651        7,363,858        8,235,523   

Average Monthly Churn Rate(2)

    2.0     2.3     2.6

Broadband Internet:

     

Subscribers

    4,810,493        4,569,105        4,394,123   

Subscriber Growth Rate

    5.3     4.0     4.8

Fixed-line Telephone (including VoIP):

     

Subscribers

    4,774,748        4,801,047        4,757,152   

Subscriber Growth Rate

    (0.5 )%      0.9     7.6

 

 

(1) The number of subscribers as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 include 2,141,172 subscribers, 1,066,848 subscribers and 406,018 subscribers, respectively, of MVNOs that lease our wireless networks.

 

(2) Average monthly churn rate for a period is the number calculated by dividing the sum of deactivations during the period by the simple average of the number of subscribers at the beginning and end of the period and dividing the quotient by the number of months in the period. Churn includes subscribers who upgrade to a next generation service, such as LTE, by terminating their service and opening a new subscriber account.

For the year ended December 31, 2014, we had 7.8 million activations and 6.6 million deactivations. For 2014, our churn rate ranged from 1.7% to 2.3%, with an average churn rate of 2.0% for 2014, which decreased by 0.3%p from 2013. Our subscribers include those subscribers who are temporarily deactivated, including (1) subscribers who voluntarily deactivate temporarily for a period of up to three months no more than twice a year and (2) subscribers with delinquent accounts who may be involuntarily deactivated up to two months before permanent deactivation, which we determine based on various factors, including prior payment history.

Number Portability

Prior to January 2003, Korea’s wireless telecommunications system was based on a network-specific prefix system, in which a unique prefix was assigned to all the phone numbers of a specific wireless telecommunications service provider. We were assigned the “011” prefix, and all of our subscriber’s mobile phone numbers began with “011” (former Shinsegi subscribers use the “017” prefix) and our subscribers could not change their wireless phone service to another wireless telecommunications service provider and keep their existing numbers. In January 2003, the MIC announced its plan to implement number portability with respect to wireless telecommunications services in Korea, allowing wireless subscribers to switch wireless telecommunications service providers while retaining the same mobile phone number. As mandated by the MIC, we were the first wireless telecommunications service provider to introduce number portability in January 1, 2004, allowing our customers to transfer their numbers to our competitors. Our competitors’ customers were not able to transfer their number to our service, however, until KT and LG Telecom introduced number portability beginning July 1, 2004 and January 1, 2005, respectively. Subscribers who choose to transfer to a different wireless telecommunications service provider have the right to return to their original service provider without paying any penalties within 14 days of their initial transfer.

During 2014, 2013 and 2012, approximately 3.6 million, 4.2 million and 4.5 million, respectively, of our subscribers migrated to our competitors and approximately 3.4 million, 3.8 million and 4.5 million, respectively, of our competitors’ subscribers migrated to our service.

During 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, we gained approximately 1.3 million, 0.4 million and 0.4 million new subscribers, which represented approximately 49.9%, 37.1% and 36.6% of the aggregate number of new wireless subscribers gained by us, KT and LG U+ in each year.

 

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In addition, in order to manage the availability of phone numbers efficiently and to secure phone number resources for wireless telecommunications services, the Government has been integrating mobile telephone identification numbers into a common prefix identification number “010” since January 1, 2004, as further described in “— Law and Regulation — Competition Regulation — Number Portability.” For details regarding certain fines imposed on us by the MIC in connection with our marketing efforts related to the number portability system, see “Item 8.A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information — Legal Proceedings — MIC, KCC and MSIP Proceedings.”

Interconnection

Our wireless and fixed line networks interconnect with the public switched telephone networks operated by KT and SK Broadband and, through their networks, with the international gateways of KT, LG U+ and Onse Telecom Corporation, as well as the networks of the other wireless telecommunications service providers in Korea. These connections enable our subscribers to make and receive calls from telephones outside our networks. Under Korean law, service providers are required to permit other service providers to interconnect to their networks. If a new service provider desires interconnection with the networks of an existing service provider but the parties are unable to reach an agreement within 90 days, the new service provider can appeal to the KCC.

For 2014, our total interconnection revenues were Won 874.4 billion and our total interconnection expenses were Won 997.3 billion. For 2013, our total interconnection revenues were Won 923.7 billion, and our total interconnection expenses were Won 1,043.7 billion. For 2012, our total interconnection revenues were Won 958.7 billion, and our total interconnection expenses were Won 1,057.1 billion.

Our interconnection revenue decreased in 2014 by Won 49.3 billion and our interconnection expenses decreased in 2014 by Won 46.4 billion, primarily due to decreases in interconnection rates in 2014, which were partially offset by an increase in total call volume to mobile devices.

Domestic Calls

Guidelines issued by the MSIP require that all interconnection charges levied by a regulated carrier take into account (i) the actual costs to that carrier of carrying a call or (ii) imputed costs. The MSIP determines interconnection rates applicable to each carrier based on the increase or decrease in costs caused by changes in long-term traffic volume, taking into account other factors such as research results and trends in technology development.

Wireless-to-Fixed-line.    According to our interconnection arrangement with KT, for a call from our wireless network to KT’s fixed-line network, we collect the usage rate from our wireless subscriber and in turn pay KT the interconnection charges. Similarly, KT pays interconnection charges to SK Broadband for a call from KT’s wireless network to SK Broadband’s fixed-line network. The interconnection rate applicable to both KT and SK Broadband was Won 13.44 per minute, Won 16.57 per minute and Won 16.58 per minute for 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Fixed-line-to-Wireless.    The MSIP determines interconnection arrangements for calls from a fixed-line network to a wireless network. For a call initiated by a fixed-line user to one of our wireless subscribers, the fixed-line network operator collects our usage fee from the fixed-line user and remits to us an interconnection charge. Interconnection with KT accounts for substantially all of our fixed-line-to-wireless interconnection revenue and expenses.

 

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The interconnection rates paid by fixed-line network service providers to each wireless network service provider are set out below. In December 2010, the KCC announced that a single interconnection rate will apply to all wireless telecommunications service providers starting from 2013, which will eliminate the cost benefit that KT and LG U+ currently derive from the differences in interconnection rates. However, in November 2012, the KCC announced that it would continue to apply varied interconnection rates for the year 2013 considering the cost difference among wireless network service providers and our position as a dominant network service provider. These regulations remain effective, as the MSIP, in announcing the interconnection rates for 2015, maintained the varied interconnection rates due to our dominant market position.

 

     Rate per Minute  

Applicable Year

   SK Telecom      KT      LG U+  

2010

   31.41       33.35       33.64   

2011

     30.50         31.75         31.93   

2012

     27.05         28.03         28.15   

2013

     26.27         26.98         27.04   

2014

     22.22         22.73         22.78   

2015

     19.53         19.92         19.96   

Wireless-to-Wireless. The MIC implemented interconnection charges for calls between wireless telephone networks in Korea starting in January 2000. Under these arrangements, the operator originating the call pays an interconnection charge to the operator terminating the call. The applicable interconnection rate is the same as the fixed-line-to-wireless interconnection rate set out in the table above.

Our revenues from the wireless-to-wireless charge were Won 651.2 billion in 2014, Won 641.2 billion in 2013 and Won 601.5 billion in 2012. Our expenses from these charges were Won 700.3 billion in 2014, Won 615.6 billion in 2013 and Won 639.8 billion in 2012. The charges above were agreed among the parties involved and confirmed by the KCC.

International Calls

With respect to international calls, if a call is initiated by our wireless subscribers, we bill the wireless subscriber for the international charges of KT, LG U+ or SK Broadband, and we receive interconnection charges from such operators. If an international call is received by our subscriber, KT, LG U+ or SK Broadband pays interconnection charges to us based on our imputed costs.

International Roaming Arrangements

To complement the services we provide to our subscribers in Korea, we offer international voice and data roaming services. We charge our subscribers usage fees for global roaming service and, in turn, pay foreign wireless network operators fees for the corresponding usage of their network. For a more detailed discussion of our global roaming services, see “— Our Services — Cellular Voice Services” above.

Marketing and Service Distribution

Marketing, Sales and Service Network

We market our services and provide after-sales service support to customers through approximately 20 marketing teams, 30 branch offices and a network of approximately 3,690 authorized exclusive dealers located throughout Korea. Our dealers are connected via computer to our database and are capable of assisting customers with account information. In addition, approximately 12,400 independent retailers assist new subscribers to complete activation formalities, including processing subscription applications.

Currently, authorized dealers are entitled to an initial commission for each new subscriber registered by the dealer, as well as an average ongoing commission calculated as a percentage of that subscriber’s monthly plan-based rate for the first four years. In order to strengthen our relationships with our exclusive dealers, we offer a dealer financing plan, pursuant to which we provide to each authorized dealer an interest-free or low-interest loan of up to Won 4.0 billion with a repayment period of up to three years. As of December 31, 2014, we had an aggregate of Won 82.7 billion in loans to authorized dealers outstanding.

 

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In April 2009, we established a wholly-owned subsidiary, PS&Marketing Co., Ltd. (“PS&Marketing”), with an investment of Won 150.0 billion to diversify our sales activities. PS&Marketing began operating 13 stores in May 2009. In April 2014, PS&Marketing acquired the retail distribution business of SK Networks and as of December 31, 2014, PS&Marketing had 560 stores nationwide with 2,357 employees. In addition, we established two wholly-owned subsidiaries, Service Ace Co., Ltd. and Service Top Co., Ltd., in June 2010, in order to provide customer service directly through our subsidiaries to enhance the quality of services compared to outsourcing.

In April 2010, our authorized dealers for wireless telecommunications services started to market SK Broadband’s broadband Internet and fixed-line telephone services, which we believe has contributed to the increase in the number of broadband Internet and fixed-line telephone subscribers.

Over the last several years, competition in the wireless telecommunications business has caused us to significantly increase our marketing and advertising expenses. Between 2012 and 2014, marketing expenses as a percentage of SK Telecom’s revenue, on a separate basis, fluctuated heavily between 23.9% to 33.7%, depending on the competitive landscape. However, we expect such percentage to stabilize due to the implementation of the MDDIA. Pursuant to the MDDIA, wireless telecommunications service providers are prohibited from unfairly providing discriminatory subsidies based on criteria such as type of subscription, subscription plan and characteristics of the subscriber and from providing subsidies exceeding a maximum limit established by the KCC (such limit to be determined between Won 250,000 and Won 350,000, which may be adjusted every six months, with the current limit set at Won 330,000, effective as of April 24, 2015) for the purchase of mobile phone models that were launched within the last 15 months, among other restrictions and requirements. For a more detailed discussion of the MDDIA, see “— Law and Regulation — Competition Regulation — Rate Regulation.”

Marketing Strategies and Marketing Information Management

Information technology improvements.    We have implemented certain information technology improvements in connection with marketing strategy, including customer management systems, as well as more effective information security controls. We believe these upgrades have enhanced our ability to process and utilize marketing- and subscriber-related data, which, in turn, has helped us to develop more effective and targeted marketing strategies.

We currently operate a customer information system designed to provide us with an extensive customer database. Our customer information system includes a billing system that provides us with comprehensive account information for internal purposes and enables us to efficiently respond to customer requests. Our customers can also change their service plans, verify the charges accrued on their accounts, receive their bills online and send text messages to our other subscribers through our website at www.tworld.co.kr.

T Membership.    We strive to improve subscriber retention through our T Membership program, which is a membership service available to our wireless subscribers. Our T Membership program provides various membership benefits to its members such as discounts with our membership partners for dining, shopping, entertainment and travel, access to our online membership shopping mall and invitations to various promotional events. As of December 31, 2014, more than 10 million of our wireless subscribers joined our T Membership program. Although our competitors also have similar membership programs, we believe that our T Membership program has a competitive advantage over our competitors’ membership programs due to our large subscriber base and breadth of membership benefits. In addition, we expect that due to the limitations on subsidies pursuant to the MDDIA, the competitiveness of our T Membership program will play a greater role in enhancing the loyalty of our wireless subscribers.

“T”-brand Marketing Strategy.    To increase brand awareness and promote our corporate image, in August 2006, we launched our “T”-brand marketing campaign. Our “T” brand signifies the centrality of “Telecommunications” and “Technology” to our business and also seeks to emphasize our commitment to providing “Top” quality, “Trustworthy” products and services to our customers. We are marketing all our products and services under the “T” brand.

 

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Other Investments and Relationships

We have investments in several other businesses and companies and have entered into various business arrangements with other companies. Our principal investments fall into the following categories:

SK Hynix

In February 2012, we acquired a 21.1% equity stake in SK Hynix, one of the world’s largest memory-chip makers by revenue, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately Won 3.4 trillion, and became its largest shareholder. By investing in the export-driven semiconductor business, we aim to achieve a more diversified business portfolio, as well as seeking global growth opportunities utilizing SK Hynix’s overseas network. SK Hynix designs, manufactures and sells advanced memory semiconductor products, including DRAM and NAND flash products, used in various electronic devices. SK Hynix operates four wafer fabrication facilities in Korea and China.

In 2014, 2013 and 2012, SK Hynix and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, had revenues of Won 17,125.6 billion, Won 14,165.1 billion and Won 10,162.2 billion, respectively, profit before income tax of Won 5,047.7 billion and Won 3,074.9 billion and loss before income benefit of Won 199.3 billion, respectively, and profit for the year of Won 4,195.2 billion and Won 2,872.9 billion and loss for the year of Won 158.8 billion, respectively. As of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, SK Hynix and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, had total assets of Won 26,883.3 billion, Won 20,797.3 billion and Won 18,648.7 billion, respectively, and total equity of Won 18,036.3 billion, Won 13,066.9 billion and Won 9,739.4 billion, respectively.

KEBHana Card

In February 2010, we purchased shares newly issued by Hana SK Card Co., Ltd. (which was subsequently merged into KEB Card Co., Ltd. and renamed KEBHana Card Co., Ltd. (“KEBHana Card”) in November 2014), a credit card services provider, for a total purchase price of Won 400.0 billion. We currently hold 25.4% of the total outstanding shares of KEBHana Card. KEBHana Card offers certain credit card products that provide for discounts on some of our wireless network services and integrate T Membership benefits, among other features.

Other Investments

Our other investments include:

 

   

POSCO.    We currently own a 1.42% interest in the outstanding capital stock of POSCO, with a book value as of December 31, 2014 of Won 341.8 billion. POSCO is the largest fully integrated steel producer in Korea, and one of the largest steel producers in the world.

 

   

SKY Property Management.    We currently own a 33.0% equity interest in SKY Property Management Ltd. (“SKY Property Management”), with a book value as of December 31, 2014 of Won 248.5 billion. SKY Property Management was established in 2008 to manage buildings and real estate developments in China, in which affiliated companies of the SK Group had invested or will invest.

For more information regarding our investment securities, see note 9 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Competition

We were the only wireless telecommunications services provider in Korea prior to April 1996, when Shinsegi began offering its CDMA service. In 1996, the Government issued three additional licenses to KTF, LG Telecom and Hansol PCS to operate CDMA services. Each of KTF, LG Telecom and Hansol PCS commenced operation of its CDMA service in October 1997. Furthermore, in 2001, the Government awarded three companies the licenses to provide 3G wireless telecommunications services. In Korea, this 3G license is also known as the “IMT-2000” license. IMT-2000 is the global standard for 3G wireless communications, as defined by the International Telecommunication Union, an organization established to standardize and regulate international radio and telecommunications. One of these licenses was awarded to our former subsidiary, SK IMT Co., Ltd., which was merged into us on May 1, 2003. The other two licenses were awarded to LG Telecom, and to consortia led by or associated with KT. In addition, our wireless voice businesses compete with Korea’s fixed-line operators, and our wireless Internet businesses compete with providers of fixed-line data and Internet services.

 

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Beginning in 2000, there has been considerable consolidation in the wireless telecommunications industry, resulting in the emergence of stronger competitors. In 2000, KT acquired 47.9% of Hansol M.Com Co., Ltd.’s outstanding shares and renamed the company KT M.Com Co., Ltd. (“KT M.Com”). KT M.Com merged into KTF in May 2001. In June 2009, KTF merged into KT, which had held a 54.25% interest in KTF before the merger. In addition, in January 2010, LG DACOM and LG Powercomm merged into LG Telecom, which subsequently changed its name to LG U+. Such consolidation has created large, well-capitalized competitors with substantial financial, technical, marketing and other resources to respond to our business offerings.

Significant advances in technology are occurring that may affect our businesses, including the roll-out or the planned roll-out by us and our competitors of advanced high-speed wireless telecommunications networks based on technologies including CDMA, WCDMA, CDMA2000, WiBro and LTE.

As of December 31, 2014, according to the MSIP, KT and LG U+ had 17.3 million and 11.3 million subscribers, respectively, representing approximately 30.3% and 19.7%, respectively, of the total number of wireless subscribers in Korea on such date, each including the number of MVNO subscribers leasing its networks. As of December 31, 2014, we had 28.6 million subscribers, representing a market share of approximately 50.0%, including the number of MVNO subscribers leasing its networks. MVNOs leasing our networks had a total of 2.1 million subscribers, representing a market share of approximately 3.7%.

As of December 31, 2014, according to the MSIP, KT and LG U+ had 10.8 million and 8.5 million LTE subscribers, respectively, compared to our 16.7 million LTE subscribers.

For a description of the risks associated with the competitive environment in which we operate, see “Item 3.D. Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business — Competition may reduce our market share and harm our results of operations and financial condition.”

Law and Regulation

Overview

Korea’s telecommunications industry is subject to comprehensive regulation by the MSIP, which is responsible for information and telecommunications policies. The MSIP regulates and supervises a broad range of communications issues, including:

 

   

entry into the telecommunications industry;

 

   

scope of services provided by telecommunications service providers;

 

   

allocation of radio spectrum;

 

   

setting of technical standards and promotion of technical standardization;

 

   

rates, terms and practices of telecommunications service providers;

 

   

interconnection and revenue-sharing between telecommunications service providers;

 

   

research and development budgeting and objectives of telecommunications service providers; and

 

   

competition among telecommunications service providers.

Pursuant to amendments to the Government Organization Act and the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Korea Communications Commission, both effective as of March 23, 2013, the MSIP was established. The MSIP is charged with regulating information and telecommunications, the function which was formerly performed by the KCC in the previous Government. The KCC, which had taken over the regulatory functions relating to information and telecommunications policies and radio and broadcasting management from the MIC in 2008, is currently charged with regulating the public interest aspects of and fairness in broadcasting. In this annual report, we refer to the MIC and the KCC as the relevant governmental authorities in connection with any approval granted or action taken by the MIC or the KCC, as applicable, prior to such amendments and to the MSIP or other relevant governmental authority in connection with any approval granted or to be granted or action taken or to be taken by the MSIP or such other relevant governmental authority subsequent to such amendments.

 

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Telecommunications service providers are currently classified into three categories: network service providers, value-added service providers, and specific service providers. We are classified as a network service provider because we provide telecommunications services with our own telecommunications networks and related facilities. As a network service provider, we are required to obtain a license from the MSIP for the services we provide. Our licenses permit us to provide cellular services, third generation wireless telecommunications services using WCDMA and WiBro technologies and fourth generation wireless telecommunications services using LTE technology. Our cellular license is valid until 2021 after a 10-year extension issued in June 2011, our IMT-2000 license is valid until 2016, our WiBro license is valid until 2019 after a 7-year extension issued in March 2012 and our LTE license is valid until December 2021.

The MSIP may revoke our licenses or suspend any of our businesses if we fail to comply with its rules, regulations and corrective orders, including the rules restricting beneficial ownership and control and corrective orders issued in connection with any violation of rules restricting beneficial ownership and control or any violation of the conditions of our licenses. Alternatively, in lieu of suspension of our business, the MSIP may levy a monetary penalty of up to 3.0% of the average of our annual revenue for the preceding three fiscal years. A network service provider that wants to cease its business or dissolve must obtain MSIP approval.

In the past, the Government has stated that its policy was to promote competition in the Korean telecommunications market through measures designed to prevent the dominant service provider in any such market from exercising its market power in such a way as to prevent the emergence and development of viable competitors. While all network service providers are subject to MSIP regulation, we are subject to increased regulation because of our position as the dominant wireless telecommunications services provider in Korea.

Competition Regulation

The KCC is charged with ensuring that network service providers engage in fair competition and has broad powers to carry out this goal. If a network service provider is found to be in violation of the fair competition requirement, the KCC may take corrective measures it deems necessary, including, but not limited to, prohibiting further violations, requiring amendments to the articles of incorporation or to service contracts with customers, requiring the execution or performance of, or amendments to, interconnection agreements with other network service providers and prohibiting advertisements to solicit new subscribers. The KCC is required to consult with the Minister of the MSIP before it takes certain corrective measures.

In addition, we qualify as a “market-dominating business entity” under the Fair Trade Act. Accordingly, we are prohibited from engaging in any act of abusing our position as a market-dominating entity, such as unreasonably determining, maintaining or altering service rates, unreasonably controlling the rendering of services, unreasonably interfering with business activities of other business entities, hindering unfairly the entry of newcomers or substantially restricting competition to the detriment of the interests of consumers.

Because we are a member company of the SK Group, which is a large business group as designated by the FTC, we are subject to the following restrictions under the Fair Trade Act:

 

   

Restriction on debt guarantee among affiliates.    Any affiliate within the SK Group may not guarantee the debts of another domestic affiliate, except for certain guarantees prescribed in the Fair Trade Act, such as those relating to the debts of a company acquired for purposes of industrial rationalization, bid deposits for overseas construction work or technology development funds.

 

   

Restriction on cross-investment.    A member company of the SK Group may not acquire or hold shares in an affiliate belonging to the SK Group that owns shares in the member company.

 

   

Public notice of board resolution on large-scale transactions with specially related persons.    If a member company of the SK Group engages in a transaction with a specially related person in the amount of 5.0% or more of the member company’s capital or paid-in capital or for Won 5.0 billion or more, the transaction must be approved by a resolution of the member company’s board of directors and the member company must publicly disclose the transaction.

 

   

Restrictions on investments by subsidiaries and sub-subsidiaries of holding companies.    The Fair Trade Act prohibits subsidiaries of holding companies from investing in, or holding shares of common stock of,

 

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domestic affiliates that belong to the same large business group, unless such domestic affiliates are their own subsidiaries. Furthermore, any subsidiaries of a holding company’s subsidiaries (“sub-subsidiaries”) are prohibited from investing in, or holding shares of common stock of, domestic affiliates that belong to the same large business group, unless all shares issued by the affiliates are held by the sub-subsidiary. Therefore, we and other subsidiaries of SK Holdings may not invest in any domestic affiliate that is also a member company of the SK Group, except in the case where we invest in our own subsidiary or where another subsidiary of SK Holdings invests in its own subsidiary.

 

   

Public notice of the current status of a business group.    Under the Fair Trade Act and the Enforcement Decree thereof, a member company of the SK Group must publicly disclose the general status of the SK Group, including the name, business scope and financial status of affiliates, information on the officers of affiliates, information on shareholding and cross-investments between member companies of the SK Group, information on transactions with certain related persons and, if a member company engages in a transaction with an affiliated company in the amount of 5.0% or more of the member company’s quarterly sales or Won 5.0 billion or more, information on transactions with such affiliated company on a quarterly basis.

Number Portability.    In January 2003, the MIC announced its plan to implement number portability with respect to wireless telecommunications service in Korea. The number portability system allows wireless subscribers to switch wireless telecommunications service providers while retaining the same mobile phone number. For details of the number of subscribers who transferred to the services of our competitors following the implementation of the number portability system, see “— Subscribers.”

In addition, the Government has been integrating mobile telephone identification numbers into a common prefix identification number “010” and gradually retracting the current mobile service identification numbers which had been unique to each wireless telecommunications service provider, including “011” for our cellular services, since January 1, 2004. All new subscribers have been given the “010” prefix starting January 2004. As the next step in the “010” integration process, the mobile telephone number prefix for all 3G and LTE service users has been changed to “010” as of January 1, 2014. The MSIP plans to complete the integration process by around 2018, when all mobile telephone numbers would have the prefix identification number “010.”

For risks relating to number portability, see “Item 3.D. Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business — Our businesses are subject to extensive Government regulation and any change in Government policy relating to the telecommunications industry could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.”

Rate Regulation.    Most network service providers must report to the MSIP the rates and contractual terms for each type of service they provide. However, as the dominant network service provider for specific services (based on having the largest market share in terms of number of subscribers and meeting certain revenue thresholds), we must obtain prior approval of the MSIP on our rates and terms of service; provided, however, that such pre-approval of the MSIP is not required, if we are planning to reduce the rates for any type of services that we provide under the MSIP-approved contractual terms. In each of the previous years in which this requirement has been applicable, the KCC designated us for wireless telecommunications service, and KT for local telephone and Internet services, as dominant network service providers that are subject to such approval requirement. The KCC’s policy was to approve rates if they are appropriate, fair and reasonable (that is, if the rates have been reasonably calculated, considering supply costs, profits, classification of costs and profits for each service, cost savings through changes in the way services are provided and the influence on fair competition, among others). The MSIP takes a similar approach in regulating the rates. The MSIP may order changes in the submitted rates if it deems the rates to be significantly unreasonable or against public policy.

Furthermore, in 2007, the Government announced a “road map” highlighting revisions in regulations to promote deregulation of the telecommunications industry. In accordance with the road map and pursuant to the Combined Sales Regulation, promulgated in May 2007, telecommunications service providers are now permitted to bundle their services, such as wireless data transmission service, wireless voice transmission service, broadband Internet access service, fixed-line telephone service and IP TV service, at a discounted rate; provided, however, that we and KT, as market-dominating business entities under the Telecommunications Business Act, allow other competitors to employ the services provided by us and KT, respectively, so that such competitors can provide similar discounted package

 

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services. In September 2007, the regulations and provisions under the Telecommunications Business Act were amended to permit licensed transmission service providers to offer local, domestic long-distance and international telephone services, as well as broadband Internet access and Internet phone services, without additional business licenses.

Moreover, under the amended Telecommunications Business Act, which became effective on September 23, 2010, an MVNO system was adopted for a duration of three years until September 22, 2013. The expiration date of the system was extended to September 22, 2016 under the amended Telecommunications Business Act, which became effective on August 13, 2013. Under this system, the MSIP may designate and obligate certain wireless telecommunications services providers to allow an MVNO, at such MVNO’s request, to use their telecommunication network facilities at a rate mutually agreed upon that complies with the standards set by the MSIP. We were designated as the only wireless telecommunications services provider obligated to allow the other wireless telecommunications services provider to use our telecommunications network facilities. To date, ten MVNOs have commenced providing wireless telecommunications services using the networks leased from us.

On October 1, 2014, the MDDIA, enacted for the purpose of establishing a transparent and fair mobile distribution practice, became effective. The MDDIA limits the amount of subsidies a wireless telecommunications service provider can provide to subscribers in order to prevent excessive competition among wireless telecommunications service providers. Pursuant to the MDDIA, wireless telecommunications service providers are prohibited from (i) unfairly providing discriminatory subsidies based on criteria such as type of subscription, subscription plan and characteristics of the subscriber, (ii) providing subsidies exceeding a maximum limit established by the KCC (such limit to be determined between Won 250,000 and Won 350,000, which may be adjusted every six months, with the current limit set at Won 330,000, effective as of April 24, 2015) for the purchase of mobile phone models that were launched within the last 15 months, and (iii) entering into a separate agreement with subscribers imposing obligations to use a specific subscription plan as a condition for providing subsidies. In addition, under the MDDIA, wireless telecommunications service providers are obliged to provide benefits, such as discounted rates, to subscribers who subscribe to the service without receiving subsidies, in an amount corresponding to such subsidies.

Interconnection.    Dominant network service providers such as ourselves that own essential infrastructure facilities or possess a certain market share are required to provide interconnection of their telecommunications network facilities to other service providers upon request. The MSIP sets and announces the standards for determining the scope, procedures, compensation and other terms and conditions of such provision, interconnection or co-use. We have entered into interconnection agreements with KT, LG U+, Onse Telecom Corporation and other network service providers permitting these entities to interconnect with our network. We expect that we will be required to enter into additional agreements with new operators as the MSIP grants permits to additional telecommunications service providers.

Frequency Allocation.    The MSIP has the discretion to allocate and adjust the frequency band for each type of service and may auction off the rights to certain frequency bands. Upon allocation of new frequency bands or adjustment of frequency bands, the MSIP is required to give a public notice. The MSIP also regulates the frequency to be used by each radio station, including the transmission frequency used by equipment in our cell sites. All of our frequency allocations are for a definite term. We pay fees to the MSIP for our frequency usage that are determined based upon our number of subscribers, frequency usage by our networks and other factors. For 2014, 2013 and 2012, the fee amounted to Won 188.1 billion, Won 206.5 billion and Won 204.2 billion, respectively.

We currently use 10 MHz of bandwidth in the 800 MHz spectrum for our CDMA services, 40 MHz of bandwidth in the 2.1 GHz spectrum for our WCDMA services, 20 MHz of bandwidth in the 2.1 GHz spectrum, 20 MHz of bandwidth in the 800 MHz spectrum and 35 MHz of bandwidth in the 1.8 GHz spectrum for our LTE services, as well as 27 MHz of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band for our WiBro services. For more information regarding the license fees for the various bandwidths that we use, see “Item 5.B. Liquidity and Capital Resources — Capital Requirements — Capital Expenditures” and note 17 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

For risks relating to the maintenance of adequate bandwidth capacity, see “Item 3.D. Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Ours Business — Our business and results of operations may be adversely affected if we fail to acquire adequate additional spectrum or use our bandwidth efficiently to accommodate subscriber growth and subscriber usage.”

 

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Mandatory Contributions and Obligations

Universal Service Obligation.    All telecommunications service providers other than value-added service providers, specific service providers and regional paging service providers or any telecommunications service providers whose net annual revenue is less than an amount determined by the MSIP (currently set at Won 30.0 billion) are required to provide “universal” telecommunications services including local telephone services, local public telephone services, telecommunications services for remote islands and wireless communication services for ships and telephone services for handicapped and low-income citizens, or contribute toward the supply of such universal services. The MSIP designates universal services and the service provider who is required to provide each service. Currently, under the MSIP guidelines, we are required to offer free subscription and a discount of between 35.0% to 50.0% of our monthly fee for wireless telecommunications services to handicapped and low-income citizens.

In addition to such universal services for handicapped and low-income citizens, we are also required to make certain monetary contributions to compensate for other service providers’ costs for the universal services. The size of a service provider’s contribution is based on its net annual revenue (calculated pursuant to the MSIP guidelines, which differ from our accounting practices). In 2014, our contribution amount was Won 21.8 billion for our fiscal year 2013. In 2013, our contribution amount was Won 19.2 billion for our fiscal year 2012. In 2012, our contribution amount was Won 20.2 billion for our fiscal year 2011. As a wireless telecommunications services provider, we are not considered a provider of universal telecommunications services and do not receive funds for providing universal service. Other network service providers that do provide universal services make all or a portion of their “contribution” in the form of expenses related to the universal services they provide.

Foreign Ownership and Investment Restrictions and Requirements

Because we are a network service provider, and the exception for the foreign shareholding limit under the amended Telecommunications Business Act, which became effective on August 13, 2013, does not apply to us, foreign governments, individuals, and entities (including Korean entities that are deemed foreigners, as discussed below) are prohibited from owning more than 49.0% of our voting stock. Korean entities whose largest shareholder is a foreign government or a foreigner (together with any of its related parties) that owns 15.0% or more of the outstanding voting stock of such Korean entities are also deemed foreigners. If this 49.0% ownership limitation is violated, certain of our foreign shareholders will not be permitted to exercise voting rights in excess of the limitation, and the MSIP may require other corrective action.

As of December 31, 2014, SK Holdings owned 20,363,452 shares of our common stock, or approximately 25.22% of our issued shares. As of December 31, 2014, a foreign investment fund and its related parties collectively held a 1.1% stake in SK Holdings. If the foreign investment fund and its related parties increase their shareholdings in SK Holdings to 15% or more and such foreign investment fund and its related parties collectively constitute the largest shareholder of SK Holdings, SK Holdings will be considered a foreign shareholder, and its shareholding in us would be included in the calculation of our aggregate foreign shareholding. If SK Holdings’ shareholding in us is included in the calculation of our aggregate foreign shareholding, then our aggregate foreign shareholding, assuming the foreign ownership level as of December 31, 2014 (which we believe was 43.47%), would reach 68.69%, exceeding the 49.0% ceiling on foreign shareholding.

If our aggregate foreign shareholding limit is exceeded, the MSIP may issue a corrective order to us, the breaching shareholder (including SK Holdings if the breach is caused by an increase in foreign ownership of SK Holdings) and the foreign investment fund and its related parties who own in the aggregate 15.0% or more of SK Holdings. Furthermore, SK Holdings will be prohibited from exercising its voting rights with respect to the shares held in excess of the 49.0% ceiling, which may result in a change in control of us. In addition, the MSIP will be prohibited from granting us licenses or permits necessary for entering into new telecommunications businesses until our aggregate foreign shareholding is reduced to below 49.0%. If a corrective order is issued to us by the MSIP arising from the violation of the foregoing foreign ownership limit, and we do not comply within the prescribed period under such corrective order, the MSIP may:

 

   

revoke our business license;

 

   

suspend all or part of our business; or

 

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if the suspension of business is deemed to result in significant inconvenience to our customers or to be detrimental to the public interest, impose a one-time administrative penalty of up to 3.0% of the average of our annual revenue for the preceding three fiscal years.

Additionally, the Telecommunications Business Act also authorizes the MSIP to assess monetary penalties of up to 0.3% of the purchase price of the shares for each day the corrective order is not complied with, as well as a prison term of up to one year or a penalty of Won 50 million. See “Item 3.D. Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Securities — If SK Holdings causes us to breach the foreign ownership limitations on our common shares, we may experience a change of control.”

We are required under the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act to file a report with a designated foreign exchange bank or with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance (the “MOSF”), in connection with any issue of foreign currency denominated securities by us in foreign countries. Issuances of US$30 million or less require the filing of a report with a designated foreign exchange bank, and issuances that are over US$30 million in the aggregate within one year from the filing of a report with a designated foreign exchange bank require the filing of a report with the MOSF.

The Telecommunications Business Act provides for the creation of a Public Interest Review Committee under the MSIP to review investments in or changes in the control of network service providers. The following events would be subject to review by the Public Interest Review Committee:

 

   

the acquisition by an entity (and its related parties) of 15.0% or more of the equity of a network service provider;

 

   

a change in the largest shareholder of a network service provider;

 

   

agreements by a network service provider or its shareholders with foreign governments or parties regarding important business matters of such network service provider, such as the appointment of officers and directors and transfer of businesses; and

 

   

a change in the shareholder that actually controls a network service provider.

If the Public Interest Review Committee determines that any of the foregoing transactions or events would be detrimental to the public interest, then the MSIP may issue orders to stop the transaction, amend any agreements, suspend voting rights, or divest the shares of the relevant network service provider. Additionally, if a dominant network service provider (which would currently include us and KT), together with its specially related persons (as defined under the FSCMA), holds more than 5.0% of the equity of another dominant network service provider, the voting rights on the shares held in excess of the 5.0% limit may not be exercised.

Patents and Licensed Technology

Access to the latest relevant technology is critical to our ability to offer the most advanced wireless telecommunications services and to design and manufacture competitive products. In addition to active internal and external research and development efforts as described in “Item 5.C. Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, etc.,” our success depends in part on our ability to obtain patents, licenses and other intellectual property rights covering our products. We own numerous patents and trademarks worldwide, and have applications for patents pending in many countries, including Korea, Japan, China and the United States and in Europe. Our patents are mainly related to LTE technology and wireless Internet applications. We have also acquired a number of patents related to WCDMA and CDMA technologies. There are no licensed patents that are material to our business.

We are not currently involved in any material litigation regarding patent infringement. For a description of the risks associated with our reliance on intellectual property, see “Item 3.D. Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business — Our business relies on technology developed by us, and our business will suffer if we are unable to protect our proprietary rights.”

Seasonality of the Business

Our business is not affected by seasonality.

 

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Item 4.C. Organizational Structure

Organizational Structure

We are a member of the SK Group, based on the definition of “group” under the Fair Trade Act. As of December 31, 2014, SK Group members owned in aggregate 25.22% of the shares of our issued common stock. The SK Group is a diversified group of companies incorporated in Korea with interests in, among other things, telecommunications, trading, energy, chemicals, engineering and leisure industries.

Significant Subsidiaries

For information regarding our subsidiaries, see note 1(2) of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

 

Item 4.D. Property, Plants and Equipment

The following table sets forth certain information concerning our principal properties as of December 31, 2014:

 

Location

  

Primary Use

   Approximate Area
in Square Feet
 

Seoul Metropolitan Area

   Corporate Headquarters      988,447   
   Regional Headquarters      607,249   
   Customer Service Centers      107,277   
   Training Centers      616,845   
   Central Research and Development Center      482,719   
   Others(1)      962,781   

Busan

   Regional Headquarters      363,282   
   Others(1)      637,960   

Daegu

   Regional Headquarters      148,065   
   Others(1)      232,375   

Jeolla and Jeju Provinces

   Regional Headquarters      265,614   
   Others(1)      690,313   

Chungcheong Province

   Regional Headquarters      459,302   
   Others(1)      784,438   

 

 

(1) Includes cell sites.

In December 2004, we constructed a building with an area of approximately 82,624 square feet, of which we have full ownership, for use as our corporate headquarters. In addition, we own or lease various locations for cell sites and switching equipment. We do not anticipate that we will encounter material difficulties in meeting our future needs for any existing or prospective leased space for our cell sites. See “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Digital Wireless Network — Network Infrastructure.”

We maintain a range of insurance policies to cover our assets and employees, including our directors and officers. We are insured against business interruption, fire, lightening, flooding, theft, vandalism, public liability and certain other risks that may affect our assets and employees. We believe that the types and amounts of our insurance coverage are in accordance with general business practices in Korea.

 

Item 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

We do not have any unresolved comments from the SEC staff regarding our periodic reports under the Exchange Act.

 

Item 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

You should read the following discussion together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto which appear elsewhere in this annual report. We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB. In addition, you should read carefully the section titled “— Critical Accounting Policies, Estimates and Judgments” as well as note 4 of the notes to our consolidated financial

 

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statements which provide summaries of certain critical accounting policies that require our management to make difficult, complex or subjective judgments relating to matters which are highly uncertain and that may have a material impact on our financial conditions and results of operations.

 

Item 5.A. Operating Results

Overview

We earn revenue principally from monthly plan-based fees, usage charges for outgoing voice calls, usage charges for wireless data services and value-added service fees paid by subscribers to our wireless telecommunications services, as well as interconnection fees paid to us by other telecommunications operators for use of our network by their customers and subscribers. Our revenue amount depends principally upon the number of our wireless subscribers, the rates we charge for our services, the frequency and volume of subscriber usage of our services and the terms of our interconnection with other telecommunications operators. We also derive revenue from businesses operated by our consolidated subsidiaries, including broadband Internet (including IP TV services) and fixed-line telephone services offered by SK Broadband, various platform businesses conducted by SK Planet and handset sales made by PS&Marketing. Government regulation also affects our revenues.

Our operations are reported in three segments: (1) cellular services, which include cellular voice service, wireless data service and wireless Internet services, (2) fixed-line telecommunication services, which include fixed-line telephone services, broadband Internet services (including IP TV services) and leased line services and (3) others, which include our Internet portal services, online shopping services and other platform services and other operations that do not meet the quantitative thresholds to be separately considered reportable segments.

Among other factors, management uses operating income of each reportable segment presented in accordance with K-IFRS (“segment operating income”) in its assessment of the profitability of each reportable segment. The sum of segment operating income for all three reportable segments differs from our operating income presented in accordance with IFRS by IASB as segment operating income does not include certain items such as gain and loss from disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets and impairment loss on property and equipment and intangible assets. For a reconciliation of operating income presented in accordance with IFRS by IASB and operating income presented in accordance with K-IFRS, see “— Explanatory Note Regarding Presentation of Certain Financial Information under K-IFRS.”

In addition to the information set forth below, see note 5 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements for more detailed information regarding each of our reportable segments.

A number of recent developments have had or are expected to have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition and capital expenditures. These developments include:

New Regulations Relating to Handset Subsidies.    We provide handset subsidies to subscribers who agree to use our service for a predetermined service period and purchase handsets on an installment basis. Generally, handset subsidies may be provided to any subscriber that uses our service and purchases handsets either directly from us or through third parties. Prior to the implementation of the MDDIA, there was intense competition among wireless telecommunications service providers to acquire subscribers by providing higher subsidies. In October 2014, the Government started limiting the amount of subsidies a wireless telecommunications service provider can provide to subscribers in order to prevent excessive competition among wireless telecommunications service providers under the MDDIA. Pursuant to the MDDIA, wireless telecommunications service providers are prohibited from (i) unfairly providing discriminatory subsidies based on criteria such as type of subscription, subscription plan and characteristics of the subscriber, (ii) providing subsidies exceeding a maximum limit established by the KCC (such limit to be determined between Won 250,000 and Won 350,000, which may be adjusted every six months, with the current limit set at Won 330,000, effective as of April 24, 2015) for the purchase of mobile phone models that were launched within the last 15 months, and (iii) entering into a separate agreement with subscribers imposing obligations to use a specific subscription plan as a condition for providing subsidies. In addition, under the MDDIA, wireless telecommunications service providers are obliged to provide certain benefits, such as discounted rates, to subscribers who subscribe to their service without receiving subsidies, in an amount corresponding to such subsidies.

 

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It is difficult to estimate the impact such Government regulations will have on our results of operations as we believe the imposition of such regulations may affect the cellular telecommunications industry in various ways that we cannot fully predict. We believe that handset subsidies will not increase to the extent they did in the past when wireless telecommunications service providers were engaged in intense competition to acquire new subscribers as the MDDIA imposes a maximum limit on handset subsidies. However, as we provided lower subsidies to existing subscribers who purchased new handsets than to new subscribers that switched wireless telecommunications service providers in the past but under the MDDIA, we are required to provide the same level of subsidies to both types of subscribers, if the number of existing subscribers who purchase new handsets increases, our marketing expenses may increase. Failure to comply with the MDDIA may lead to suspension of our business or imposition of monetary penalties. For more information about the MDDIA and the penalties imposed for violating Government regulations, see “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Law and Regulation — Competition Regulation — Rate Regulation” and “Item 8.A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information— Legal Proceedings — MIC, KCC and MSIP Proceedings.”

Abolishment of Initial Subscription Fees.    Upon recommendation by the MSIP, we, KT and LG U+ agreed to gradually reduce initial subscription fees charged to new customers and in August 2013, reduced the initial subscription fee by 40% and again by an additional 50% in August 2014. Starting in November 2014, we ceased charging any initial subscription fees to new customers. The gradual reduction and ultimate abolishment of initial subscription fees adversely impacted our wireless service revenue in 2014 compared to 2013 and may continue to have a material impact on our results of operations in 2015. For more information about the rates we charge, see “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Revenues and Rates” and “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Law and Regulation — Competition Regulation — Rate Regulation.”

Decrease in Interconnection Fees.    Our wireless telecommunications services depend, in part, on our interconnection arrangements with domestic and international fixed-line and other wireless networks. Charges for interconnection affect our revenues and operating results. The MSIP determines the basic framework for interconnection arrangements, including policies relating to interconnection rates in Korea. Under our interconnection agreements, we are required to make payments in respect of calls which originate from our networks and terminate in the networks of other Korean telecommunications operators, and the other operators are required to make payments to us in respect of calls which originate in their networks and terminate in our network. The MSIP has continued to gradually decrease the interconnection rates in Korea, which has led to a continued decrease in our interconnection revenue as well as interconnection expenses from 2012 to 2014 and any further reduction in interconnection rates by the MSIP may continue to impact our results of operations. For more information about our interconnection revenue and expenses, see “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Interconnection.”

Increase in Average Monthly Revenue per Subscriber.    The total average monthly revenue per subscriber is derived by dividing the sum of total SK Telecom and SK Planet revenues from voice service, data service, initial subscription fees and interconnection revenue, as well as other revenues, for the period by the monthly average number of subscribers (including the number of MVNO subscribers leasing our networks) for the period, then dividing that number by the number of months in the period. Our total average monthly revenue per subscriber increased by 4.1% to Won 44,123 in 2014 from Won 42,377 and increased by 5.6% in 2013 from Won 40,128 in 2012. The increases in total average monthly revenue per subscriber in 2014 and 2013 were primarily due to increases in LTE subscribers who subscribe to data plans with higher monthly basic charges than our other wireless telecommunications services and data service usage attributable to increases in the number of smartphone users. However, the decrease in the growth rate of our total average monthly revenue per subscriber to 4.1% in 2014 from 5.6% in 2013 is attributable to the higher relative increase in LTE subscribers that subscribe to fixed-rate plans with lower monthly fees compared to those that subscribe to fixed-rate plans with higher monthly fees in connection with the continual migration of wireless subscribers with low data usage (unlike early LTE adopters that generally have high data usage) to LTE services.

Acquisition of SK Hynix Shares.    In February 2012, we acquired a 21.05% equity stake in SK Hynix, one of the world’s largest memory chip makers by revenue, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately Won 3.4 trillion, and became its largest shareholder. As of December 31, 2014, we held a 20.1% equity stake in SK Hynix. SK Hynix’s profit for the year was Won 4,195.2 billion in 2014 and Won 2,872.9 billion in 2013 and

 

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recorded a loss for the year of Won 158.8 billion in 2012. Our investment in SK Hynix is accounted for using the equity method and the results of SK Hynix’s performance is reflected in our operating results as gains (loss) related to investments in subsidiaries and associates.

Acquisition of SK Networks’ Retail Distribution Business.    In April 2014, PS&Marketing acquired the retail distribution business of SK Networks. As a result of such acquisition, there was an increase in digital handset sales in 2014 compared to 2013 as well as an increase in various related operating expenses, including cost of products that have been resold and labor costs.

Explanatory Note Regarding Presentation of Certain Financial Information under K-IFRS

In addition to preparing consolidated financial statements in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB included in this annual report, we also prepare financial statements in accordance with K-IFRS as adopted by the KASB, which we are required to file with the FSC and the Korea Exchange under the FSCMA.

Beginning with our financial statements prepared in accordance with K-IFRS as of and for the year ended December 31, 2012, we are required to adopt certain amendments to K-IFRS No. 1001, Presentation of Financial Statements, as adopted by KASB in 2012. The amendments require operating income, which is calculated as operating revenue less operating expense, to be separately presented on the consolidated statement of income. Operating expense represents expenses incurred in our main operating activities and includes cost of products that have been resold and selling, general and administrative expenses. Accordingly, beginning with our consolidated statements of income prepared in accordance with K-IFRS for the year ended December 31, 2012, we present operating income in accordance with the amended K-IFRS No. 1001, Presentation of Financial Statements. Prior to the adoption of the amendments to K-IFRS No. 1001, Presentation of Financial Statements, the operating income we presented in our consolidated statements of income prepared in accordance with K-IFRS took into account certain other operating revenue and other operating expenses that are no longer included in the calculation of operating income pursuant to these amendments.

 

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In our consolidated statements of income prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB included in this annual report, such changes in presentation were not adopted. As a result, the presentation of operating income in our consolidated statements of income prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB included in this annual report differs from the presentation of operating income in the consolidated statements of income prepared in accordance with K-IFRS for the corresponding periods. The table below sets forth a reconciliation of our operating income as presented in our consolidated statements of income prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 to the operating income as presented in the consolidated statements of income prepared in accordance with K-IFRS after giving effect to the amendments to K-IFRS No. 1001, Presentation of Financial Statements, for each of the corresponding years.

 

     For the Year Ended December 31,  
     2014     2013     2012  
     (In billions of Won)  

Operating income pursuant to IFRS by IASB

   1,607.9      1,578.4      1,737.7   

Differences:

      

Other income pursuant to IFRS

      

Fee revenues

     (8.2     (7.3     (4.0

Gain on disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets

     (8.8     (8.0     (162.6

Others

     (39.5     (59.7     (35.3
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     (56.5     (75.0     (201.8

Other operating expenses pursuant to IFRS that are classified as other non-operating expenses pursuant to K-IFRS

      

Loss on impairment of property and equipment and intangible assets

     47.5        13.8        37.0   

Loss on disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets

     33.0        267.5        15.1   

Donations

     67.8        82.1        81.3   

Bad debt for accounts receivable — other

     17.9        22.2        30.1   

Others

     107.5        122.2        30.7   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     273.8        507.7        194.2   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating income pursuant to K-IFRS

   1,825.1      2,011.1      1,730.0   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

However, there is no impact on profit for the year or earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Accounting Standards Updates

We have adopted amendments to IAS 32, Financial Instruments: Presentation, for the year ended December 31, 2014. See note 3 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements for a summary of IAS 32, Financial Instruments: Presentation. The adoption of these amendments is not expected to have a significant impact on our consolidated results of operations or financial position.

 

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Operating Results

The following table sets forth summary consolidated income statement information, including that expressed as a percentage of operating revenue and other income, for the periods indicated:

 

     For the Year Ended December 31,  
     2014     2013     2012  
     (In billions of Won, except percentage data)  

Operating Revenue and Other Income

   17,220.3       100.0 %   16,677.0       100.0 %   16,343.3       100.0

Revenue

     17,163.8        99.7        16,602.1        99.6        16,141.4        98.8   

Other income

     56.5        0.3        74.9        0.4        201.9        1.2   

Operating Expense

     15,612.4       90.7       15,098.6       90.5       14,605.6       89.4   

Operating Income

     1,607.8       9.3       1,578.4       9.5       1,737.6       10.6   

Profit before Income Tax

     2,253.8       13.1       1,827.1       11.0       1,519.4       9.3   

Income Tax Expense from Continuing Operations

     454.5       2.6       400.8       2.4       288.2       1.8   

Profit from Continuing Operations

     1,799.3        10.4        1,426.3        8.6        1,231.2        7.5   

Profit (Loss) from Discontinued Operation, Net of Income Taxes(1)

                  183.2        1.1       (115.5 )     (0.7

Profit (Loss) for the Year Attributable to:

            

Owners of the Parent Company

     1,801.2       10.5       1,638.9       9.8       1,151.7       7.0   

Non-controlling Interests

     (1.9     (0.0 )     (29.4     (0.2 )     (36.0     (0.2

Profit for the Year

     1,799.3        10.4       1,609.5        9.6       1,115.7        6.8   

 

 

(1) Relates to results of operations of Loen Entertainment, which ceased being our consolidated subsidiary in July 2013 and SK Telink’s digital media broadcasting business, which was ceased in August 2012, which have been classified as discontinued operations after such cessation.

 

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The following table sets forth additional information about our operations with respect to our reportable segments during the periods indicated:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2014     2013     2012  
     Amount     Percentage
of Total
Revenue
    Amount     Percentage
of Total
Revenue
    Amount     Percentage
of Total
Revenue
 
     (In billions of Won, except percentages)  

Cellular Services Revenue

            

Wireless Service(1)

   11,010.6       64.2 %   11,001.1       66.3 %   10,591.5       65.6

Cellular Interconnection

     817.0       4.8       845.0       5.1       860.3       5.3   

Digital Handset Sales (2)

     761.6       4.4       645.9       3.9       1,131.7       7.0   

Miscellaneous(3)

     938.6       5.5       823.5       5.0       635.5       3.9   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Cellular Services Revenue

     13,527.9       78.8       13,315.5       80.2       13,218.9       81.9   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Fixed-line Telecommunication Services Revenue

            

Fixed-line Telephone Service(4)

   467.3       2.7 %   474.4       2.9 %   485.9       3.0

Fixed-line Interconnection

     57.4       0.3       78.7       0.5       98.5       0.6   

Broadband Internet Service(4)

     1,152.7       6.7       1,023.2       6.2       865.0       5.4   

International Calling Service(5)

     112.0       0.7       127.0       0.8       144.1       0.9   

Miscellaneous(6)

     660.5        3.8        621.1        3.7        600.4        3.7   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Fixed-line Telecommunication Services Revenue

     2,449.9       14.3        2,324.4        14.0        2,193.9        13.6   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other Revenue

            

Commerce Service(7)

   911.5        5.3   742.6        4.5   391.9        2.4

Portal Service(8)

     73.0       0.4       92.2       0.6       167.8       1.0   

Miscellaneous(9)

     201.6       1.2       127.4       0.8       168.9       1.0   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Other Revenue

     1,186.0       6.9       962.2       5.8       728.6       4.5   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Revenue

   17,163.8       100.0 %   16,602.1       100.0 %   16,141.4       100.0
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Revenue Growth

     3.4 %       2.9       2.1  

Segment Operating Expense(10)

            

Cellular Services

   11,773.5       68.6 %   11,329.4       68.2 %   11,535.5       71.5

Fixed-line Telecommunication Services

     2,369.5       13.8       2,268.8       13.7       2,140.7       13.3   

Others

     1,195.8       7.0       992.8       6.0       735.1       4.6   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Segment Operating Expense

   15,338.7       89.4 %   14,591.0       87.9 %   14,411.3       89.3
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Segment Operating Income

            

Cellular Services

   1,754.4       10.6  %   1,986.1       12.0  %   1,683.4       10.4

Fixed-line Telecommunication Services

     80.4       0.5       55.6       0.3       53.1       0.3   

Others

     (9.8 )     (0.1 )     (30.6 )     (0.2 )     (6.5 )     (0.0
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Segment Operating Income

   1,825.1       10.6 %   2,011.1       12.1 %   1,730.0       10.7
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(1) Wireless service revenue includes revenue from cellular voice service, wireless data service and initial subscription fees. Revenue from cellular voice service is primarily composed of monthly plan-based fees, usage charges for outgoing voice calls, roaming charges and value-added service fees. Revenue from wireless data service is primarily composed of usage charges for SMS and MMS and revenues from outgoing data usage. Until November 2014, such revenue also included initial subscription fees, which we have since ceased charging.

 

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(2) Digital handsets are sold by PS&Marketing, our consolidated subsidiary.

 

(3) Miscellaneous cellular services revenue includes revenue from the resale of fixed-line telecommunication services, leased lines, Internet solutions business and other miscellaneous cellular services provided by SK Telecom.

 

(4) Broadband Internet service (including IP TV service) and fixed-line telephone service are provided by SK Broadband, our consolidated subsidiary.

 

(5) International calling service is provided by SK Telink, our consolidated subsidiary.

 

(6) Miscellaneous fixed-line telecommunication services revenue includes revenues from leased line, corporate data and Internet solutions businesses provided by SK Broadband and VoIP services provided by SK Telink.

 

(7) Commerce service revenue includes revenue from 11th Street, our online shopping mall operated by SK Planet.

 

(8) Portal service revenue includes revenues from NATE, our online portal service operated by SK Communications, and Cyworld, a social networking service formerly operated by SK Communications. In March 2014, the Cyworld business was spun-off into an unaffiliated company.

 

(9) Miscellaneous others revenue includes revenue from T Store, our online open marketplace for mobile applications operated by SK Planet, and certain other platform businesses operated by SK Planet.

 

(10) “Segment operating expense” means operating expense for each reportable segment presented in accordance with K-IFRS and therefore, does not include certain expenses that are classified as other non-operating expenses under K-IFRS. For more information on the difference between our consolidated operating expense pursuant to K-IFRS and pursuant to IFRS as issued by the IASB, see “— Explanatory Note Regarding Presentation of Certain Financial Information under K-IFRS.”

2014 Compared to 2013

Operating Revenue and Other Income.    Our consolidated operating revenue and other income increased by 3.3% to Won 17,220.3 billion in 2014 from Won 16,677.0 billion in 2013, due to the following increases in operating revenue and other income.

Our consolidated operating revenue increased by 3.4% to Won 17,163.8 billion in 2014 from Won 16,602.1 billion in 2013, primarily as a result of improved revenues from our consolidated subsidiaries, including an increase in digital handset sales principally due to the acquisition by PS&Marketing of the retail distribution business of SK Networks in April 2014, strong growth of SK Planet’s commerce service businesses such as 11th Street and increased revenue from SK Broadband’s IP TV services, as well as growth in the number of new subscribers to our LTE service and increase in data usage.

Our consolidated other income decreased by 24.7% to Won 56.5 billion in 2014 from Won 74.9 billion in 2013 primarily due to a decrease in value-added tax refunds to Won 8.1 billion in 2014 from Won 10.3 billion in 2013 and other income recognized in 2013 but not in 2014 relating to one-off items such as the receipt of insurance coverage payments for typhoon damage of Won 4.6 billion and gain from sale of property and equipment of Won 4.5 billion.

The following sets forth additional information about our operating revenues with respect to each of our reportable segments.

Cellular Services Segment

The revenue of our cellular services segment, which is composed of revenues from wireless service, cellular interconnection, digital handset sales and miscellaneous cellular services, increased by 1.6% to Won 13,527.9 billion in 2014 from Won 13,315.5 billion in 2013.

The increase in our cellular services revenue was principally due to increases in our digital handset sales and miscellaneous cellular services revenue, partially offset by a decrease in cellular interconnection revenue. There was no significant change in wireless service revenue between 2013 and 2014.

Digital handset sales increased by 17.9% to Won 761.6 billion in 2014 from Won 645.9 billion in 2013, primarily due to the acquisition by PS&Marketing of 190 retail stores as part of its acquisition of the retail

 

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distribution business of SK Networks in April 2014. Miscellaneous cellular services revenue increased by 14.0% to Won 938.6 billion in 2014 from Won 823.5 billion in 2013, primarily due to an increase in revenue from our Internet solutions business.

Cellular interconnection revenue decreased by 3.3% to Won 817.0 billion in 2014 from Won 845.0 billion in 2013. The decrease was primarily attributable to decreases in interconnection rates in 2014, which was partially offset by an increase in total call volume to mobile devices.

Wireless service revenue remained steady at Won 11,010.6 billion in 2014 compared to Won 11,001.1 billion in 2013. Factors that contributed to an increase in wireless service revenue in 2014 were an increase in the number of subscribers that subscribe to LTE plans, which have higher monthly rates than our other wireless service plans, as well as an increase in the number of LTE subscribers that subscribe to more expensive fixed-rate plans that feature a higher data transmission allowance (in connection with the increased availability of data-intensive wireless contents such as mobile video streaming). A factor that offset this increase and contributed to a decrease in wireless service revenue in 2014 was a decrease in initial subscription fees which we ceased charging since November 2014 after gradually decreasing the fee since August 2013.

Fixed-line Telecommunication Services Segment

The revenue of our fixed-line telecommunication services segment, which is composed of revenues from broadband Internet service (including IP TV service), fixed-line telephone service, international calling service, fixed-line interconnection and miscellaneous fixed-line telecommunication services, increased by 14.3% to Won 2,449.9 billion in 2014 from Won 2,324.4 billion in 2013, primarily due to an increase in revenue from our broadband Internet service, partially offset by decreases in revenue from fixed-line interconnection and international calling service.

Revenue from our broadband Internet service increased by 12.7% to Won 1,152.7 billion in 2014 from Won 1,023.2 billion in 2013, primarily attributable to an increase in the number of IP TV subscribers to 2.8 million subscribers as of December 31, 2014 from 2.1 million subscribers as of December 31, 2013. Fixed-line interconnection revenue decreased by 27.1% to Won 57.4 billion in 2014 from Won 78.7 billion in 2013, primarily due to a decrease in residential calling volume. Revenue from international calling service decreased by 11.8% to Won 112.0 billion in 2014 from Won 127.0 billion in 2013, primarily due to a decrease in international calling volume.

Others Segment

The revenue of our others segment, which is composed of revenues from our commerce service and portal service and miscellaneous other revenue, increased by 3.4% to Won 1,186.0 billion in 2014 from Won 962.2 billion in 2013, due to increases in commerce service revenue and miscellaneous other revenue, partially offset by a decrease in portal service revenue.

Commerce service revenue increased by 22.7% to Won 911.5 billion in 2014 from Won 742.6 billion in 2013, primarily due to an increase in revenue generated by 11th Street. Miscellaneous other revenue increased by 58.2% to Won 201.6 billion in 2014 from Won 127.4 billion in 2013, primarily due to the revenue attributable to Neosnetworks and Iriver, which were acquired by SK Telecom in 2014.

Portal service revenue decreased by 20.8% to Won 73.0 billion in 2014 from Won 92.2 billion in 2013, primarily due to a decrease in advertising revenues from the portal services operated by SK Communications.

Operating Expense.    Our consolidated operating expense increased by 3.4% to Won 15,612.4 billion in 2014 from Won 15,098.6 billion in 2013, primarily due to a 29.2% increase in cost of products that have been resold to Won 1,680.1 billion in 2014 from Won 1,300.4 billion in 2013, which was attributable mainly to the acquisition by PS&Marketing of the retail distribution business of SK Networks in April 2014; a 3.5% increase in commissions paid to Won 5,692.7 billion in 2014 from Won 5,498.7 billion in 2013, which was primarily attributable to an increase in marketing expenses to acquire new LTE subscribers in the first half of 2014 amidst intensified competition among us, KT and LG U+; and a 6.3% increase in labor costs to Won 1,659.8 billion in 2014 from Won 1,561.4 billion in 2013, which was primarily due to the significant increase in the number of employees in

 

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connection with several acquisitions in 2014, including the acquisition by PS&Marketing of the retail distribution business of SK Networks in April 2014, the acquisitions by SK Telecom of Neosnetworks in April 2014 and Iriver in August 2014 and the acquisition by SK Planet of Shopkick in October 2014. Such increase was partially offset by an 8.8% decrease in other operating expenses to Won 1,592.6 billion in 2014 from Won 1,746.3 billion in 2013, which was attributable mainly to a decrease in loss on disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets to Won 33.0 billion in 2014 from Won 267.5 billion in 2013.

The following sets forth additional information about our segment operating expense with respect to each of our reportable segments, which do not include certain expenses that are classified as other non-operating expenses under K-IFRS. For more information on the difference between our consolidated operating expense pursuant to K-IFRS and pursuant to IFRS as issued by the IASB, see “— Explanatory Note Regarding Presentation of Certain Financial Information under K-IFRS.”

Cellular Services Segment

The segment operating expense for our cellular services segment increased by 3.9% to Won 11,773.5 billion in 2014 from Won 11,329.4 billion in 2013, primarily due to increases in commissions paid, cost of products that have been resold and labor costs, each for the reasons described above, and an increase in depreciation and amortization expenses, which was attributable mainly to an increase in our LTE wireless network equipment and amortization of our frequency licenses.

Fixed-line Telecommunication Services Segment

The segment operating expense for our fixed-line telecommunication services segment increased by 4.4% to Won 2,369.5 billion in 2014 from Won 2,268.8 billion in 2013, primarily due to an increase in commissions paid related to IP TV contents.

Others Segment

The segment operating expense for our others segment increased by 20.4% to Won 1,195.8 billion in 2014 from Won 992.8 billion in 2013, primarily due to an increase in marketing costs resulting from increased competition in the e-commerce market.

Operating Income.    Our consolidated operating income increased by 1.9% to Won 1,607.8 billion in 2014 from Won 1,578.4 billion in 2013, as the increase in operating revenue and other income was slightly greater than the increase in operating expense.

Our segment operating income with respect to each of our reportable segments is based on K-IFRS and the sum of segment operating income for all three reportable segments differs from our consolidated operating income presented in accordance with IFRS by IASB. For a reconciliation of operating income presented in accordance with IFRS by IASB and operating income presented in accordance with K-IFRS, see “— Explanatory Note Regarding Presentation of Certain Financial Information under K-IFRS.”

The segment operating income of our cellular services segment decreased by 11.7% to Won 1,754.4 billion in 2014 from Won 1,986.1 billion in 2013, primarily due to an increase in marketing expenses to acquire new LTE subscribers in the first half of 2014 amidst intensified competition among us, KT and LG U+. As a result, the segment operating margin (which, with respect to each reportable segment, is segment operating income divided by revenue from such segment, expressed as a percentage) of our cellular services segment decreased to 13.0% in 2014 from 14.9% in 2013. The segment operating income of our fixed-line telecommunication services segment increased by 44.6% to Won 80.4 billion in 2014 from Won 55.6 billion in 2013, due to an increase in revenue from our broadband Internet service, which is mainly attributable to the growth in our IP TV service. Driven by strong growth in our IP TV service, the segment operating margin of our fixed-line telecommunication services segment increased to 3.3% in 2014 from 2.4% in 2013. The segment operating loss of our others segment decreased to Won 9.8 billion in 2014 from Won 30.6 billion in 2013. As discussed above, while our commerce service revenue increased in 2014, intense competition in the commerce service industry led to increased marketing costs, and thus, the profitability of our commerce service business did not improve in 2014; however, while our portal service

 

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revenue decreased in 2014, our operating expenses related to this business decreased to a greater degree such that the profitability of our commerce service business improved in 2014 resulting in the aforementioned decrease in the segment operating loss of our others segment.

Finance Income and Finance Costs.    Our finance income increased by 11.4% to Won 126.3 billion in 2014 from Won 113.4 billion in 2013, primarily due to gain on valuation of derivatives of Won 8.7 billion in 2014 compared to no such gain in 2013; a 47.6% increase in gain on foreign currency transactions to Won 16.3 billion in 2014 from Won 11.0 billion and a 50.5% increase in gain on disposal of long-term investment securities to Won 14.0 billion in 2014 from Won 9.3 billion in 2013 attributable primarily to the disposal of equity interests of iHQ, Inc. Such increases were partially offset by an 8.5% decrease in interest income to Won 60.0 billion in 2014 from Won 65.6 billion in 2013, which was mainly due to a general decrease in interest rates and no gain on valuation of financial asset at fair value through profit or loss in 2014 compared to Won 5.2 billion of such gain in 2013, related to the valuation of convertible bonds of NanoEnTek in 2013, which were subsequently converted into equity in 2014. Our finance costs decreased by 32.3% to Won 386.7 billion in 2014 from Won 571.2 billion in 2013 primarily due to a 92.3% decrease in loss relating to financial liability at fair value through profit or loss to Won 10.4 billion in 2014 from Won 134.2 billion in 2013 due to the valuation loss on our exchangeable bonds due to rising stock prices in 2013 and loss on redemption of debentures upon the exercise of exchange claims in 2013.

Gains (Losses) Related to Investments in Subsidiaries and Associates.    Gains related to investments in subsidiaries and associates increased 28.3% to Won 906.3 billion in 2014 from Won 706.5 billion in 2013, primarily due to a Won 916.5 billion gain attributable to our investment in SK Hynix, in which we have a 20.1% interest. SK Hynix’s profit for the year increased 46.0% to Won 4,195.2 billion in 2014 from 2,872.9 billion in 2013, primarily as a result of increases in unit sales of its dynamic random-access memory and NAND products.

Income Tax.    Income tax expense from continuing operations increased by 13.4% to Won 454.5 billion in 2014 from Won 400.8 billion in 2013, primarily due to a 23.4% increase in profit before income tax to Won 2,253.8 billion in 2014 from Won 1,827.1 billion in 2013. Our effective tax rate in 2014 decreased by 1.7%p to 20.2% in 2014 from 21.9% in 2013, primarily due to an increase in unrecognized deferred tax liabilities in connection with our investments in SK Hynix and income tax refunds received as a result of our successful appeals to the relevant tax authorities.

Profit (Loss) from Discontinued Operations.    We did not recognize any profit or loss from discontinued operations in 2014. In 2013, we recognized profit from discontinued operations of Won 183.2 billion with respect to the disposition by SK Planet of its 52.6% equity stake in Loen Entertainment for an aggregate sale price of approximately Won 265.9 billion.

Profit for the Year.    Principally as a result of the factors discussed above, our profit for the year increased by 11.8% to Won 1,799.3 billion in 2014 from Won 1,609.5 billion in 2013. Profit for the year as a percentage of operating revenue and other income was 10.4% in 2014 compared to 9.7% in 2013.

2013 Compared to 2012

Operating Revenue and Other Income.    Our consolidated operating revenue and other income increased by 2.0% to Won 16,667.0 billion in 2013 from Won 16,343.3 billion in 2012, due to the following increases in operating revenue and other income.

Our consolidated operating revenue increased by 2.9% to Won 16,602.1 billion in 2013 from Won 16,141.4 billion in 2012, primarily as a result of strong growth in the number of new subscribers to our LTE service, which entail higher revenues per subscriber, as well as improved revenues from our consolidated subsidiaries, including SK Planet, SK Broadband and PS&Marketing, which more than offset a decrease in revenues from digital handset sales.

Our consolidated other income decreased by 62.9% to Won 74.9 billion in 2013 from Won 201.8 billion in 2012 due to a decrease in gain on disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets to Won 8.0 billion in 2013 from Won 162.6 billion in 2012, primarily attributable to sales of certain office buildings in 2012, partially offset by an increase in other income to Won 66.6 billion in 2013 from Won 33.4 billion in 2012, due mainly to an increase in value-added tax refunds to Won 10.3 billion in 2013 from Won 5.5 billion in 2012 as well as compensation for typhoon damage of Won 4.5 billion in 2013 which was not recognized in 2012.

 

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The following sets forth additional information about our operating revenues with respect to each of our reportable segments.

Cellular Services Segment

The revenue of our cellular services segment, which is composed of revenues from wireless service, cellular interconnection, digital handset sales and miscellaneous cellular services, increased by 0.7% to Won 13,315.5 billion in 2013 from Won 13,218.9 billion in 2012.

The increase in our cellular services revenue was principally due to increases in our wireless service revenue and miscellaneous cellular services revenue, partially offset by decreases in digital handset sales and cellular interconnection revenue.

Wireless service revenue increased by 3.9% to Won 11,001.1 billion in 2013 from Won 10,591.5 billion in 2012, primarily due to an increase in revenue from monthly plan-based fees and wireless data services driven by an increased number of LTE subscribers and smartphone users who subscribe to fixed-price voice and data plans with higher monthly basic charges than our other wireless telecommunications services, partially offset by a decrease in usage charges for outgoing voice calls. The decrease in usage charges for outgoing voice calls is primarily due to an increased number of subscribers who subscribe to fixed-price voice plans and our introduction of unlimited voice service features. Miscellaneous cellular services revenue increased by 29.6% to Won 823.5 billion in 2013 from Won 635.5 billion in 2012. The increase was primarily attributable to increases in revenue from our Internet solutions business, online shopping services, resale of fixed-line telecommunication services, number portability processing fees and other operating income to the extent attributable to the cellular services segment.

Digital handset sales decreased by 42.9% to Won 645.9 billion in 2013 from Won 1,131.7 billion in 2012, primarily due to a decrease in handset sales to new subscribers, which was mainly attributable to an easing of marketing competition for new subscribers among us, KT and LG U+ in 2013 following disciplinary measures imposed by the Government. Cellular interconnection revenue decreased by 1.8% to Won 845.0 billion in 2013 from Won 860.3 billion in 2012. The decrease was due to decreases in interconnection rates in 2013 and decreases in land-to-mobile call volume.

Fixed-line Telecommunication Services Segment

The revenue of our fixed-line telecommunication services segment, which is composed of revenues from broadband Internet service (including IP TV service), fixed-line telephone service, international calling service, fixed-line interconnection and miscellaneous fixed-line telecommunication services, increased by 5.9% to Won 2,324.4 billion in 2013 from Won 2,193.9 billion in 2012, primarily due to an increase in revenue from our broadband Internet service.

Revenue from our broadband Internet service (including IP TV service) increased by 18.3% to Won 1,023.2 billion in 2013 from Won 865.0 billion in 2012, primarily as a result of an increase in revenue from our IP TV service attributable to an increased number of IP TV subscribers and increased purchases of premium product offerings.

Others Segment

The revenue of our others segment, which is composed of revenues from our commerce service and portal service and miscellaneous other revenue, increased by 32.1% to Won 962.2 billion in 2013 from Won 728.6 billion in 2012, due to an increase in revenue from our commerce service, partially offset by decreases in portal service revenue and miscellaneous other revenue.

Commerce service revenue increased by 89.5% to Won 742.6 billion in 2013 from Won 391.9 billion in 2012, primarily due to an increase in revenue generated by 11th Street.

Portal service revenue decreased by 45.1% to Won 92.2 billion in 2013 from Won 167.8 billion in 2012, primarily due to a decrease in advertising revenues from the portal services operated by SK Communications. Miscellaneous other revenue decreased by 24.6% to Won 127.4 billion in 2013 from Won 168.9 billion in 2012,

 

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primarily due to the cessation of revenue flows from Loen Entertainment after SK Planet, our wholly-owned subsidiary, disposed of a 52.6% equity stake in Loen Entertainment in July 2013 and it ceased being our consolidated subsidiary.

Operating Expense.    Our consolidated operating expense in 2013 increased by 3.4% to Won 15,098.6 billion in 2013 from Won 14,605.6 billion in 2012, primarily due to a 30.1% increase in other operating expenses to Won 1,746.3 billion in 2013 from Won 1,342.0 billion in 2012, which was attributable mainly to an increase in loss on disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets to Won 267.5 billion in 2013 from Won 15.1 billion in 2012, which was primarily due to loss on disposal of various intangible assets, a 23.1% increase in labor cost to Won 1,561.4 billion in 2013 from Won 1,267.9 billion in 2012, which was attributable mainly to an increase in the number of our employees resulting primarily from the merger of SK Marketing & Company Co., Ltd. into SK Planet in February 2013 and our new business initiatives, as well as a 9.9% increase in depreciation and amortization expenses to Won 2,661.6 billion in 2013 from Won 2,421.1 billion in 2012, which was attributable mainly to depreciation of our newly built-out LTE wireless network and amortization of our frequency license for the 35 MHz of bandwidth in the 1.8 GHz spectrum which we started using in 2013.

The following sets forth additional information about our segment operating expense with respect to each of our reportable segments, which do not include certain expenses that are classified as other non-operating expenses under K-IFRS. For more information on the difference between our consolidated operating expense pursuant to K-IFRS and pursuant to IFRS as issued by the IASB, see “ — Explanatory Note Regarding Presentation of Certain Financial Information under K-IFRS.”

Cellular Services Segment

The segment operating expense for our cellular services segment decreased by 1.8% to Won 11,329.4 billion in 2013 from Won 11,535.5 billion in 2012, primarily due to a decrease in commission paid primarily attributable to an easing of marketing competition for new subscribers among us, KT and LG U+ in 2013, partially offset by increases in other operating expenses, labor costs and depreciation and amortization expenses for the reasons discussed above.

Fixed-line Telecommunication Services Segment

The segment operating expense for our fixed-line telecommunication services segment increased by 6.0% to Won 2,268.8 billion in 2013 from Won 2,140.7 billion in 2012, primarily due to an increase in marketing costs attributable mainly to increased media advertisements in connection with an expansion of our customer base, partially offset by a decrease in fees paid primarily attributable to a decrease in fixed-line network construction.

Others Segment

The segment operating expense for our others segment increased by 35.1% to Won 992.8 billion in 2013 from Won 735.1 billion in 2012, primarily due to an increase in marketing costs resulting from increased competition in the e-commerce market.

Operating Income.    Our consolidated operating income decreased by 9.2% to Won 1,578.4 billion in 2013 from Won 1,737.7 billion in 2012, as the increase in operating expense and decrease in other income outpaced the increase in operating revenue.

Our segment operating income with respect to each of our reportable segments is based on K-IFRS and the sum of segment operating income for all three reportable segments differs from our consolidated operating income presented in accordance with IFRS by IASB. For a reconciliation of operating income presented in accordance with IFRS by IASB and operating income presented in accordance with K-IFRS, see “— Explanatory Note Regarding Presentation of Certain Financial Information under K-IFRS.”

The segment operating income of our cellular services segment increased by 18.0% to Won 1,986.1 billion in 2013 from Won 1,683.4 billion in 2012, primarily due to an increase in revenue from monthly plan-based fees and wireless data services driven by an increased number of LTE subscribers and smartphone users who subscribe to fixed-price voice and data plans with higher monthly basic charges than our other wireless telecommunications services, which was enhanced by a decrease in commissions paid relating to marketing expenses to acquire new

 

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subscribers. As a result, the segment operating margin (which, with respect to each reportable segment, is segment operating income divided by revenue from such segment, expressed as a percentage) of our cellular services segment increased to 14.9% in 2013 from 12.7% in 2012. The segment operating income of our fixed-line telecommunication services segment increased by 4.7% to Won 55.6 billion in 2013 from Won 53.1 billion in 2012, due to an increase in revenue from our broadband Internet service. The segment operating margin of our fixed-line telecommunication services segment remained stable at 2.4% in 2013 and 2012. However, the segment operating loss of our others segment increased significantly to Won 30.6 billion in 2013 from Won 6.5 billion in 2012, primarily due to decreased profitability of our e-commerce business resulting from increased competition in the e-commerce market.

Finance Income and Finance Costs.    Our finance income decreased by 74.5% to Won 113.4 billion in 2013 from Won 444.6 billion in 2012, primarily due to a Won 273.3 billion decrease in gain on disposal of long-term investment securities to Won 9.3 billion in 2013 from Won 282.6 billion in 2012, which was mainly attributable to the sale in October 2012 of half of the POSCO shares we owned, as well as a 32.6% decrease in interest income to Won 65.6 billion in 2013 from Won 97.3 billion in 2012, which was mainly due to a general decrease in interest rates. Our finance costs decreased by 10.5% to Won 571.2 billion in 2013 from Won 638.3 billion in 2012, primarily due to a 72.7% decrease in other finance costs to Won 52.1 billion in 2013 from Won 190.6 billion in 2012 as a result of a decrease in impairment losses for our available-for-sale financial assets, and a 19.5% decrease in interest expense to Won 331.8 billion in 2013 from Won 412.4 billion as a result of decreases in our interest-bearing financial debt and interest rates, which was partially offset by a Won 126.4 billion increase in loss relating to financial liability at fair value through profit or loss to Won 134.2 billion in 2013 from Won 7.8 billion in 2012 as a result of valuation loss on our exchangeable bonds due to rising stock prices and loss on redemption of debentures upon the exercise of exchange claims.

Gains (Losses) Related to Investments in Subsidiaries and Associates.    We recorded net gains related to investments in subsidiaries and associates of Won 706.5 billion in 2013 compared to net losses related to investments in subsidiaries and associates of Won 24.6 billion in 2012. The change to a net gain was primarily due to a Won 610.2 billion gain attributable to our investment in SK Hynix, in which we have a 20.57% interest. SK Hynix recorded profit for the year of Won 2,872.9 billion in 2013 compared to loss for the year of Won 158.8 billion in 2012, primarily as a result of increases in both average selling prices and unit sales of its dynamic random-access memory and NAND products.

Income Tax.    Income tax expense from continuing operations increased by 39.1% to Won 400.8 billion in 2013 from Won 288.2 billion in 2012. Our effective tax rate in 2013 also increased by 2.9%p to 21.9% in 2013 from 19.0% in 2012. Our income tax expense from continuing operations and effective tax rate increased in 2013 compared to 2012 primarily due to a decrease in tax credits related to our capital expenditures in 2013, as well as a decrease in discretionary exemptions extended by the tax authority in 2013.

Profit (Loss) from Discontinued Operations.    We recognized profit from discontinued operations of Won 183.2 billion in 2013 compared to loss from discontinued operations of Won 115.5 billion in 2012. The profit from discontinued operations in 2013 was related to Loen Entertainment, in which SK Planet, our wholly-owned subsidiary, disposed of a 52.6% equity stake for an aggregate sale price of approximately Won 265.9 billion and as a result, ceased to be our consolidated subsidiary in 2013. The loss from discontinued operations in 2012 was related to SK Telink’s former satellite DMB business, which was ceased during 2012.

Profit for the Year.    Principally as a result of the factors discussed above, our profit for the year increased by 9.7% to Won 1,609.5 billion in 2013 from Won 1,115.7 billion in 2012. Profit for the year as a percentage of operating revenue and other income was 9.7% in 2013 compared to 6.8% in 2012.

Inflation

We do not consider inflation in Korea to have had a material impact on our results of operations in recent years. According to data published by The Bank of Korea, annual inflation in Korea was 1.3% in 2014, 1.3% in 2013 and 2.2% in 2012.

 

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Item 5.B. Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity

We had a working capital deficit (current liabilities in excess of current assets) of Won 337.2 billion as of December 31, 2014 and Won 945.8 billion as of December 31, 2013. The working capital deficit as of December 31, 2014 was primarily due to cash expenditures in 2014 used to fund SK Planet’s acquisition of Shopkick and SK Telecom’s acquisitions of Neosnetworks and Iriver. The working capital deficit as of December 31, 2013 was primarily caused by our acquisition of property and equipment in connection with the further expansion and enhancement of our LTE network in 2013 and our repayment of debt incurred in connection with the financing of our acquisition of a 21.05% equity stake in SK Hynix in February 2012. We plan to fund our current liabilities with the cash flow generated by our operations, proceeds from the disposal of investment securities or property and equipment that are no longer deemed profitable and proceeds from additional borrowings, as necessary.

We had cash, cash equivalents, short-term financial instruments and short-term investment securities of Won 1,427.7 billion as of December 31, 2014 and Won 1,816.2 billion as of December 31, 2013. We had outstanding short-term borrowings of Won 366.6 billion as of December 31, 2014 and Won 260.0 billion as of December 31, 2013. As of December 31, 2014, we had credit lines with several local banks that provided for borrowing of up to Won 566.0 billion, all of which was available for borrowing.

Cash flows from operating activities and debt financing have been our principal sources of liquidity. We had cash and cash equivalents of Won 834.4 billion as of December 31, 2014 and Won 1,398.6 billion as of December 31, 2013. We believe that we have a variety of alternatives available to us to satisfy our financial requirements to the extent that they are not met by funds generated by operations, including the issuance of debt securities and bank borrowings.

 

    Year Ended December 31,     Change  
    2014     2013     2012     2014 to 2013     2013 to 2012  
    (In billions of Won, except percentages)  

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities

  3,677.4     3,558.6     3,999.7      118.8        3.3   (441.1     (11.0 )% 

Net Cash Used in Investing Activities

    (3,683.2 )     (2,506.5     (5,309.6     (1,176.7     46.9       2,803.1        (52.8

Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities

    (559.4 )     (573.2     585.3        13.8        (2.4 )     (1,158.5     N/A   

Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents Held in Foreign Currencies

    1.0       (0.4     (6.0     1.4        N/A        5.6        (93.3

Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents

    (565.2 )     478.9        (724.7     (1,044.1     N/A        1,203.6        N/A   

Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period

    1,398.6       920.1       1,650.8        478.5        52.0       (730.7     (44.3

Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period

    834.4       1,398.6       920.1        (564.2     (40.3 )%      478.5        52.0

 

N/A = Not applicable.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities.    Net cash provided by operating activities was Won 3,677.4 billion in 2014, Won 3,558.6 billion in 2013 and Won 3,999.7 billion in 2012. Profit for the year was Won 1,799.3 billion in 2014, Won 1,609.5 billion in 2013 and Won 1,115.7 billion in 2012. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2014 increased by 3.3% from 2013, primarily due to an 11.8% increase in profit for the year to Won 1,799.3 billion in 2014 from Won 1,609.5 billion in 2013. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2013 decreased by 11.0% from 2012, primarily due to a decrease in collections of other accounts receivable related to sales of handsets on installment payment plans and a decrease in other accounts payable. There have been no additional other accounts receivable related to sales of handsets on installment payment plans since September 2010, when Hana SK Card (which has subsequently merged into KEB Card) took over this financing from us.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities.    Net cash used in investing activities was Won 3,683.2 billion in 2014, Won 2,506.5 billion in 2013 and Won 5,309.6 billion in 2012. Cash inflows from investing activities were Won 341.4 billion in 2014, Won 1,251.8 billion in 2013 and Won 1,831.2 billion in 2012. Cash inflows in 2014 were primarily attributable to collection of short-term loans of Won 207.4 billion. Cash inflows in 2013 were primarily attributable to collection of short-term loans of Won 290.9 billion, proceeds from disposal of long-term investment

 

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securities of Won 287.8 billion, mostly in connection with the merger of SK Marketing & Co., Ltd. into SK Planet in February 2013, proceeds from disposal of a subsidiary of Won 215.9 billion, mostly attributable to the sale in July 2013 of shares of Loen Entertainment, net proceeds from the disposition of non-current assets held for sale of Won 190.4 billion, relating to the sale of shares of SKY Property Management, and a decrease in short-term financial instruments, net of Won 186.4 billion, the proceeds of which were used to repay our outstanding debt. Cash inflows in 2012 were primarily attributable to proceeds from disposal of long-term investment securities of Won 511.4 billion, mostly relating to the sale in October 2012 of half of the POSCO shares we owned, a decrease in short-term financial instruments, net of Won 464.5 billion, the proceeds of which were used to repay our outstanding debt, collection of short-term loans of Won 282.7 billion, as well as proceeds from disposal of property and equipment of Won 271.1 billion, mostly relating to the sales of certain office buildings.

Cash outflows for investing activities were Won 4,024.6 billion in 2014, Won 3,758.3 billion in 2013 and Won 7,140.8 billion in 2012. Cash outflows in 2014 were primarily attributable to expenditures related to the acquisition of property and equipment of Won 3,008.0 billion, primarily in connection with the acquisition of LTE equipment. Cash outflows in 2013 were primarily attributable to expenditures related to the acquisition of property and equipment of Won 2,879.1 billion, primarily in connection with the further expansion of our LTE network to provide nationwide coverage and to enhance and improve its quality. Cash outflows in 2012 were largely attributable to expenditures related to the acquisition of property and equipment of Won 3,394.3 billion, primarily in connection with the further expansion of our LTE network to provide nationwide coverage and to enhance and improve its quality, and the acquisition of investments in associates of Won 3,098.8 billion, primarily relating to our acquisition of a 21.05% equity stake in SK Hynix.

Cash Flows from Financing Activities.    Net cash used in financing activities was Won 559.4 billion in 2014 and Won 573.2 billion in 2013 and net cash provided by financing activities was Won 585.3 billion in 2012. Cash inflows from financing activities were Won 1,421.0 billion in 2014, Won 1,852.2 billion in 2013 and Won 4,245.3 billion in 2012. Such inflows were primarily driven by the issuance of debentures, which provided cash of Won 1,255.5 billion in 2014, Won 1,328.7 billion in 2013 and Won 2,098.4 billion in 2012, proceeds from long-term borrowings, which provided cash of Won 62.6 billion in 2014, Won 105.1 billion in 2013 and Won 2,059.0 billion in 2012, and the issuance of hybrid bonds in 2013, which provided cash of Won 398.5 billion. In 2014, we had cash inflows of Won 102.9 billion due to proceeds from short-term borrowings. The proceeds from long-term borrowings in 2012 consist primarily of borrowings pursuant to a syndicated loan in connection with our acquisition of a 21.05% equity stake in SK Hynix.

Cash outflows for financing activities were Won 1,980.5 billion in 2014, Won 2,425.4 billion in 2013 and Won 3,660.0 billion in 2012. Cash outflows for financing activities included payment of dividends, repayments of current portion of long-term debt, repayment of long-term borrowings, repayment of debentures, acquisition of treasury stock and repayment of short-term borrowings, among other items. Payment of dividends were Won 666.8 billion in 2014, Won 655.9 billion in 2013 and Won 655.1 billion in 2012. Repayments of current portion of long-term debt were Won 207.8 billion in 2014, Won 161.6 billion in 2013 and Won 102.7 billion in 2012. Repayment of long-term borrowings were Won 23.3 billion in 2014, Won 467.2 billion in 2013 and Won 1,660.5 billion in 2012. Repayment of debentures were Won 1,039.9 billion in 2014, Won 772.0 billion in 2013 and Won 1,145.7 billion in 2012. Decrease in short-term borrowings, net accounted for Won 340.2 billion and Won 61.4 billion of cash outflows for financing activities in 2013 and 2012, respectively.

As of December 31, 2014, we had total long-term debt (excluding current portion) outstanding of Won 5,798.9 billion, which included debentures in the amount of Won 5,649.2 billion and bank and institutional borrowings in the amount of Won 149.7 billion. As of December 31, 2013, we had total long-term debt (excluding current portion) outstanding of Won 5,010.4 billion, which included debentures in the amount of Won 4,905.6 billion and bank and institutional borrowings in the amount of Won 104.8 billion. The increase in our long-term debt as of December 31, 2014 was primarily due to an increase in debentures issued during 2014 for investments to develop new growth engines, including acquisitions such as Neo S Networks, Iriver and Shopkick, and for investments to enhance the competitiveness of our broadband Internet and IP TV services. For a description of our long-term debt, see note 18 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

In September 2006, we issued Korean Won-denominated corporate bonds in an aggregate principal amount of Won 200.0 billion with a maturity of ten years and an annual interest rate of 5.0%.

 

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In July 2007, we issued U.S. dollar-denominated bonds in the principal amount of US$400 million with a maturity of twenty years and an annual interest rate of 6.625%.

In March 2008, we issued two tranches of Korean Won-denominated bonds, each tranche in the principal amount of Won 200.0 billion with an annual interest rate of 5.00%, maturing in seven and ten years, respectively.

In January 2009, we issued notes in the principal amounts of Won 40.0 billion with a maturity of seven years and annual interest rates of 5.54%. In March 2009, we issued notes in the principal amount of Won 230.0 billion with a maturity of seven years and an annual interest rate of 5.92%.

In December 2011, we issued two tranches of Korean Won-denominated bonds in the principal amounts of Won 110.0 billion and Won 190.0 billion with maturities of five and ten years, respectively, and annual interest rates of 3.95% and 4.22%, respectively.

In June 2012, we issued Swiss Franc-denominated bonds in the principal amount of CHF 300 million with a maturity of five years and an annual interest rate of 1.75%. In August 2012, we issued three tranches of Korean Won-denominated bonds in the following principal amounts with the following maturities and annual interest rates: (i) a principal amount of Won 170.0 billion with a maturity of seven years and an annual interest rate of 3.24%, (ii) a principal amount of Won 140.0 billion with a maturity of ten years and an annual interest rate of 3.30% and (iii) a principal amount of Won 90.0 billion with a maturity of twenty years and an annual interest rate of 3.45%. In November 2012, we issued U.S. dollar-denominated bonds in the principal amount of US$700 million with a maturity of 5.5 years and an annual interest rate of 2.13%.

In January 2013, we issued Australian Dollar-denominated bonds in the principal amount of AUD 300 million with a maturity of four years and an annual interest rate of 4.75%. In March 2013, we issued floating rate notes in the principal amount of US$300 million with a maturity of 17 years and an annual interest rate based on LIBOR plus 0.88%. In April 2013, we issued two tranches of Korean Won-denominated bonds in the following principal amounts with the following maturities and annual interest rates: (i) a principal amount of Won 230.0 billion with a maturity of ten years and an annual interest rate of 3.03% and (ii) a principal amount of Won 130.0 billion with a maturity of twenty years and an annual interest rate of 3.22%.

In May 2014, we issued (i) two tranches of Korean Won-denominated bonds in the principal amounts of Won 50.0 billion and Won 150.0 billion with maturities of five years and ten years, respectively, and annual interest rates of 3.30% and 3.64%, respectively and (ii) two tranches of Korean Won-denominated bonds with optional redemption terms in the principal amount of Won 50.0 billion with maturities of fifteen years each, and annual interest rates of 4.73% and 4.72%, respectively. In October 2014, we issued three tranches of Korean Won-denominated bonds in the principal amounts of Won 160.0 billion, Won 150.0 billion and 190.0 billion with maturities of five years, seven years and ten years, respectively, and annual interest rates of 2.53%, 2.66% and 2.82%, respectively.

In November 2011, SK Telink issued Korean Won-denominated bonds in the principal amount of Won 10.0 billion with a maturity of four years and an annual interest rate of 4.62%.

In January 2012, SK Broadband issued three tranches of Korean Won-denominated bonds in the following principal amounts with the following maturities and annual interest rates: (i) a principal amount of Won 110.0 billion with a maturity of three years and an annual interest rate of 4.09%, (ii) a principal amount of Won 110.0 billion with a maturity of three years and an annual interest rate of 4.14% and (iii) a principal amount of Won 100.0 billion with a maturity of five years and an annual interest rate of 4.28%. In October 2012, SK Broadband issued two tranches of Korean Won-denominated bonds in the principal amounts of Won 130.0 billion and Won 120.0 billion with maturities of three and five years, respectively, and annual interest rates of 3.14% and 3.27%, respectively. In October 2013, SK Broadband issued U.S. dollar-denominated bonds in the principal amount of US$300 million with a maturity of five years and an annual interest rate of 2.875%.

In April 2014, SK Broadband issued two tranches of Korean Won-denominated bonds in the principal amounts of Won 80.0 billion and Won 210.0 billion with maturities of two years and five years, respectively, and annual interest rates of 3.05% and 3.49%, respectively. In September 2014, SK Broadband issued Korean Won-denominated bonds in the principal amount of Won 130.0 billion with a maturity of five years and an annual interest rate of 2.76%.

 

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In May 2014, PS&Marketing issued Korean Won-denominated bonds in the principal amount of Won 10.0 billion with a maturity of two years and an annual interest rate of 3.24%. In June 2014, PS&Marketing issued Korean Won-denominated bonds in the principal amount of Won 20.0 billion with a maturity of three years and an annual interest rate of 3.48%. In October 2014, PS&Marketing issued Korean Won-denominated bonds in the principal amount of Won 10.0 billion with a maturity of six months and an annual interest rate of 3.12%.

As of December 31, 2014, a substantial portion of our foreign currency-denominated long-term borrowings, which amounted to approximately 30.6% of our total outstanding long-term debt, including current portion and present value discount as of such date, was denominated in Dollars. However, substantially all of our revenue and operating expenses are denominated in Won. We generally pay for imported capital equipment in Dollars. Appreciation of the Won against the Dollar will result in net foreign currency transaction and translation gains, while depreciation of the Won against the Dollar will result in net foreign currency transaction and translation losses. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will also affect our liquidity because of the effect of such changes on the amount of funds required for us to make interest and principal payments on our foreign currency-denominated debt. For a description of swap or derivative transactions we have entered into, among other transactions, to mitigate the effects of such losses, see “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.”

Capital Requirements

Historically, capital expenditures, repayment of outstanding debt and research and development expenditures have represented our most significant use of funds. In recent years, we have also increasingly dedicated capital resources to develop and invest in new and growing business areas, including our platform business, our B2B solutions business and our healthcare business, including through acquisitions and strategic alliances, as well as our investment in SK Hynix. In addition, we have used funds for the acquisition of treasury shares, financing of our subscribers’ handset purchases on installment payment plans and payment of retirement and severance benefits, as well as for the acquisition of additional frequency licenses.

To fund our scheduled debt repayment and planned capital expenditures over the next several years, we intend to rely primarily on cash flows from operating activities, as well as bank and institutional borrowings, and offerings of debt or equity in the domestic or international markets. We believe that these sources will be sufficient to fund our planned capital expenditures for 2015. Our ability to rely on these alternatives could be affected by the liquidity of the Korean financial markets or by Government policies regarding Won and foreign currency borrowings and the issuance of equity and debt. Our failure to make needed expenditures would adversely affect our ability to sustain subscriber growth and provide quality services and, consequently, our results of operations.

Capital Expenditures.    The following table sets forth our actual capital expenditures for 2014, 2013 and 2012:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2014      2013      2012  
     (In billions of Won)  

LTE Network

   1,357.2      1,439.4       1,767.1   

WCDMA Network

     92.3         124.2         294.7   

Fixed-line Network

     399.0         403.5         324.8   

Other Network(1)

     283.2        338.5         492.6   

Others(2)

     876.3        573.5         515.1   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   3,008.0      2,879.1       3,394.3   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(1) Includes investments in our CDMA, WiBro and Wi-Fi networks as well as other capital expenditures related to our networks.

 

(2) Includes non-network related investments such as capital expenditures for product development and maintenance and upgrades of our information technology systems and equipment.

We set our capital expenditure budget for each upcoming year on an annual basis. Our actual capital expenditures in 2014 were Won 3,008.0 billion. Of such amount, we spent approximately Won 1,357.2 billion, or 45.1%, on capital expenditures related to expanding and enhancing the quality of our LTE network and Won 876.3 billion on other

 

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non-network related capital expenditures primarily related to developing new products and maintenance and upgrades to our information technology systems. Our actual capital expenditures in 2013 were Won 2,879.1 billion. Of such amount, we spent approximately Won 1,439.4 billion, or 50.0%, related to expanding and enhancing the quality of our LTE network. Our actual capital expenditures in 2012 were Won 3,394.3 billion. Of such amount, we spent approximately Won 1,767.1 billion, or 52.1%, related to expanding and enhancing the quality of our LTE network.

We are required to pay the cost of our WCDMA license for 2 x 10 MHz of spectrum in the 2.1 GHz band that we acquired in May 2010 in annual installments of Won 17.5 billion each year from 2012 through 2014 after the initial payment of Won 52.6 billion in 2010. We are also required to pay license fees for the additional frequency licenses in the 800 MHz and 1.8 GHz spectrums that we acquired in 2011. The license fee for the 30 MHz bandwidth in the 800 MHz spectrum is Won 416.5 billion, of which Won 208.3 billion was paid in 2011 with the remainder payable in annual installments from 2013 through 2015. The license fee for the 20 MHz of bandwidth in the 1.8 GHz spectrum was Won 995.0 billion, of which Won 74.6 billion, Won 74.6 billion and Won 248.8 billion was paid in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and the remainder has been waived in connection with our return of the right to use the 20 MHz bandwidth. The license fee for the 35 MHz of bandwidth in the 1.8 GHz spectrum was Won 1.08 trillion, of which Won 115.2 billion was paid in 2013, and the remainder is payable in annual installments through the end of the license period in 2021. In addition, we were reallocated 27 MHz of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band for our WiBro service in March 2012. The license fee for such spectrum is Won 17.3 billion, of which Won 8.7 billion was paid in 2012, and the remainder is payable in annual installments from 2014 through 2016. For more information, see note 17 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

In addition, we have been making capital expenditures to build more advanced networks based on LTE technology. We commenced commercial LTE services in July 2011 and expanded our LTE network nationwide and launched our LTE multi-carrier technology in 2012. We launched our LTE-A service in June 2013, our wideband LTE-A service in September 2013 and our tri-band LTE-A service in December 2014. For a more detailed description of our LTE network, see “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Digital Wireless Network — LTE Network.” We plan to continue to make capital investments in 2015 to further expand and enhance our LTE network and further develop related technologies.

We expect that our capital expenditure amount in 2015 will be less than that in 2014. Our expenditures will be for a range of projects, including investments to improve our LTE network and launch our LTE-A services, investments to maintain our WCDMA network-based products and services, investments in our wireless Internet-related and convergence businesses and funding for mid-to long-term research and development projects, as well as other initiatives, primarily related to the development of our new businesses such as our B2B solutions and healthcare businesses, as well as initiatives related to our ongoing businesses in the ordinary course. However, our overall expenditure levels and our allocation among projects remain subject to many uncertainties. We may increase, reduce or suspend our planned capital expenditures for 2015 or change the timing and area of our capital expenditure spending from the estimates described above in response to market conditions or for other reasons. We may also make additional capital expenditure investments as opportunities arise. Accordingly, we periodically review the amount of our capital expenditures and may make adjustments based on the current progress of capital expenditure projects and market conditions. No assurance can be given that we will be able to meet any such increased expenditure requirements or obtain adequate financing for such requirements, on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

In addition, through the Share Exchange, we intend to acquire all of the shares of SK Broadband that we do not otherwise own in exchange for our treasury shares such that SK Broadband will become our wholly-owned subsidiary. For a more detailed discussion of the Share Exchange, see “Item 4.A. History and Development of the Company — Recent Developments.”

 

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Repayment of Outstanding Debt.    As of December 31, 2014, our principal repayment obligations with respect to long-term borrowings, bonds and obligations under capital leases outstanding were as follows for the periods indicated:

 

Year Ending December 31,

   Total  
     (In billions of Won)  

2015

   947,046.8  

2016

     697.5  

2017

     1,578,059.5  

2018 and thereafter

     4,261,548.0  

We note that no commercial bank in Korea may extend credit (including loans, guarantees and purchase of bonds) in excess of 20.0% of its shareholders’ equity to any one borrower. In addition, no commercial bank in Korea may extend credit exceeding 25.0% of the bank’s shareholders’ equity to any one borrower and to any person with whom the borrower shares a credit risk.

Investments in New Businesses and Global Expansion and Other Needs.    We may also require capital for investments to support our development of growing businesses areas.

For example, in February 2012, we acquired a 21.05% equity stake in SK Hynix, one of the world’s largest memory-chip makers by revenue, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately Won 3.4 trillion, and became its largest shareholder.

In April 2014, we acquired a controlling interest in Neosnetworks, a provider of residential and small business electronic security and other related alarm monitoring services, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately Won 24.0 billion. We acquired additional interests in Neosnetworks in April 2015 for Won 40.0 billion, resulting in an increase in our ownership of Neosnetworks to 83.9%. In August 2014, we acquired a 39.3% equity interest of Iriver, a manufacturer of digital audio players and other portable media devices, which we increased to 49.0% in December 2014, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately Won 54.5 billion. We also acquired Won 5.0 billion of convertible bonds issued by Iriver, which may be converted into additional equity interests of Iriver when certain conditions are met. In October 2014, SK Planet acquired a 100.0% ownership interest through its less than wholly-owned subsidiary of Shopkick, a developer of a shopping app for mobile devices that provides benefits to customers for visiting stores, in order to penetrate the commerce business in the United States for an aggregate purchase price of Won 230.9 billion and the assumption of Won 18.7 billion in current liabilities.

From time to time, we may make other investments in telecommunications or other businesses, in Korea or abroad, where we perceive attractive opportunities for investment. From time to time, we may also dispose of existing investments when we believe that doing so would be in our best interest.

Severance Payments.    The defined benefit obligation, which is the total accrued and unpaid retirement and severance benefits for our employees, as of December 31, 2014 was Won 91.6 billion. This amount was reflected in our consolidated financial statements as a liability, which is net of deposits with insurance companies totaling Won 346.3 billion to fund a portion of the employees’ severance indemnities.

Also see “Item 6.D. Employees — Employee Stock Ownership Association and Other Benefits” and note 22 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Dividends.    Total cash outflows for payments of dividends amounted to Won 666.8 billion in 2014, Won 655.9 billion in 2013 and Won 655.1 billion in 2012.

In April 2015, we distributed annual dividends at Won 8,400 per share to our shareholders for an aggregate payout amount of Won 595.9 billion.

 

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Contractual Obligations and Commitments

The following summarizes our contractual cash obligations at December 31, 2014, and the effect such obligations are expected to have on liquidity and cash flow in future periods:

 

     Payments Due by Period(1)  
     Total      Less Than
1 Year
     1-3 Years      4-5 Years      After
5 Years
 
     (In billions of Won)  

Bonds

              

Principal

   6,247,161       565,000       1,513,156       2,019,200       2,149,805  

Interest

     1,263,101         205,663         296,430         247,522         513,486  

Long-term borrowings

              

Principal

     540,187         382,043         65,601         54,628         37,915  

Interest

     15,221         4,771         4,999         3,819         1,632  

Capital lease obligations

              

Principal

     4         4                          

Interest

                                      

Operating leases

              

Facility deposits

     4,453         560                         3,893  

Derivatives

     130,889         15,145         112,404         2,604         736  

Other long-term payables(2)

              

Principal

     900,024         190,134         238,552         235,669         235,669  

Interest

     94,669         25,604         36,218         22,993         9,854  

Short-term borrowings

     366,600         366,600                          
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total contractual cash obligations

   9,562,309      1,755,524      2,267,360       2,586,435       2,952,990  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(1) We are contractually obligated to make severance payments to eligible employees we have employed for more than one year, upon termination of their employment, regardless of whether such termination is voluntary or involuntary. Accruals for severance indemnities are recorded based on the amount we would be required to pay in the event the employment of all our employees were to terminate at the balance date. However, we have not yet estimated cash flows for future periods. Accordingly, payments due in connection with severance indemnities have been excluded from this table.

 

(2) Related to acquisition of frequency licenses. See note 17 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

See note 37 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements for details related to our other commitments and contingencies.

Critical Accounting Policies, Estimates And Judgments

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with IFRS. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses as well as the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We continually evaluate our estimates and judgments including those related to allowances for doubtful accounts, fair value measurements of financial instruments, estimated useful lives and impairment of long-lived assets, impairment of goodwill, provisions, retirement benefit plans and income taxes. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience and other factors that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. We believe that of our significant accounting policies, the following may involve a higher degree of judgment or complexity:

Allowances for Doubtful Accounts

An allowance for doubtful accounts is provided based on a review of the status of individual receivable accounts at the end of the year. We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses that result from the inability of our customers to make required payments. We base our allowances on the likelihood of

 

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recoverability of accounts receivable based on the aging of accounts receivables at the end of the period, past customer default experience and their credit status, and economic and industrial factors. Allowance for doubtful accounts amounted to Won 328.2 billion in 2014 and Won 324.0 billion in 2013. As there was no significant change in our assumptions and judgments including on the aging of accounts receivables, past customer default experience and credit status, and economic and industrial factors, there was no significant change in the percentage of allowance for doubtful accounts as of December 31, 2014 compared to the prior year. If economic or specific industry trends worsen beyond our estimates, the allowances for doubtful accounts we have recorded may be materially adjusted in the future.

Fair Value Measurement of Financial Instruments

Subsequent to initial recognition, available-for-sale financial assets and derivative financial assets are stated at fair value with any gains or losses arising on remeasurement recognized in profit for the period or other comprehensive income. When measuring fair value, we use quoted prices in active markets to the extent such prices exist. The fair values of financial instruments, including derivative instruments, that are not traded in an active market are determined using valuation techniques that require management’s estimates of future cash flows and discount rates. Our management uses its judgment to select a variety of methods and makes assumptions that are mainly based on market conditions existing at the end of each reporting period. See note 4 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Estimated Useful Lives of Long-lived Assets

We estimate the useful lives of long-lived assets in order to determine the amount of depreciation and amortization expense to be recorded during any reporting period. The useful lives are estimated at the time a long-lived asset is acquired and are based on historical experience with similar assets as well as taking into account anticipated technological or other changes. If technological changes were to occur more rapidly than anticipated or in a different form than anticipated, the useful lives assigned to these assets may need to be shortened, resulting in the recognition of increased depreciation and amortization expense in future periods. See note 4 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets Including the Frequency Usage Rights

Long-lived assets generally consist of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets. We review our depreciation and amortization methods, estimated useful lives and residual values of long-lived assets at the end of each annual reporting period. An impairment loss is recognized when the asset’s recoverable amount is less than its carrying amount. The recoverable amount of a long-lived asset is the greater of an asset’s fair value less costs to sell and its value in use. For the purpose of assessing impairment, assets are grouped at the lowest levels for which there are separately identifiable cash flows (cash-generating units). The recoverable amounts of cash-generating units are determined based on value-in-use calculations, which require the use of estimates. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated recovery value.

Our intangible assets include our frequency usage rights, which have contractual lives of 6.3 to 13.1 years and are amortized from the date commercial service is initiated through the end of their contractual lives. Because the use of frequency usage rights presents risks and challenges to our business, any or all of which, if realized or not properly addressed, may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, we review the frequency usage rights for impairment on an annual basis. In connection with our review, we utilize the estimated long-term revenue and cash flow forecasts. The use of different assumptions within our cash flow model could result in different recoverable amounts for our frequency usage rights. The results of our review using the testing method described above resulted in no impairment of our frequency usage rights in 2014. See note 17 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Impairment of Goodwill

Goodwill is measured as the excess of the sum of: (1) the consideration transferred, (2) the amount of any non-controlling interests in the acquiree and (3) the fair value of the acquirer’s previously held equity interest in the acquiree (if any), over the net fair value of the acquisition-date amounts of the identifiable assets acquired and the

 

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liabilities assumed. Goodwill is not depreciated, but tested for impairment at the end of each annual reporting period or whenever there is an indication that the asset may be impaired. Goodwill is carried at cost less accumulated impairment losses and the impairment losses are not reversed. For the purpose of impairment testing, assets are grouped at the lowest levels for which there are separately identifiable cash flows, known as cash-generating units. Determining whether goodwill is impaired requires an estimation of the value in use of the cash-generating units to which goodwill has been allocated. The value in use calculation requires our management to estimate the future cash flows expected related to the respective cash-generating unit and the determination of an appropriate discount rate in order to calculate present value. See note 16 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Provisions for Handset Subsidy and Restoration

We provide handset subsidies to subscribers who purchase handsets on an installment basis. When the subscribers agree to use our services for a predetermined service period and purchase handsets on an installment basis, the subsidies are paid every month over the installment period and we estimate a provision for handset subsidies to be paid, which is recognized as commissions paid in operating expenses at the time telecommunication service contracts are made. Our provision for handset subsidies was Won 26.8 billion as of December 31, 2014 and Won 53.9 billion as of December 31, 2013. Our provision for handset subsidies has decreased as we gradually reduced the amount of handset subsidies provided to subscribers.

We estimate restoration costs required to restore leased premises on which our cell sites and switching equipment are located after termination of the leases. These restoration costs are calculated on the basis of the identified costs for the current financial year, extrapolated into the future based on management’s best estimates of future trends in prices, inflation, and other factors, and are discounted to present value at a risk-adjusted rate specifically applicable to the relevant liability. Forecasts of estimated future provisions are revised in light of future changes in business conditions or technological requirements. See note 19 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Retirement Benefit Plans

We have defined retirement benefit plans. The costs of providing benefits under the plans are determined using actuarial valuation methods that require management assumptions on discount rates, expected rates of salary increases and expected rates of returns on plan assets. These assumptions involve critical uncertainties due to the long-term nature of the retirement benefit plans. Due to changing market and economic conditions, the underlying key assumptions may differ from actual developments and may lead to significant changes in our defined retirement benefit plans. We immediately recognize all actuarial gains and losses arising from defined retirement benefit plans in retained earnings. If the estimated average discount rates by actuarial assumptions used in these valuations were increased by 0.5%, then the estimated defined benefit obligations would have decreased by Won 17.3 billion, or 4.0% in total. If the expected rates of salary increase were increased by 0.5%, then the estimated defined benefit obligations would have increased by Won 18.1 billion, or 4.1% in total. Defined benefit liabilities were Won 91.6 billion in 2014 and 74.2 billion in 2013. Defined benefit liabilities in 2014 increased by Won 17.4 billion compared to 2013 due to a decrease by 0.74%p of the estimated average discount rate and an increase by 0.29%p of the expected rates of salary increase. See note 22 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Income Taxes

We are required to estimate the amount of tax payable or refundable for the current year and the deferred income tax liabilities and assets for the future tax consequences of events that have been reflected in our financial statements or tax returns. This process requires management to make assessments regarding the timing and probability of the tax impact. Actual income taxes could vary from these estimates due to future changes in income tax law or unpredicted results from the final determination of each year’s liability by taxing authorities.

We believe that the accounting estimate related to assessment of deferred tax assets for recoverability is a “critical accounting estimate” because (1) it requires management to make assessments about the timing of future events, including the probability of expected future taxable income and available tax planning opportunities, and (2) the impact that changes in actual performance versus these estimates could have on the realization of tax benefits as reported in our results of operations could be material. Management’s assumptions require significant judgment

 

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because actual performance has fluctuated in the past and may continue to do so. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, unused tax loss carryforwards of Won 729.6 billion and Won 669.9 billion, respectively, were not recognized as deferred tax assets because we did not believe that their realization would be probable. The increase of Won 59.7 billion in unrecognized tax loss carryforwards in 2014 compared to 2013 were primarily due to unrecognized tax loss carryforwards. See note 31 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

 

Item 5.C. Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, etc.

We maintain a high level of spending on our research and development activity. We also donate funds to several Korean research institutes and educational organizations that focus on research and development activity. We believe that we must maintain a substantial in-house technology capability to achieve our strategic goals.

In 2014, 2013 and 2012, our annual research and development expenses were Won 397.8 billion, Won 363.7 billion and Won 346.3 billion. Such expenses consist of research and development costs that are expensed and costs that are amortized during the respective period as well as donations to Korean research institutions and educational organizations of Won 4.0 billion in 2012.

Our total research and development expenses were approximately 2.3% in 2014, 2.1% in 2013 and 1.9% in 2012, respectively, of operating revenue and other income.

The main focus of our research and development activity is the development of new wireless technologies and services and value-added technologies and services for our LTE network, such as wireless data communications, as well as development of new technologies that reflect the growing convergence between telecommunications and other industries. Our research and development activity is centered at a research center with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment established in January 1999 in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. To more efficiently manage our research and development resources, our research and development center is organized into the following core areas:

 

   

The network technology R&D center, which has pioneered the development of WCDMA and LTE technologies. This center is developing next-generation network technologies, as well as core network equipment and new services. Current projects include the improvement of LTE technology and the next generation transmission technology and the development of data femtocell and hybrid access points to improve network coverage, as well as location-based services and mobile voice blogging service.

 

   

The information technology R&D center, which focuses on improving the quality and operation of our core networks; building a flexible service infrastructure that will support the introduction of new products and services and enable easy maintenance; developing new technologies relating to IT security, public cloud services, B2B solutions and next-generation IT technologies, as well as developing new services based on customer needs.

 

   

The fusion technology R&D center, which is responsible for developing core semiconductor technology, smart storage system technology and quantum technology, including short-distance cryptographic communication technology.

 

   

The emerging technology R&D center, which is responsible for developing base technologies such as high-quality voice recognition, sentence generation and other new technologies as well as future technologies such as core video and imaging technology and platform technology related to biographical data.

 

   

The health care group, which is responsible for developing diagnostic instruments and chemicals by combining information technology and health care technology and analyzing computer data relating to health information as well as developing core technologies for medical devices.

Each business unit also has its own research team that can concentrate on specific short-term research needs. Such research teams permit our research center to concentrate on long-term, technology-intensive research projects. We aim to establish strategic alliances with selected domestic and foreign companies with a view to exchanging or jointly developing technologies, products and services.

 

Item 5.D. Trend Information

These matters are discussed under Item 5.A. and Item 5.B. above where relevant.

 

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Item 5.E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

None.

 

Item 5.F. Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations

These matters are discussed under Item 5.B. above where relevant.

 

Item 5.G. Safe Harbor

These matters are discussed under “Forward-Looking Statements.”

 

Item 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES

 

Item 6.A. Directors and Senior Management

Our board of directors has ultimate responsibility for the management of our affairs. Under our articles of incorporation, our board is to consist of at least three but no more than twelve directors, more than half of whom must be independent non-executive directors. We currently have a total of six directors, four of whom are independent non-executive directors. We elect our directors at a general meeting of shareholders with the approval of at least a majority of those shares present or represented at such meeting. Such majority must represent at least one-fourth of our total issued and outstanding shares with voting rights.

As required under relevant Korean laws and our articles of incorporation, we have a committee for recommendation of independent non-executive directors within the board of directors, the Independent Director Nomination Committee. Independent non-executive directors are appointed from among those candidates recommended by the Independent Director Nomination Committee.

The term of offices for directors is until the close of the third annual general shareholders meeting convened after he or she commences his or her term. Our directors may serve consecutive terms. Our shareholders may remove them from office by a resolution at a general meeting of shareholders adopted by the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting shares present or represented at the meeting, and such affirmative votes also represent at least one-third of our total voting shares then issued and outstanding.

Representative directors are directors elected by the board of directors with the statutory power to represent our company.

The following are the names and positions of our standing and non-standing directors. The business address of all of our directors is the address of our registered office at SK T-Tower, 65, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-999, Korea.

 

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Standing directors are our full-time employees and executive officers, and they also comprise the senior management, or the key personnel who manage us. Their names, dates of birth and positions at our company and other positions are set forth below:

 

Name

  Date of Birth     Director
Since
    Expiration
of Term
   

Position

 

Other Principal

Directorships and
Positions

  

Business Experience

Dong Hyun Jang

    Aug. 20, 1963        2015        2018      President and Chief Executive Officer      Chief Operating Officer, SK Planet; Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Finance Officer, and Executive Vice President of Strategy and Planning Division, SK Telecom

Dae Sik Cho

    Nov. 27, 1960        2013        2016      Executive Director   Chief Executive Officer, SK Holdings    Chief Finance Officer, Head of Finance Division and Risk Management & Corporate Auditing Office, SK Holdings; Head of Business Management Office, SK Holdings

Our current non-standing directors are as set forth below:

Name

  Date of Birth     Director
Since
    Expiration
of Term
   

Position

 

Other Positions

  

Business Experience

Dae Shick Oh

    Nov. 28, 1954        2013        2016      Independent Non-executive Director   Advisor, Bae, Kim & Lee LLC    Outside Director, CJ Corporation, Head of Seoul Regional Tax Office; Head of Investigation Department, Korea National Tax Service

Jay Young Chung

    Oct. 15, 1944        2011        2017      Independent Non-executive Director   Honorary Professor, Sung Kyun Kwan University    Chief, Asia-Pacific Economic Association; Vice President, Sung Kyun Kwan University; Independent Non-executive Director, POSCO

Jae Hoon Lee

    Sep. 26, 1955        2014        2017      Independent Non-executive Director   President, Association of Future Strategy Forum on Energy & Resources Development    Vice Minister, Ministry of Knowledge Economy; Vice Minister, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy; Assistant Minister, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy

Jae Hyeon Ahn

    Feb. 2, 1961        2014        2017      Independent Non-executive Director   Vice President, College of Business, KAIST    Dean, College of Information and Media Management, KAIST; President, Korea Media Management Association; Senior Technical Staff Member, AT&T Bell Labs

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

In January 2012, Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office indicted Mr. Jae Won Chey, our director at the time, and Mr. Tae Won Chey, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SK Holdings, on charges of embezzlement and criminal breach of fiduciary duty alleging that they misappropriated Won 46.85 billion of our corporate funds and additional funds of our affiliates. On February 27, 2014, the Supreme Court of Korea confirmed the Seoul High Court’s decision, sentencing Mr. Jae Won Chey and Mr. Tae Won Chey to prison terms of three and a half years and four years, respectively.

 

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Item 6.B. Compensation

The aggregate of the remuneration paid and in-kind benefits granted to the directors (all standing directors, who also serve as our executive officers, and non-standing directors) during the year ended December 31, 2014 totaled approximately Won 3.5 billion. This amount included Won 750 million in salary and Won 708 million in bonus paid to our former director and President and Chief Executive Office, Mr. Sung Min Ha, who has since resigned, and Won 377 million in salary and Won 349 million in bonus paid to our former director and Head of our Corporate Vision Department, Mr. Dong Seob Jee, who has since resigned.

Remuneration for the directors is determined by shareholder resolution. Severance allowances for directors are determined by the board of directors in accordance with our regulation on severance allowances for officers, which was adopted by shareholder resolution. The regulation provides for monthly salary, performance bonus, severance payment and fringe benefits. The amount of performance bonuses is independently decided by a resolution of the board of directors.

In March 2002, pursuant to resolutions of the shareholders, and in accordance with our articles of incorporation, certain of our directors and officers were granted options to purchase our common shares, which have all expired without being exercised. Since 2003, none of our directors and officers have been granted options to purchase our common shares.

 

Item 6.C. Board Practices

For information regarding the expiration of each director’s term of appointment, as well as the period from which each director has served in such capacity, see the table set out under “Item 6.A. Directors and Senior Management” above.

Termination of Directors, Services

Directors are given a retirement and severance payment upon termination of employment in accordance with our internal regulations on severance payments. Upon retirement, directors who have made significant contributions to our company during their term may be appointed to serve either as an advisor to us or as an officer of an affiliate company.

Audit Committee

Under relevant Korean laws and our articles of incorporation, we are required to have an audit committee under the board of directors. The committee is composed of at least three members, two-thirds of whom must be independent non-executive directors in accordance with applicable rules. The members of the audit committee are appointed annually by a resolution of the general meeting of shareholders. They are required to:

 

   

examine the agenda for the general meeting of shareholders;

 

   

examine financial statements and other reports to be submitted by the board of directors to the general meeting of shareholders;

 

   

review the administration by the board of directors of our affairs; and

 

   

examine the operations and asset status of us and our subsidiaries.

In addition, the audit committee must appoint independent auditors to examine our financial statements. An audit and review of our financial statements by independent auditors is required for the purposes of a securities report. Listed companies must provide such report on an annual, semi-annual and quarterly basis to the FSC and the KRX KOSPI Market.

Our audit committee is composed of three independent non-executive directors: Dae Shick Oh, Jae Hoon Lee and Jae Hyeon Ahn, each of whom is financially literate and independent under the rules of the NYSE as applicable. The board of directors has determined that Dae Shick Oh is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined under the applicable rules of the SEC. See “Item 16A. Audit Committee Financial Expert.”

 

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Independent Director Nomination Committee

This committee is devoted to recommending independent non-executive directors for the board of directors. The objective of the committee is to help promote fairness and transparency in the nomination of candidates for these positions. The board of directors decides from time to time who will comprise the members of this committee. The committee is comprised of one executive director, Dong Hyun Jang, and two independent directors, Dae Shick Oh and Jae Hoon Lee.

Capex Review Committee

This committee is responsible for reviewing our business plan (including the budget). It also examines major capital expenditure revisions, and routinely monitors capital expenditure decisions that have already been executed. The committee is comprised of four independent directors, Jae Hoon Lee, Jay Young Chung , Dae Shick Oh and Jae Hyeon Ahn.

Compensation Review Committee

This committee oversees our overall compensation scheme for top-level executives and directors. It is responsible for reviewing both the criteria for and level of compensation. It is comprised of three independent directors, Jay Young Chung and Jae Hoon Lee and Jae Hyeon Ahn.

Corporate Citizenship Committee

This committee was established to help us achieve world-class sustainable growth and to help us fulfill our corporate social responsibilities. It is comprised of three independent directors, Jae Hyeon Ahn, Jay Young Chung and Dae Shick Oh.

 

Item 6.D. Employees

The following table sets forth the numbers of our regular employees, temporary employees and total employees as of the dates indicated:

 

     Regular
Employees
     Temporary
Employees
     Total  

December 31, 2012

     16,447         5,701         22,148   

December 31, 2013

     21,546         2,243         23,789   

December 31, 2014

     24,404         1,285         25,689   

Labor Relations

As of December 31, 2014, SK Telecom had a company union consisting of 2,114 regular employees out of 4,139 total regular employees. We have never experienced a work stoppage of a serious nature. Every two years, the union and management negotiate and enter into a new collective bargaining agreement that has a two-year duration, which is focused on employee benefits and welfare. Employee wages are separately negotiated on an annual basis. Our wage negotiations for 2012 were completed in April 2012 and resulted in an average wage increase of 4.0% for SK Telecom employees. Our wage negotiations for 2013 were completed in October 2013 and resulted in an average wage increase of 1.5% for SK Telecom employees. Our wage negotiations for 2014 were completed in May 2014 and resulted in no change to the average wage of SK Telecom employees. Our wage negotiations for 2015 have not commenced yet. We consider our relations with our employees to be good.

Employee Stock Ownership Association and Other Benefits

Since April 1999, we have been required to contribute an amount equal to 4.5% of employee wages toward a national pension plan. Employees are eligible to participate in an employee stock ownership association. We are not required to, and we do not, make any contributions to the employee stock ownership association, although we subsidize the employee stock ownership association through the Employee Welfare Fund by providing low interest rate loans to employees who desire to purchase our stock through the plan in the event of a capitalization by the association. On December 26, 2007 and January 23, 2008, we loaned Won 31.0 billion and Won 29.7 billion, respectively, to our employee stock ownership association to help fund the employee stock ownership association’s

 

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acquisition of our treasury shares. Such loans are to be repaid over a period of five years, beginning on the second anniversary of each loan date. We expect these loans to be repaid in full by 2015. As of December 31, 2014, the employee stock ownership association owned approximately 0.11% of our issued common stock.

We are required to pay a severance amount to eligible employees who voluntarily or involuntarily cease employment with us, including through retirement. This severance amount is based upon the employee’s length of service with us and the employee’s salary level at the time of severance. As of December 31, 2014, the defined benefit obligation, which is the accrued and unpaid retirement and severance benefits, of Won 437.8 billion for all of our employees are reflected in our consolidated financial statements as a liability, of which a total of Won 346.3 billion was funded. Under Korean laws and regulations, we are prevented from involuntarily terminating a full-time employee except under certain limited circumstances. In September 2002, we entered into an employment stabilization agreement with the union. Among other things, this agreement provides for a one-year guarantee of the same wage level in the event that we reorganize a department into a separate entity or we outsource an employee to a separate entity where the wage is lower.

Under the Basic Labor Welfare Act, we may also contribute up to 5.0% of our annual earnings before tax for employee welfare. Contribution amounts are determined annually following negotiation with the union. The contribution amount for 2014 was set at 1.51% of SK Telecom’s profit before income tax on a separate basis, or Won 20.0 billion. The contribution amount for 2013 was set at 1.64% of SK Telecom’s profit before income tax on a separate basis, or Won 20.0 billion. The contribution amount for 2012 was set at 1.29% of SK Telecom’s profit before income tax on a separate basis, or Won 20.0 billion.

In addition, we provide our employees with miscellaneous other fringe benefits including housing loans, free medical examinations, subsidized on-site child care facilities and sabbatical programs for long-term employees.

 

Item 6.E. Share Ownership

The following table sets forth the share ownership by our standing and non-standing directors as of March 31, 2015:

 

Name

  

Position

   Number of
Shares
Owned
     Percentage of
Total Shares
Outstanding
    Special
Voting
Rights
     Options  

Standing Directors:

             

Dong Hyun Jang

   President & Chief Executive Officer      251         0.0     None         None   

Dae Sik Cho

   Executive Director      0         0        None         None   

Non-Standing Directors:

             

Dae Shick Oh

   Independent Non-executive Director      0         0        None         None   

Jay Young Chung

   Independent Non-executive Director      0         0        None         None   

Jae Hoon Lee

   Independent
Non-executive Director
     0         0        None         None   

Jae Hyeon Ahn

   Independent
Non-executive Director
     0         0        None         None   

 

Item 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Item 7.A. Major Shareholders

As of the close of our shareholders’ registry on December 31, 2014, approximately 56.53% of our issued shares were held in Korea by approximately 23,380 shareholders. According to Citibank, N.A., depositary for our American Depositary Receipts, as of December 31, 2014, there were 47,422 U.S. holders of our American Depositary Receipts evidencing ADSs and 11,237,667 shares of our common stock were held in the form of ADSs. As of such date, outstanding ADSs represented approximately 15.8% of our outstanding common shares.

 

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The following table sets forth certain information as of March 31, 2015 with respect to any person known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5.0% of our common shares and with respect to the total amount of such shares owned by our officers and directors, as a group:

 

Shareholder/Category

   Number of
Shares
     Percentage
Total Shares
Issued
    Percentage
Total Shares
Outstanding
 

Domestic Shareholders

       

SK Holdings

     20,363,452         25.22     28.71

Treasury shares(1)

     9,809,375         12.15        N/A   

Officers and Directors

     4,822         0.01        0.01   

Other Domestic Shareholders

     14,958,435         18.53        21.09   

Foreign Shareholders(2)

       

Shareholders holding ADRs

     10,000,488         12.39        14.10   

Shareholders holding common stock

     25,609,139         31.72        36.10   

Total Issued Shares(3)

     80,745,711         100       

Total Outstanding Shares(4)

     70,936,336                100

 

 

(1) Treasury shares do not have any voting rights. Pursuant to the Share Exchange, which is currently scheduled for June 2015, we expect to exchange 2,471,883 treasury shares for the common shares of SK Broadband, subject to adjustments.

 

(2) Based on the data collected by the KRX KOSPI Market under the Foreign Exchange Transaction Laws.

 

(3) On January 9, 2009, we purchased (using retained earnings) and cancelled 448,000 common shares. As a result of such retirement of common shares, the total number of shares decreased from 89,278,946 to 80,745,711, which is the total number of shares issued to date.

 

(4) Represents total issued shares excluding treasury shares.

The following table sets forth significant changes in the percentage ownership held by our major shareholders during the past three years:

 

      As of December 31,  

Shareholder

   2014     2013     2012  
     (As a percentage of total
issued shares)(1)
 

SK Group(2)

     25.22     25.22     25.22

SK Holdings

     25.22        25.22        25.22   

National Pension Service

     7.09        5.90        4.97   

 

 

(1) Includes 9,809,375, 9,809,375 and 11,050,712 shares held in treasury as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Pursuant to the Share Exchange, which is currently scheduled for June 2015, we expect to exchange 2,471,883 treasury shares for the common shares of SK Broadband, subject to adjustments.

 

(2) SK Group’s ownership interest as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 consisted of the ownership interest of SK Holdings only.

Except as described above, other than companies in the SK Group, no other persons or entities known by us to be acting in concert, directly or indirectly, jointly or severally, own in excess of 5.0% of our total shares outstanding or exercise control or could exercise control over our business.

On July 1, 2007, the company formerly known as SK Corporation underwent a corporate reorganization, pursuant to which SK Corporation spun off substantially all of its operating business divisions into a newly established corporation named SK Energy Co., Ltd. The surviving company currently operates as a holding company, renamed SK Holdings. Ownership of all our shares held by SK Corporation immediately preceding the reorganization passed to SK Holdings as of July 1, 2007. On April 20, 2015, SK Holdings announced its decision to merge with and into SK C&C in August 2015, subject to the approval of the respective board of directors of SK Holdings and SK C&C and the receipt of relevant regulatory consents and approvals, among other conditions.

As of March 31, 2015, SK Holdings held 25.22% of our shares of common stock. For a description of our foreign ownership limitation, see “Item 3.D. Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Securities — If SK Holdings causes

 

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us to breach the foreign ownership limitations on our common shares, we may experience a change of control” and “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Law and Regulation — Foreign Ownership and Investment Restrictions and Requirements.” In the event that SK Holdings announces plans of a sale of our shares, we expect to be able to discuss the details of such sale with them in advance and will endeavor to minimize any adverse effects on our share prices as a result of such sale.

As of March 31, 2015, the total number of our common shares outstanding was 70,936,336.

Other than as disclosed herein, there are no other arrangements, to the best of our knowledge, which would result in a material change in the control of us. Our major shareholders do not have different voting rights.

 

Item 7.B. Related Party Transactions

SK Networks

In September 2009, we acquired the leased-line business and related ancillary businesses from SK Networks for Won 892.76 billion and assumed Won 611.44 billion of debt as part of the transaction. Prior to such acquisition, KT and SK Networks provided a substantial majority of our leased lines. For a more detailed discussion of the lines we lease from fixed-line operators, see “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Digital Wireless Network — Network Infrastructure.” In addition, PS&Marketing acquired the retail distribution business of SK Networks in April 2014.

As of December 31, 2014, we had Won 2.6 billion of accounts receivable from SK Networks. As of the same date, we had Won 238.4 billion of accounts payable to SK Networks, mainly consisting of commissions to dealers owned by SK Networks. The aggregate fees we paid to SK Networks for dealer commissions amounted to Won 1,509.0 billion, Won 1,463.3 billion and Won 1,747.1 billion in 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Other Related Parties

On July 22, 2003, we acquired 2,481,310 shares of POSCO common stock held by SK Holdings at a price of Won 134,000 per share in accordance with a resolution of our board of directors dated July 22, 2003. We decided to purchase the shares for strategic reasons in order to address overhang concerns arising from POSCO’s ownership of our shares. In the first half of 2012, POSCO sold all of our shares that it owned and on October 8, 2012, we sold half of the POSCO shares we owned. We currently own 1.42% of POSCO’s shares.

We enter into agreements with SK C&C Co., Ltd. (“SK C&C”) from time to time for specific information technology-related projects. The aggregate fees we paid to SK C&C for information technology services amounted to Won 360.8 billion in 2014, Won 357.9 billion in 2013 and Won 324.2 billion in 2012. We also purchase various information technology-related equipment from SK C&C from time to time. The total amount of such purchases was Won 168.8 billion in 2014, Won 206.3 billion in 2013 and Won 304.1 billion in 2012. We are a party to several service agreements with SK C&C relating to the development and maintenance of our information technologies systems.

We are part of the SK Group of affiliated companies. See “Item 7.A. Major Shareholders.” As disclosed in note 36 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements, we had related party transactions with a number of affiliated companies of the SK Group during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

Item 7.C. Interests of Experts and Counsel

Not applicable.

 

Item 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 8.A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information

See “Item 18. Financial Statements” and pages F-1 through G-75.

 

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Legal Proceedings

FTC Proceedings

In June 2011, the FTC fined us Won 2.0 billion and Loen Entertainment, our consolidated subsidiary at the time, Won 8.7 billion for activities allegedly restricting competition in markets for digital music services. We and Loen Entertainment paid such fine in August 2011 and filed appeals at the Seoul High Court and subsequently at the Supreme Court of Korea, which ruled against us and Loen Entertainment.

In March 2012, the FTC fined us Won 21.9 billion for allegedly colluding with KT, LG U+, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Pantech (which were also assessed separate fines) to inflate the prices of handsets while advertising that the handsets are offered at a discount through subsidy plans. We paid such fine in September 2012 and filed an appeal at the Seoul High Court, which ruled against us in October 2014. We appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Korea, where the case is currently pending.

In July 2012, the FTC fined us Won 25.0 billion for alleged violation of Article 23 of the Fair Trade Act relating to the payment of system management and operation fees. We paid such fine in November 2012 and filed an appeal at the Seoul High Court, which ruled for us on May 2014. The FTC appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Korea, where the case is currently pending.

MIC, KCC and MSIP Proceedings

On December 24, 2012, the KCC ordered us to pay a fine of Won 6.9 billion, which we paid in December 2012, imposed a suspension on acquiring new subscribers from January 31, 2013 to February 21, 2013 and issued a correction order for providing subsidies to subscribers which were not universally available. On March 14, 2013, the KCC imposed an additional fine of Won 3.1 billion on us for the same reason after further investigations. We paid such additional fine in April 2013. On July 18, 2013, the KCC imposed an additional fine of Won 36.5 billion on us for the same reason and we paid such fine in July 2013. On December 27, 2013, the KCC imposed an additional fine on us of Won 56.0 billion, which is the largest fine ever imposed by the KCC for providing handset subsidies to subscribers which were not universally available. We paid such additional fine in December 2013.

On March 7, 2014, the MSIP imposed a suspension on us from acquiring new subscribers for a period of 45 days, which is the longest suspension period imposed on us by the Government for providing subsidies to subscribers which were not universally available. On March 13, 2014, the KCC imposed an additional suspension of business on us for a period of seven days and imposed a fine of Won 16.7 billion on us for the same reason, which we paid in April 2014. We suspended acquisition of new customers during the period from September 11, 2014 to September 17, 2014.

On August 21, 2014, the KCC imposed a fine of Won 37.1 billion on us and issued a correctional order for providing discriminatory subsidies to subscribers. We paid such fine in September 2014.

On March 26, 2015, the KCC imposed a fine of Won 23.5 billion on us and imposed a suspension on acquiring new subscribers for a period of seven days for providing subsidies to subscribers in excess of the amounts permitted under the MDDIA.

KT Interconnection Fee Litigation

In December 2010, we filed a lawsuit in the Seoul Central District Court against KT alleging that they paid us lower interconnection fees for intentionally bypassing our WCDMA spectrum and using our CDMA network rather than our WCDMA network. In response, KT filed a counterclaim against us, alleging that we failed to respond to their request for information and that we intentionally delayed the interconnection for calls from fixed-line KT users to our wireless subscribers and seeking damages of Won 33.7 billion. In September 2012, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed our lawsuit against KT and rendered a judgment that accepted KT’s claims in part. We filed an appeal at the Seoul High Court in October 2012, and in January 2014, the Seoul High Court overturned the District Court’s decision and rendered a judgment that accepted our claims in part. We and KT each filed an appeal at the Supreme Court of Korea in February 2014.

 

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SK Communications Litigation

In July 2011, there was a leak of personal information of subscribers of NATE and Cyworld websites operated by SK Communications, our consolidated subsidiary. Various lawsuits have been filed against SK Communications alleging that the leak was caused by its poor management of subscribers’ personal information. With respect to three of the lawsuits for which final judgments have been rendered, the relevant courts have rendered judgments in favor of SK Communications. As of March 31, 2015, nineteen of the lawsuits, seeking damages of approximately Won 1.2 billion in aggregate, were pending at various district courts, various high courts and the Supreme Court of Korea.

COLORing Litigation

In May 2010, Korea Music Copyright Association (“KOMCA”) filed a lawsuit against us seeking license fees for our COLORing service that plays a ring back melody in lieu of a conventional dial tone. In February 2011, the court rendered a judgment against us ordering us to pay Won 570 million to KOMCA, which was affirmed by the appellate court in October 2011. We appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Korea in November 2011. In July 2013, the Supreme Court of Korea overturned the appellate court’s decision and sent the case back to the appellate court for further deliberation. In September 2014, the appellate court ruled the remanded case in our favor. KOMCA filed an appeal at the Supreme Court of Korea, which ruled in our favor on January 15, 2015.

Except as described above, neither we nor any of our subsidiaries are involved in any litigation, arbitration or administrative proceedings relating to claims which may have, or have had during the twelve months preceding the date hereof, a significant effect on our financial position or the financial position of our subsidiaries taken as a whole, and, so far as we are aware, no such litigation, arbitration or administrative proceedings are pending or threatened.

Dividends

Annual dividends, if any, on our outstanding shares must be approved at the annual general meeting of shareholders. This meeting is generally held in March of the following year, and the annual dividend is generally paid shortly after the meeting. Since our shareholders have discretion to declare annual dividends, we cannot give any assurance as to the amount of dividends per share or that any dividends will be declared at all. Interim dividends, if any, can be approved by a resolution of our board of directors. Once declared, dividends must be claimed within five years, after which the right to receive the dividends is extinguished and reverted to us.

We pay cash dividends to the ADR depositary in Won. Under the terms of the deposit agreement, cash dividends received by the ADR depositary generally are to be converted by the ADR depositary into Dollars and distributed to the holders of the ADSs, less withholding tax, other governmental charges and the ADR depositary’s fees and expenses. The ADR depositary’s designated bank in Korea must approve this conversion and remittance of cash dividends. See “Item 10.B. Memorandum and Articles of Incorporation — Description of American Depositary Shares” and “Item 10.D. Exchange Controls — Korean Foreign Exchange Controls and Securities Regulations.”

The following table sets forth the dividend per share and the aggregate total amount of dividends declared (including any interim dividends), as well as the number of outstanding shares entitled to dividends, with respect to the years indicated. The dividends set out for each of the years below were paid in the immediately following year.

 

Year Ended December 31,

   Dividend
per Share
     Total Amount
of Dividends
     Number of
Shares Entitled
to Dividend
 
     (In Won)      (In billions of Won)         

2010

   9,400       669.5         71,094,999   

2011

     9,400         656.5         69,694,999 (1) 

2012

     9,400         655.1         69,694,999   

2013

     9,400         666.4         70,936,336   

2014

     9,400         666.8         70,936,336   

 

 

(1) The number of shares entitled to the interim dividend was 71,094,999.

 

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We distribute dividends to our shareholders in proportion to the number of shares owned by each shareholder. Our common shares represented by the ADSs have the same dividend rights as other outstanding common shares.

Holders of non-voting shares are entitled to receive dividends in priority to the holders of common shares. The dividend on the non-voting shares is between 9.0% and 25.0% of the par value as determined by the board of directors at the time of their issuance. If the dividends for common shares exceed the dividends for non-voting shares, the holders of non-voting shares will be entitled to participate in the distribution of such excess amount with the holders of common shares. If the amount available for dividends is less than the aggregate amount of the minimum required dividend, holders of non-voting shares will be entitled to receive such accumulated unpaid dividend from dividends payable in the next fiscal year before holders of common shares. There are no non-voting shares issued or outstanding.

We declare dividends annually at the annual general meeting of shareholders which is generally held within three months after the end of the fiscal year. We pay the annual dividend shortly after the annual general meeting to the shareholders of record or registered pledges as of the end of the preceding fiscal year. We may distribute the annual dividend in cash or in shares. However, a dividend of shares must be distributed at par value. Dividends in shares may not exceed one-half of the annual dividend. Our obligation to pay dividend expires if no claim to dividend is made for five years from the payment date.

Under the Korean Commercial Code, we may pay an annual dividend only out of the excess of our net assets, on a non-consolidated basis, over the sum of (1) our stated capital, (2) the total amount of our capital surplus reserve, (3) legal reserve accumulated up to the end of the relevant dividend period and (4) the increase in our net asset value resulting from the evaluation of our assets and liabilities that has not been offset against unrealized losses. In addition, we may not pay an annual dividend unless we have set aside as a legal reserve an amount equal to at least 10.0% of the cash portion of the annual dividend or until we have accumulated a legal reserve of not less than one-half of our stated capital. We may not use our legal reserve to pay cash dividends but may transfer amounts from our legal reserve to capital stock or use our legal reserve to reduce an accumulated deficit.

In addition, the Korean Commercial Code and our articles of incorporation provide that, in addition to annual dividends, we may pay interim dividends once during each fiscal year. Unlike annual dividends, the decision to pay interim dividends can be made by a resolution of the board of directors and is not subject to shareholder approval. Any interim dividends must be paid in cash to the shareholders of record as of June 30 of the relevant fiscal year. In July 2014, we distributed such interim dividends at Won 1,000 per share to our shareholders for a total amount of approximately Won 71.0 billion.

Under the Korean Commercial Code, the total amount of interim dividends payable in a fiscal year shall not be more than the net assets on the balance sheet of the immediately preceding fiscal year, after deducting (1) a company’s capital in the immediately preceding fiscal year, (2) the aggregate amount of its capital reserves and legal reserves accumulated up to the immediately preceding fiscal year, (3) the amount of earnings for dividend payments confirmed at the general shareholders’ meeting with respect to the immediately preceding fiscal year and (4) the amount of legal reserve that should be set aside for the current fiscal year following the interim dividend payment. Furthermore, the rate of interim dividends for non-voting shares must be the same as that for our common shares.

Our obligation to pay interim dividends expires if no claims to such dividends are made for a period of five years from the payment date.

 

Item 8.B. Significant Changes

Not applicable.

 

Item 9. THE OFFER AND LISTING

 

Item 9.A. Offering and Listing Details

These matters are described under Item 9.C. below where relevant.

 

Item 9.B. Plan of Distribution

Not applicable.

 

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Item 9.C. Markets

The principal trading market for our common shares is the KRX KOSPI Market. As of March 31, 2015, 70,936,336 shares of our common stock were outstanding.

The ADSs are traded on the NYSE and the London Stock Exchange. The ADSs have been issued by the ADR depositary and are traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “SKM”. Each ADS represents one-ninth of one share of our common stock. As of March 31, 2015, ADSs representing 10,000,488 shares of our common stock were outstanding.

Shares of Common Stock

The following table sets forth the high, low and closing prices and the average daily trading volume of our common shares on the KRX KOSPI Market since January 1, 2010:

 

     Prices      Average Daily
Trading
Volume
 

Calendar Year

   High(1)      Low(1)      Close     
     (Won per shares)      (Number of shares)  

2010

     188,000         158,500         173,500         193,937   

First Quarter

     188,000         168,500         173,500         306,532   

Second Quarter

     178,000         158,500         160,500         202,245   

Third Quarter

     171,500         158,500         171,500         145,561   

Fourth Quarter

     180,500         168,500         173,500         127,235   

2011

     172,500         131,000         141,500         214,788   

First Quarter

     172,500         156,000         163,500         124,796   

Second Quarter

     169,000         152,500         161,500         160,839   

Third Quarter

     161,500         131,000         149,500         324,018   

Fourth Quarter

     165,000         141,500         141,500         249,500   

2012

     161,000         120,500         152,500         216,031   

First Quarter

     146,000         134,500         139,500         193,924   

Second Quarter

     142,500         120,500         125,000         284,712   

Third Quarter

     153,000         125,000         147,000         208,276   

Fourth Quarter

     161,000         145,500         152,500         177,955   

2013

     238,500         150,000         230,000         212,769   

First Quarter

     185,500         150,000         180,500         234,684   

Second Quarter

     225,500         172,000         210,000         245,151   

Third Quarter

     226,500         202,000         218,500         175,670   

Fourth Quarter

     238,500         211,500         230,000         195,925   

2014

     298,500         196,500         268,000         170,709   

First Quarter

     229,000         196,500         215,500         184,185   

Second Quarter

     243,500         198,000         236,500         180,743   

Third Quarter

     298,500         236,000         290,000         152,740   

Fourth Quarter

     298,500         259,000         268,000         165,710   

2015 (through April 28)

     301,000         262,500         288,000         166,540   

First Quarter

     301,000         264,000         272,500         151,786   

January

     290,000         264,000         289,000         159,103   

February

     301,000         274,000         286,500         126,689   

March

     290,500         269,000         272,500         164,195   

Second Quarter (through April 28)

     293,500         262,500         288,000         210,803   

April (through April 28)

     293,500         262,500         288,000         210,803   

 

Source: Korea Exchange

 

(1) Both high and low prices are based on the daily closing prices for the period.

 

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American Depositary Shares

The following table sets forth the high, low and closing prices and the average daily trading volume of the ADSs on the NYSE since January 1, 2010:

 

     Prices      Average  Daily
Trading
Volume
 

Calendar Year

   High      Low      Close     
     (US$ per ADS)      (Number of ADSs)  

2010

     19.13         14.73         18.63         1,288,546   

First Quarter

     18.33         16.32         17.26         1,422,379   

Second Quarter

     18.51         14.73         14.73         1,486,937   

Third Quarter

     17.48         14.84         17.47         1,294,034   

Fourth Quarter

     19.13         17.74         18.63         960,206   

2011

     19.80         13.47         13.61         1,866,528   

First Quarter

     19.02         16.83         18.81         1,639,731   

Second Quarter

     19.80         17.36         18.70         1,640,469   

Third Quarter

     18.77         13.47         14.07         2,125,730   

Fourth Quarter

     15.89         13.49         13.61         2,060,180   

2012

     16.41         10.85         15.83         1,758,414   

First Quarter

     14.60         12.89         13.91         1,644,366   

Second Quarter

     14.18         10.85         12.10         2,135,473   

Third Quarter

     15.08         12.03         14.54         1,836,959   

Fourth Quarter

     16.41         14.41         15.83         1,409,508   

2013

     25.16         15.63         24.62         1,407,958   

First Quarter

     18.72         15.63         17.87         1,884,190   

Second Quarter

     22.45         16.91         20.33         1,724,433   

Third Quarter

     22.79         19.42         22.70         848,082   

Fourth Quarter

     25.16         22.12         24.62         1,204,890   

2014

     31.75         20.76         27.01         905,341   

First Quarter

     24.07         20.76         22.57         952,847   

Second Quarter

     26.50         20.76         25.94         908,195   

Third Quarter

     31.75         25.54         30.34         963,636   

Fourth Quarter

     30.62         27.01         27.01         803,932   

2015 (through April 28)

     30.07         26.22         29.93         731,767   

First Quarter

     29.76         26.22         27.21         787,402   

January

     29.27         26.78         28.75         959,500   

February

     29.76         27.65         29.07         739,883   

March

     29.30         26.22         27.21         269,414   

Second Quarter (through April 28)

     30.07         26.49         29.93         553,149   

April (through April 28)

     30.07         26.49         29.93         553,149   

The Korean Securities Market

The Korea Exchange Inc.

With the enactment of the Korea Stock and Futures Exchange Act, which came into effect on January 27, 2005, the three existing spot and futures exchanges (which were the Korea Stock Exchange, Korean Futures Exchange, and KOSDAQ) and KOSDAQ Committee, a sub-organization of Korea Securities Dealers Association, were merged and integrated into the Korea Exchange as a joint stock company. There are four different markets run by the Korea Exchange: the KRX KOSPI Market, the KRX KOSDAQ Market, the KRX KONEX Market and the KRX Derivatives Market. The Korea Exchange has three trading floors located in Seoul, one for the KRX KOSPI Market, one for the KRX KOSDAQ Market and one for the KRX KONEX Market, and one trading floor in Busan for the KRX Derivatives Market. The Korea Exchange is a limited liability company, the shares of which are held by (1) securities companies and futures companies that were formerly members of the Korea Stock Exchange or the Korea Futures Exchange, (2) the Small & Medium Business Corporation, (3) the Korea Securities Finance

 

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Corporation and (4) the Korea Financial Investment Association. Currently, the Korea Exchange is the only stock exchange in Korea and is run by membership, having most of Korean securities companies and some Korean branches of foreign securities companies as its members.

As of December 31, 2014, the aggregate market value of equity securities listed on the KRX KOSPI Market was approximately Won 1,192.3 trillion. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the average daily trading volume of equity securities was approximately 278.1 million shares with an average trading value of Won 3,983.6 billion. For the year ended December 31, 2013, the average daily trading volume of equity securities was approximately 328.3 million shares with an average trading value of Won 3,993.4 billion. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the average daily trading volume of equity securities was approximately 486.5 million shares with an average trading value of Won 4,823.6 billion.

The Korea Exchange has the power in some circumstances to suspend trading in the shares of a given company or to de-list a security. The Korea Exchange also restricts share price movements. All listed companies are required to file accounting reports annually, semi-annually and quarterly and to release immediately all information that may affect trading in a security.

The Government has in the past exerted, and continues to exert, substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector business community that can have the intention or effect of depressing or boosting the market. In the past, the Government has informally both encouraged and restricted the declaration and payment of dividends, induced mergers to reduce what it considers an excess capacity in a particular industry and induced private companies to publicly offer their securities.

The Korea Exchange publishes the KOSPI, every ten seconds, which is an index of all equity securities listed on the KRX KOSPI Market. On January 1, 1983, the method of computing KOSPI was changed from the Dow Jones method to the aggregate value method. In the new method, the market capitalizations of all listed companies are aggregated, subject to certain adjustments, and this aggregate is expressed as a percentage of the aggregate market capitalization of all listed companies as of the base date, January 4, 1980.

Movements in KOSPI are set out in the following table together with the associated dividend yields and price to earnings ratios:

 

                                 Period Average  

Year

   Opening      High      Low      Closing      Dividend
Yield(1)
(%)
     Price to
Earnings(2)
 

1980

     100.00         119.36         100.00         106.87         20.9         2.6   

1981

     97.95         165.95         93.14         131.37         13.2         3.1   

1982

     123.60         134.49         106.00         127.31         10.5         3.4   

1983

     122.52         134.46         115.59         121.21         6.9         3.8   

1984

     116.73         142.46         114.37         142.46         5.1         4.5   

1985

     139.53         163.37         131.40         163.37         5.3         5.2   

1986

     161.40         279.67         153.85         272.61         4.3         7.6   

1987

     264.82         525.11         264.82         525.11         2.6         10.9   

1988

     532.04         922.56         527.89         907.20         2.4         11.2   

1989

     919.61         1,007.77         844.75         909.72         2.0         13.9   

1990

     908.59         928.77         566.27         696.11         2.2         12.8   

1991

     679.75         763.10         586.51         610.92         2.6         11.2   

1992

     624.23         691.48         459.07         678.44         2.2         10.9   

1993

     697.41         874.10         605.93         866.18         1.6         12.7   

1994

     879.32         1,138.75         860.47         1,027.37         1.2         16.2   

1995

     1,013.57         1,016.77         847.09         882.94         1.2         16.4   

1996

     888.85         986.84         651.22         651.22         1.3         17.8   

1997

     653.79         792.29         350.68         376.31         1.5         17.0   

1998

     385.49         579.86         280.00         562.46         1.9         10.8   

1999

     587.57         1,028.07         498.42         1,028.07         1.1         13.5   

 

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                                 Period Average  

Year

   Opening      High      Low      Closing      Dividend
Yield(1)
(%)
     Price to
Earnings(2)
 

2000

     1,059.04         1,059.04         500.60         504.62         2.4         15.3   

2001

     520.95         704.50         468.76         693.70         1.7         29.3   

2002

     724.95         937.61         584.04         829.44         1.8         15.6   

2003

     635.17         822.16         515.24         810.71         2.1         10.1   

2004

     821.26         936.06         719.59         895.92         2.1         15.8   

2005

     893.71         1,379.37         870.84         1,379.37         1.7         11.0   

2006

     1,389.27         1,464.70         1,192.09         1,434.46         1.7         11.4   

2007

     1,435.26         2,064.85         1,355.79         1,897.13         1.4         16.8   

2008

     1,853.45         1,888.88         938.75         1,124.47         2.6         9.0   

2009

     1,157.4         1,718.88         1,018.81         1,682.77         1.2         23.7   

2010

     1,696.14         2,052.97         1,532.68         2,051.00         1.1         17.8   

2011

     2,070.08         2,228.96         1,652.71         1,825.74         1.6         10.9   

2012

     1,826.37         2,049.28         1,769.31         1,997.05         1.3         12.9   

2013

     2,031.10         2,059.58         1,780.63         2,011.34         1.2         13.5   

2014

     2,013.11         2,093.08         1,881.73         1,915.59         1.1         15.3   

2015 (through April 28)

     1,914.24         2,173.41         1,882.45         2,147.67         1.1         16.7   

 

Source: Korea Exchange

 

(1) Dividend yields are based on daily figures. Before 1983, dividend yields were calculated at the end of each month. Dividend yields after January 3, 1984 include cash dividends only.

 

(2) The price to earnings ratio is based on figures for companies that record a profit in the preceding year.

KOSPI closed at 2,147.67 on April 28, 2015.

Shares are quoted “ex-dividend” on the first trading day of the relevant company’s accounting period. Since the calendar year is the accounting period for the majority of listed companies, this may account for the drop in KOSPI between its closing level at the end of one calendar year and its opening level at the beginning of the following calendar year.

With certain exceptions, principally to take account of a share being quoted “ex-dividend” and “ex-rights,” upward and downward movements in share prices of any category of shares on any day are limited under the rules of the Korea Exchange to 15.0% of the previous day’s closing price of the shares, rounded down as set out below:

 

Previous Day’s Closing Price

   Rounded Down to   

Less than 5,000

   5   

5,000 to less than 10,000

     10   

10,000 to less than 50,000

     50   

50,000 to less than 100,000

     100   

100,000 to less than 500,000

     500   

500,000 or more

     1,000   

As a consequence, if a particular closing price is the same as the price set by the fluctuation limit, the closing price may not reflect the price at which persons would have been prepared, or would be prepared to continue, if so permitted, to buy and sell shares. Orders are executed on an auction system with priority rules to deal with competing bids and offers.

Due to a recent deregulation of restrictions on brokerage commission rates, the brokerage commission rate on equity securities transactions may be determined by the parties, subject to commission schedules being filed with the Korea Exchange by the securities companies. In addition, a securities transaction tax of 0.15% of the sales price will generally be imposed on the transfer of shares or certain securities representing rights to subscribe for shares. A special agricultural and fishery tax of 0.15% of the sales prices will also be imposed on transfer of these shares and securities on the KRX KOSPI Market. See “Item 10.E. Taxation — Korean Taxation.”

 

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The following table sets forth the number of companies listed on the KRX KOSPI Market, the corresponding total market capitalization and the average daily trading volume at the end of the periods indicated:

 

    Market Capitalization on the
Last Day of Each Period
    Average Daily Trading Volume, Value  

Year

  Number of
Listed
Companies
    (Billions of
Won)
    (Millions of
US$)(1)
    Thousands
of Shares
    (Millions of
Won)
    (Thousands of
US$)(1)
 

1981

    343      2,959      US$ 4,223        10,565      8,708      US$ 12,427   

1982

    334        3,001        4,012        9,704        6,667        8,914   

1983

    328        3,490        4,361        9,325        5,941        7,425   

1984

    336        5,149        6,207        14,847        10,642        12,829   

1985

    342        6,570        7,362        18,925        12,315        13,798   

1986

    355        11,994        13,863        31,755        32,870        37,991   

1987

    389        26,172        32,884        20,353        70,185        88,183   

1988

    502        64,544        93,895        10,367        198,364        288,571   

1989

    626        95,477        140,119        11,757        280,967        412,338   

1990

    669        79,020        109,872        10,866        183,692        255,412   

1991

    686        73,118        95,541        14,022        214,263        279,973   

1992

    688        84,712        107,027        24,028        308,246        389,445   

1993

    693        112,665        138,870        35,130        574,048        707,566   

1994

    699        151,217        190,762        36,862        776,257        979,257   

1995

    721        141,151        181,943        26,130        487,762        628,721   

1996

    760        117,370        138,490        26,571        486,834        928,418   

1997

    776        70,989        41,881        41,525        555,759        327,881   

1998

    748        137,799        114,261        97,716        660,429        547,619   

1999

    725        349,504        307,662        278,551        3,481,620        3,064,806   

2000

    704        188,042        148,415        306,163        2,602,211        2,053,837   

2001

    689        255,850        194,785        473,241        1,997,420        1,520,685   

2002

    683        258,681        216,071        857,245        3,041,598        2,540,590   

2003

    684        355,363        298,624        542,010        2,216,636        1,862,719   

2004

    683        412,588        398,597        372,895        2,232,109        2,156,419   

2005

    702        655,075        648,589        467,629        3,157,662        3,126,398   

2006

    731        704,588        757,622        279,096        3,435,180        3,693,742   

2007

    746        951,900        1,017,205        363,732        5,539,588        5,919,697   

2008

    765        576,888        457,122        355,205        5,189,644        4,112,238   

2009

    770        887,316        762,528        485,657        5,795,552        4,980,494   

2010

    777        1,114,882        1,260,486        379,171        5,607,749        6,340,121   

2011

    791        1,041,999        899,438        353,759        6,863,146        5,924,166   

2012

    784        1,154,294        1,085,679        486,734        4,824,610        4,537,819   

2013

    777        1,185,974        1,123,826        328,325        3,993,422        3,784,158   

2014

    773        1,192,253        1,092,908        278,082        3,983,580        3,651,646   

2015 (through April 24)

    762        1,346,808        1,251,797        398,452        5,133,955        4,771,777   

 

Source: Korea Exchange

 

(1) Converted at the noon buying rate on the last business day of the period indicated.

The Korean securities markets are principally regulated by the FSC and became subject to the FSCMA beginning in February 2009. The law imposes restrictions on insider trading and price manipulation, requires specified information to be made available by listed companies to investors and establishes rules regarding margin trading, proxy solicitation, takeover bids, acquisition of treasury shares and reporting requirements for shareholders holding substantial interests.

 

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Further Opening of the Korean Securities Market

Stock index futures market was opened on May 3, 1996 and a stock index option market was opened on July 7, 1997, in each case at the Korea Stock Exchange. Remittance and repatriation of funds in connection with investment in stock index futures and options are subject to regulations similar to those that govern remittance and repatriation in the context of foreign investment in Korean stocks.

In addition, the Korea Stock Exchange opened new option markets for stocks of seven companies including our shares of common stock and common stock of six other companies on January 28, 2002. Foreigners will be permitted to invest in such options for individual stocks subject to certain procedural requirements.

Starting from May 1, 1996, foreign investors were permitted to invest in warrants representing the right to subscribe for shares of a company listed on the Korea Stock Exchange or registered on the KOSDAQ, subject to certain investment limitations. A foreign investor may not acquire such warrants with respect to shares of a class of a company for which the ceiling on aggregate investment by foreigners has been reached or exceeded.

As of December 30, 1997, foreign investors were permitted to invest in all types of corporate bonds, bonds issued by national or local governments and bonds issued in accordance with certain special laws without being subject to any aggregate or individual investment ceiling. The FSC sets forth procedural requirements for such investments. The Government announced on February 8, 1998 its plans for the liberalization of the money market with respect to investment in money market instruments by foreigners in 1998. According to the plan, foreigners have been permitted to invest in money market instruments issued by corporations, including commercial paper, starting February 16, 1998 with no restrictions as to the amount. Starting May 25, 1998, foreigners have been permitted to invest in certificates of deposit and repurchase agreements.

Currently, foreigners are permitted to invest in securities including shares of most Korean companies that are not listed on the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market and in bonds that are not listed.

Protection of Customer’s Interest in Case of Insolvency of Financial Investment Companies with a Brokerage License

Under Korean law, the relationship between a customer and a financial investment company with a brokerage license in connection with a securities sell or buy order is deemed to be consignment and the securities acquired by a consignment agent (i.e., the financial investment company with a brokerage license) through such sell or buy order are regarded as belonging to the customer in so far as the customer and the consignment agent’s creditors are concerned. Therefore, in the event of a bankruptcy or rehabilitation procedure involving a financial investment company with a brokerage license, the customer of such financial investment company is entitled to the proceeds of the securities sold by such financial investment company.

When a customer places a sell order with a financial investment company with a brokerage license which is not a member of the Korea Exchange and this financial investment company places a sell order with another financial investment company with a brokerage license which is a member of the Korea Exchange, the customer is still entitled to the proceeds of the securities sold received by the non-member company from the member company regardless of the bankruptcy or rehabilitation of the non-member company.

Under the FSCMA, the Korea Exchange is obliged to indemnify any loss or damage incurred by a counterparty as a result of a breach by its members. If a financial investment company with a brokerage license which is a member of the Korea Exchange breaches its obligation in connection with a buy order, the Korea Exchange is obliged to pay the purchase price on behalf of the breaching member.

When a customer places a buy order with a non-member company and the non-member company places a buy order with a member company, the customer has the legal right to the securities received by the non-member company from the member company because the purchased securities are regarded as belonging to the customer in so far as the customer and the non-member company’s creditors are concerned.

As the cash deposited with a financial investment company with a brokerage license is regarded as belonging to such financial investment company, which is liable to return the same at the request of its customer, the customer cannot take back deposited cash from the financial investment company with a brokerage license if a bankruptcy or rehabilitation procedure is instituted against such financial investment company and, therefore, can suffer from loss

 

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or damage as a result. However, the Depositor Protection Act provides that Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation will, upon the request of the investors, pay investors up to Won 50 million per investor in case of such financial investment company’s bankruptcy, liquidation, cancellation of securities business license or other insolvency events. Pursuant to the FSCMA, subject to certain exceptions, financial investment companies with a brokerage license are required to deposit the cash received from their customers with the Korea Securities Finance Corporation, a special entity established pursuant to the FSCMA. Set-off or attachment of cash deposits by financial investment companies with a brokerage license is prohibited. The premiums related to this insurance under the Depositor Protection Act are paid by financial investment companies with a brokerage license.

 

Item 9.D Selling Shareholders

Not Applicable.

 

Item 9.E. Dilution

Not Applicable.

 

Item 9.F. Expenses of the Issue

Not Applicable.

 

Item 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Item 10.A. Share Capital

Not Applicable.

 

Item 10.B. Memorandum and Articles of Incorporation

Description of Capital Stock

This section provides information relating to our capital stock, including brief summaries of material provisions of our articles of incorporation, the FSCMA, the Korean Commercial Code, the Telecommunications Business Act and related laws of Korea, all as currently in effect. The following summaries are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, our articles of incorporation and the applicable provisions of the FSCMA, the Korean Commercial Code and the Telecommunications Business Act. We have filed copies of our articles of incorporation and the Telecommunications Business Act as exhibits to our annual reports on Form 20-F.

General

The name of our company is SK Telecom Co., Ltd. We are registered under the laws of Korea under the commercial registry number of 110111-0371346. As specified in Article 2 (Objectives) of our articles of incorporation, as amended and approved at our general shareholders meeting held on March 20, 2015, our objectives are the rational management of the telecommunications business, development of telecommunications technology, and contribution to public welfare and convenience. In order to achieve these objectives, we are engaged in the following:

 

   

information and communication business;

 

   

sale and lease of subscriber handsets;

 

   

new media business;

 

   

advertising business;

 

   

mail order sales business;

 

   

real estate business (development, management and leasing, etc.) and chattel leasing business;

 

   

research and technology development relating to the first four items above;

 

   

overseas and import/export business relating to the first four items above;

 

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manufacture and distribution business relating to the first four items above;

 

   

travel business;

 

   

electronic financial services business;

 

   

film business (production, import, distribution and screening);

 

   

lifetime education and management of lifetime educational facilities;

 

   

electric engineering business;

 

   

information- and communication-related engineering business;

 

   

ubiquitous city construction and related service business;

 

   

any related business through investment, management and operation of our Korean or offshore subsidiaries and investment companies;

 

   

construction business, including the machine and equipment business; and

 

   

any business or undertaking incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objectives stated above.

Currently, our authorized share capital is 220,000,000 shares, which consists of shares of common stock, par value Won 500 per share, and shares of non-voting stock, par value Won 500 per share (common shares and non-voting shares together are referred to as “shares”). Under our articles of incorporation, we are authorized to issue up to 5,500,000 non-voting preferred shares. As of March 31, 2015, 80,745,711 common shares were issued, of which 9,809,375 shares were held by us in treasury. Pursuant to the Share Exchange, which is currently scheduled for June 2015, we expect to exchange 2,471,883 treasury shares for the common shares of SK Broadband, subject to adjustments. We have never issued any non-voting preferred shares. All of the issued and outstanding common shares are fully-paid and non-assessable and are in registered form. We issue share certificates in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 and 10,000 shares.

Board of Directors

Meetings of the board of directors are convened by the representative director as he or she deems necessary or upon the request of three or more directors. The board of directors determines all important matters relating to our business. In addition, the prior approval of the majority of the independent non-executive directors is required for certain matters, which include:

 

   

investment by us or any of our subsidiaries in a foreign company in equity or acquisition of such foreign company’s other overseas assets in an amount equal to 5.0% or more of our equity under our most recent balance sheet; and

 

   

contribution of capital, loans or guarantees, acquisition of our subsidiaries’ assets or similar transactions with our affiliated companies in excess of Won 10.0 billion through one or a series of transactions.

Resolutions of the board are adopted in the presence of a majority of the directors in office and by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present. No director who has an interest in a matter for resolution may exercise his or her vote upon such matter.

There are no specific shareholding requirements for director’s qualification. Directors are elected at a general meeting of shareholders if the approval of the holders of the majority of the voting shares present at such meeting is obtained and if such majority also represents at least one-fourth of the total number of shares outstanding. Under the Korean Commercial Code, unless otherwise stated in the articles of incorporation, holders of an aggregate of 1.0% or more of the outstanding shares with voting rights may request cumulative voting in any election for two or more directors. Our articles of incorporation do not permit cumulative voting for the election of directors.

The term of office for directors is until the close of the third annual general shareholders meeting convened after he or she commences his or her term. Our directors may serve consecutive terms and our shareholders may remove them from office at any time by a special resolution adopted at a general meeting of shareholders.

 

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Dividends

We distribute dividends to our shareholders in proportion to the number of shares owned by each shareholder. Our common shares represented by the ADSs have the same dividend rights as other outstanding common shares. For a detailed discussion of our dividend policy, see “Item 8.A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information — Dividends.”

Distribution of Free Shares

In addition to paying dividends in shares out of our retained or current earnings, we may also distribute to our shareholders an amount transferred from our capital surplus or legal reserve to our stated capital in the form of free shares. We must distribute such free shares to all our shareholders in proportion to their existing shareholdings.

Preemptive Rights and Issuance of Additional Shares

We may at times issue authorized but unissued shares, unless otherwise provided in the Korean Commercial Code, on terms determined by our board of directors. All our shareholders are generally entitled to subscribe to any newly-issued shares in proportion to their existing shareholdings. We must offer new shares on uniform terms to all shareholders who have preemptive rights and are listed on our shareholders’ registry as of the relevant record date. We must give public notice of the preemptive rights regarding new shares and their transferability at least two weeks before the relevant record date. Our board of directors may determine how to distribute shares for which preemptive rights have not been exercised or where fractions of shares occur.

Under the Korean Commercial Code and our articles of incorporation, we may issue new shares pursuant to a board resolution to persons other than existing shareholders only if (1) the new shares are issued for the purpose of issuing depositary receipts in accordance with the relevant regulations or through an offering to public investors and (2) the purpose of such issuance is deemed necessary by us to achieve a business purpose, including, but not limited to, the introduction of new technology or the improvement of our financial condition. If we make an allotment of new shares to persons other than our existing shareholders, we are required by the Korean Commercial Code to notify our existing shareholders of (a) the class and number of new shares, (b) the issuance price of new shares and the date set for the payment thereof, (c) in cases of no par value shares, the amount to be included in the paid-up capital out of the issuance price of new shares and (d) the method of subscription to new shares by no later than two weeks before the date of payment of the subscription price, or publicly announce such information. Under our articles of incorporation, only our board of directors is authorized to set the terms and conditions with respect to such issuance of new shares.

In addition, under our articles of incorporation, we may issue convertible bonds or bonds with warrants, each up to an aggregate principal amount of Won 400.0 billion, to persons other than existing shareholders, where such issuance is deemed necessary by us to achieve a business purpose, including, but not limited to, the introduction of new technology or the improvement of our financial condition.

Members of our employee stock ownership association, whether or not they are our shareholders, generally have a preemptive right to subscribe for up to 20.0% of the shares publicly offered pursuant to the FSCMA. This right is exercisable only to the extent that the total number of shares so acquired and held by members of our employee stock ownership association does not exceed 20.0% of the sum of the number of shares then outstanding and the number of newly-issued shares. As of December 31, 2014, approximately 0.11% of the issued shares were held by members of our employee stock ownership association.

General Meeting of Shareholders

We generally hold the annual general meeting of shareholders within three months after the end of each fiscal year. Subject to a board resolution or court approval, we may hold an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders:

 

   

as necessary;

 

   

at the request of holders of an aggregate of 3.0% or more of our outstanding common shares;

 

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at the request of shareholders holding an aggregate of 1.5% or more of our outstanding shares and preferred shares for at least six months; or

 

   

at the request of our audit committee.

Holders of non-voting preferred shares may request a general meeting of shareholders only after the non-voting shares become entitled to vote or “enfranchised,” as described under “— Voting Rights” below.

We must give shareholders written notice setting out the date, place and agenda of the meeting at least two weeks before the date of the general meeting of shareholders. However, for holders of less than 1.0% of the total number of issued and outstanding voting shares, we may give notice by placing at least two public notices in at least two daily newspapers at least two weeks in advance of the meeting. Currently, we use The Korea Economic Daily News and Maeil Business Newspaper, both published in Seoul, for this purpose, but we may give notice in the future through electronic means. Shareholders who are not on the shareholders’ registry as of the record date are not entitled to receive notice of the general meeting of shareholders or attend or vote at the meeting. Holders of non-voting preferred shares, unless enfranchised, are not entitled to receive notice of or vote at general meetings of shareholders.

Our general meetings of shareholders have historically been held in or near Seoul.

Voting Rights

Holders of our common shares are entitled to one vote for each common share, except that voting rights of common shares held by us (including treasury shares and shares held by bank trust funds controlled by us), or by a corporate shareholder in which we own more than 10.0% equity interest, either directly or indirectly, may not be exercised. The Korean Commercial Code, unless otherwise stated in the articles of incorporation, permits cumulative voting, which would allow each shareholder to have multiple voting rights corresponding to the number of directors to be appointed in the voting and to exercise all voting rights cumulatively to elect one director. Our articles of incorporation do not permit cumulative voting for the election of directors.

Our shareholders may adopt resolutions at a general meeting by an affirmative majority vote of the voting shares present or represented at the meeting if such affirmative votes also represent at least one-fourth of our total voting shares then issued and outstanding. However, under the Korean Commercial Code and our articles of incorporation, the following matters, among others, require approval by the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting shares present or represented at a meeting, and such affirmative votes must also represent at least one-third of our total voting shares then issued and outstanding:

 

   

amending our articles of incorporation;

 

   

removing a director;

 

   

effecting any dissolution, merger or consolidation of us;

 

   

transferring the whole or any significant part of our business;

 

   

effecting our acquisition of all of the business of any other company or a part of the business of any other company having a material effect on our business;

 

   

reducing our capital; or

 

   

issuing any new shares at a price lower than their par value.

In general, holders of non-voting preferred shares are not entitled to vote on any resolution or receive notice of any general meeting of shareholders.

However, in case of amendments to our articles of incorporation, or any merger or consolidation of us, or in some other cases which affect the rights or interests of the non-voting preferred shares, approval of the holders of non-voting preferred shares is required. We may obtain the approval by a resolution of holders of at least two-thirds of the non-voting preferred shares present or represented at a class meeting of the holders of non-voting preferred shares, where the affirmative votes also represent at least one-third of our total issued and outstanding non-voting shares. In addition, if we are unable to pay dividends on non-voting preferred shares as provided in our articles of incorporation, the holders of non-voting shares will become enfranchised and will be entitled to exercise voting

 

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rights beginning at the next general meeting of shareholders to be held after the declaration of non-payment of dividends is made until such dividends are paid. The holders of enfranchised non-voting preferred shares will have the same rights as holders of common shares to request, receive notice of, attend and vote at a general meeting of shareholders.

Shareholders may exercise their voting rights by proxy. A shareholder may give proxies only to another shareholder, except that a corporate shareholder may give proxies to its officers or employees.

Holders of ADRs exercise their voting rights through the ADR depositary, an agent of which is the record holder of the underlying common shares. Subject to the provisions of the deposit agreement, ADR holders are entitled to instruct the ADR depositary how to vote our common shares underlying their ADSs.

Limitation on Shareholdings

The Telecommunications Business Act prohibits foreign governments, individuals, and entities (including Korean entities that are deemed foreigners, as discussed below) from owning more than 49.0% of our voting stock. Korean entities whose largest shareholder is a foreign government or a foreigner (together with any of its related parties) that owns 15.0% or more of such Korean entities’ outstanding voting stock are deemed foreigners. A foreigner who has acquired shares of our voting stock in excess of such limitation may not exercise the voting rights with respect to the shares exceeding such limitation and may be subject to the MSIP’s corrective orders.

Rights of Dissenting Shareholders

Under Financial Investment Services and Capital Market Act, in some limited circumstances, including the transfer of all or a significant part of our business or our merger or consolidation with another company (with certain exceptions), dissenting shareholders have the right to require us to purchase their shares. To exercise this right, shareholders, including holders of non-voting shares, must submit to us a written notice of their intention to dissent before the general meeting of shareholders. Then, within 20 days after the relevant resolution is passed at a meeting, the dissenting shareholders must request us in writing to purchase their shares. We are obligated to purchase the shares of such dissenting shareholders within one month after the expiration of the 20-day period. The purchase price for the shares is required to be determined through negotiation between the dissenting shareholders and us. If we cannot agree on a price through negotiation, the purchase price will be the average of (1) the weighted average of the daily share prices on the KRX KOSPI Market for the two-month period before the date of the adoption of the relevant board resolution, (2) the weighted average of the daily share price on the KRX KOSPI Market for the one month period before the date of the adoption of the relevant resolution and (3) the weighted average of the daily share price on the KRX KOSPI Market for the one week period before the date of the adoption of the relevant resolution. However, a court may determine the purchase price if we or dissenting shareholders do not accept the purchase price.

Registry of Shareholders and Record Dates

Our transfer agent, Kookmin Bank, maintains the register of our shareholders at its office in Seoul, Korea. It records and registers transfers of shares on the register of shareholders upon presentation of the share certificates.

The record date for annual dividends is December 31. For the purpose of determining the shareholders entitled to annual dividends, the registry of shareholders is closed for the period from January 1 to January 31 of the following year. Further, for the purpose of determining the shareholders entitled to some other rights pertaining to the shares, we may, on at least two weeks’ public notice, set a record date and/or close the register of shareholders for not more than three months. The trading of shares and the delivery of share certificates may continue while the register of shareholders is closed.

Annual Report

At least one week before the annual general meeting of shareholders, we must make our annual reports and audited non-consolidated financial statements available for inspection at our principal office and at all of our branch offices. In addition, copies of annual reports, the audited non-consolidated financial statements and any resolutions adopted at the general meeting of shareholders will be available to our shareholders.

 

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Under the FSCMA, we must file with the FSC and the Korea Exchange (1) an annual securities report within 90 days after the end of our fiscal year, (2) a mid-year report within 45 days after the end of the first six months of our fiscal year, and (3) quarterly reports within 45 days after the end of the third month and the ninth month of our fiscal year. Copies of these reports are or will be available for public inspection at the FSC and the Korea Exchange.

Transfer of Shares

Under the Korean Commercial Code, the transfer of shares is effected by the delivery of share certificates. However, to assert shareholders’ rights against us, the transferee must have his or her name, seal and address registered on our registry of shareholders, maintained by our transfer agent. A non-Korean shareholder may file a sample signature in place of a seal, unless he or she is a citizen of a country with a sealing system similar to that of Korea. In addition, a non-resident shareholder must appoint an agent in Korea authorized to receive notices on his or her behalf and file his or her mailing address in Korea.

Under current Korean regulations, the Korea Securities Depository, foreign exchange banks (including domestic branches of foreign banks), financial investment companies with a dealing, brokerage or collective investment license and internationally recognized custodians may act as agents and provide related services for foreign shareholders. Certain foreign exchange controls and securities regulations apply to the transfer of shares by non-residents or non-Korean citizens. See “Item 10.D. Exchange Controls — Korean Foreign Exchange Controls and Securities Regulations.”

Our transfer agent is Kookmin Bank, located at 24, Gukjegeumyung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea.

Restrictions Applicable to Shares

Pursuant to the Telecommunications Business Act, the maximum aggregate foreign shareholding in us is limited to 49.0%. See “Item 4.B. Business Overview — Law and Regulation — Foreign Ownership and Investment Restrictions and Requirements.” In addition, certain foreign exchange controls and securities regulations apply to the acquisition of securities by non-residents or non-Korean citizens. See “Item 10.D. Exchange Controls — Korean Foreign Exchange Controls and Securities Regulations.”

Acquisition of Shares by Us

We may acquire our own shares pursuant to an approval at the general meeting of shareholders, through purchases on the Korea Exchange or a tender offer, or by acquiring the interests in a trust account holding our own shares through agreements with trust companies and asset management companies. The aggregate purchase price for the shares may not exceed the total amount available for distribution as dividends as of the end of the preceding fiscal year less the amount of dividends and mandatory reserves required to be set aside for that fiscal year, subject to certain procedural requirements.

Under the Korean Commercial Code, we may resell or transfer any shares acquired by us to a third party pursuant to an approval by the Board of Directors. In general, corporate entities in which we own a 50.0% or more equity interest may not acquire our common stock. Under the FSCMA, we are subject to certain selling restrictions with respect to the shares acquired by us.

Liquidation Rights

In the event of our liquidation, remaining assets after payment of all debts, liquidation expenses and taxes will be distributed among shareholders in proportion to their shareholdings. Holders of non-voting preferred shares have no preference in liquidation. Holders of debt securities have no preference over other creditors in the event of liquidation.

Description of American Depositary Shares

The following is a summary of the deposit agreement dated as of May 31, 1996, as amended by amendment no. 1 dated as of March 15, 1999, amendment no. 2 dated as of April 24, 2000 and amendment no. 3 dated as of July 24, 2002, among us, Citibank, N.A., as ADR depositary, and all holders and beneficial owners of ADSs, as supplemented by side letters dated as of July 25, 2002, October 1, 2002 and October 1, 2007. The deposit agreement

 

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is governed by the laws of the State of New York. Because it is a summary, this description does not contain all the information that may be important to you. For more complete information, you should read the entire deposit agreement and the ADR. The deposit agreement has been filed as an exhibit to our registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-91304) filed with the SEC. Copies of the deposit agreement are available for inspection at the principal New York office of the ADR depositary, currently located at 388 Greenwich Street, 14th Floor, New York, New York 10013, United States of America, and at the principal London office of the ADR depositary, currently located at Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5LB, England.

American Depositary Receipts

The ADR depositary may execute and deliver ADRs evidencing the ADSs. Each ADR evidences a specified number of ADSs, each ADS representing one-ninth of one share of our common stock to be deposited with the ADR depositary’s custodian in Seoul. Korea Securities Depository is the institution authorized under applicable law to effect book-entry transfers of our common shares, known as the “Custodian”. The Custodian is located at 358-8, Hosu-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 411-770, Korea. An ADR may represent any number of ADSs. We and the ADR depositary will treat only persons in whose names ADRs are registered on the books of the registrar as holders of ADRs.

Deposit and Withdrawal of Shares of Common Stock

Notwithstanding the provisions described below, under the terms of the deposit agreement, the deposit of shares and issuance of ADSs may only be made if the total number of shares represented by ADSs after such deposit does not exceed a specified maximum, 24,321,893 shares as of March 31, 2015. This limit will be adjusted in certain circumstances, including (1) upon the cancellation of existing ADSs, (2) upon future offerings of ADSs by us or our shareholders, (3) rights offerings and (4) adjustments for share reclassifications. The limit also may be decreased in certain circumstances. As of March 31, 2015, the outstanding ADSs represented 10,000,488 shares of our common stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the ADR depositary and the Custodian may not accept deposits of shares of common stock for issuance of ADSs if it has been notified by us in writing that we block deposits to prevent a violation of applicable Korean laws or regulations or a violation of our articles of incorporation. In addition, the ADR depositary may not accept deposits of shares of common stock for issuance of ADSs from a person who identifies him-, her- or itself to the depositary, and has been identified in writing by us, as a holder of at least 3.0% of our shares of common stock.

The shares of common stock underlying the ADSs are delivered to the ADR depositary’s Custodian in book-entry form. Accordingly, no share certificates will be issued but the ADR depositary will hold the shares of common stock through the book-entry settlement system of the Custodian. The delivery of the shares of common stock pursuant to the deposit agreement will take place through the facilities of the Custodian in accordance with its applicable settlement procedures. The ADR depositary will execute and deliver ADSs if you or your broker deposit shares or evidence of rights to receive shares of common stock with the Custodian. Upon payment of fees and expenses and any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes, the ADR depositary will register the appropriate number of ADSs in the names you designate. The ADR depositary and the ADR depositary’s Custodian will refuse to accept shares of common stock for deposit whenever we restrict transfer of shares of common stock to comply with ownership restrictions under applicable law or our articles of incorporation or whenever the deposit would cause the total number of shares of common stock deposited to exceed a level we determine from time to time. We may instruct the ADR depositary to take certain actions with respect to a holder of ADSs who holds in excess of the ownership limitation set forth in the deposit agreement, including the mandatory sale or disposition of the shares represented by the ADSs in excess of such ownership limitations if, and to the extent, permitted by applicable law.

You may surrender your ADRs to the ADR depositary to withdraw the underlying shares of our common stock. Upon payment of the fees and any governmental charges and taxes provided in the deposit agreement, and subject to applicable laws and regulations of Korea and our articles of incorporation, you will be entitled to physical delivery or electronic delivery to an account in Korea or, if permissible under applicable Korean law, outside the United States, of the shares of common stock evidenced by the ADRs and any other property at the time represented by ADR you surrendered. If you surrender an ADR evidencing a number of ADSs not evenly divisible by nine, the

 

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ADR depositary will deliver the appropriate whole number of shares of common stock represented by the surrendered ADSs and will execute and deliver to you a new ADR evidencing ADSs representing any remaining fractional shares of common stock.

If you request withdrawal of shares of common stock, you must deliver to the ADR depositary a written order directing the ADR depositary to cause the shares of common stock being withdrawn to be delivered or to cause such delivery upon the written order of the person designated in your order, subject to applicable Korean laws and the provisions of the deposit agreement.

Under the provisions of the deposit agreement, the ADR depositary may not lend shares of common stock or ADSs. However, subject to the provisions of the deposit agreement and limitations established by the ADR depositary, the ADR depositary may execute and deliver ADSs before deposit of the underlying shares of common stock. This is called a pre-release of the ADS. The ADR depositary may also deliver shares of common stock upon cancellation of pre-released ADSs (even if the cancellation occurs before the termination of the pre-release). The ADR depositary may pre-release ADSs only under the following circumstances:

 

   

before or at the time of the pre-release, the person to whom the pre-release is being made must represent to the ADR depositary in writing that the person, or, in case of an institution its customer, owns the shares of common stock or ADSs to be deposited and show evidence of the ownership to the ADR depositary’s satisfaction;

 

   

before or at the time of such pre-release, the person to whom the pre-release is being made must agree in writing that he or she will hold the shares of common stock or ADSs in trust for the ADR depositary until their delivery to the ADR depositary or Custodian, reflect on his or her records the ADR depositary as owner of such shares of common stock or ADSs and deliver such shares of common stock upon the ADR depositary’s request;

 

   

the pre-release must be fully collateralized with cash or U.S. government securities;

 

   

the ADR depositary must be able to terminate the pre-release on not more than five business days’ notice; and

 

   

the pre-release is subject to further indemnities and credit regulations as the ADR depositary deems appropriate.

The ADR depositary may retain for its own account any compensation received by it in connection with the pre-release, such as earnings on the collateral.

If you want to withdraw the shares of common stock from the depositary facility, you must register your identity with the Financial Supervisory Service of Korea (the “FSS”) before you acquire the shares of common stock unless you intend to sell the shares of common stock within three months. See “Item 10.D. Exchange Controls — Korean Foreign Exchange Controls and Securities Regulations — Restrictions Applicable to Shares.”

Dividends, Other Distributions and Rights

If the ADR depositary can, in its judgment and pursuant to applicable law, convert Won (or any other foreign currency) into Dollars on a reasonable basis and transfer the resulting Dollars to the United States, the ADR depositary will as promptly as practicable convert all cash dividends and other cash distributions received by it on the deposited shares of common stock into Dollars and distribute the Dollars to you in proportion to the number of ADSs representing shares of common stock held by you, after deduction of the fees and expenses of the ADR depositary. If the ADR depositary determines that in its judgment any currency other than Dollars it receives from us cannot be converted and distributed on a reasonable basis, the ADR depositary may distribute the currency it receives to the extent permitted under applicable law or hold the currency for your account if you are entitled to receive the distribution. The ADR depositary will not be liable for any interest. Before making a distribution, the ADR depositary will deduct any withholding taxes that must be paid.

In the event that the ADR depositary or the ADR depositary’s Custodian receives any distribution upon any deposited shares of common stock in property or securities (other than shares of common stock, non-voting preferred stock or rights to receive shares of common stock or non-voting preferred stock), the ADR depositary will

 

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distribute the property or securities to you in proportion to your holdings in any manner that the ADR depositary deems, after consultation with us, equitable and practicable. If the ADR depositary determines that any distribution of property or securities (other than shares of common stock, non-voting preferred stock or rights to receive shares of common stock or non-voting preferred stock) cannot be made proportionally, or if for any other reason the ADR depositary deems the distribution not to be feasible, the ADR depositary may, after consultation with us, dispose of all or a portion of the property or securities in such amounts and in such manner, including by public or private sale, as the ADR depositary deems equitable or practicable. The ADR depositary will distribute to you the net proceeds of any such sale, or the balance of the property or securities, after the deduction of the fees and expenses of the ADR depositary.

If a distribution by us consists of a dividend in, or free distribution of, our shares of common stock, the ADR depositary may, with our approval, and will, if we request, deposit the shares of common stock and either (1) distribute to you, in proportion to your holdings, additional ADSs representing those shares of common stock, or (2) reflect on the records of the ADR depositary the increase in the aggregate number of ADSs representing those number of shares of common stock, in both cases, after the deduction of the fees and expenses of the ADR depositary. If the ADR depositary deems that such distribution for any reason is not feasible, the ADR depositary may adopt, after consultation with us, any method as it may deem equitable and practicable, including by public or private sale of all or part of the shares of common stock received. The ADR depositary will distribute to you the net proceeds of any such sale in the same way as it does with cash. The ADR depositary will only distribute whole ADSs. If the ADR depositary does not distribute additional ADSs, then each outstanding ADS will also represent the new shares so distributed.

If a distribution by us consists of a dividend in, or free distribution of, shares of non-voting preferred stock, the ADR depositary will deposit such shares of non-voting preferred stock under a non-voting preferred stock deposit agreement to be entered into among us, the ADR depositary and all holders and beneficial owners of depositary shares. The ADR depositary will deliver to you, in proportion to your holdings of ADSs, depositary shares issued under the non-voting preferred stock deposit agreement representing the number of non-voting shares received as such dividend or distribution. If the ADR depositary deems such distribution for any reason is not feasible, the ADR depositary may adopt, after consultation with us, any method as it may deem equitable and practicable, including by public or private sale of all or part of the nonvoting shares received. The ADR depositary will distribute to you the net proceeds of any such sale in the same way as it does with cash. The ADR depositary will only distribute whole depositary shares. We are not obligated to list depositary shares representing non-voting shares on any exchange.

If we offer holders of our securities any rights to subscribe for additional shares of common stock or any other rights, the ADR depositary may make these rights available to you. The ADR depositary must first determine whether it is lawful and feasible to do so. If the ADR depositary determines that it is not lawful or feasible to make these rights available to you, then upon our request, the ADR depositary will sell the rights and distribute the proceeds in the same way as it would do with cash. The ADR depositary may allow these rights that are not distributed or sold to lapse. In that case, you will receive no value for these rights.

If we issue any rights with respect to non-voting shares, the securities issuable upon any exercise of such rights by holders or beneficial owners will be depositary shares representing those non-voting shares issued under the provisions of a non-voting preferred stock deposit agreement.

If a registration statement under the Securities Act is required with respect to the securities to which any rights relate in order for us to offer the rights to you and to sell the securities represented by these rights, the ADR depositary will not offer such rights to you until such a registration is in effect, or unless the offering and sale of such securities and such rights to you are exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act or any required filing, report, approval or consent has been submitted, obtained or granted. We or the ADR depositary will not be obligated to register the rights or securities under the Securities Act or to submit, obtain or request any filing, report, approval or consent.

The ADR depositary may not be able to convert any currency or to sell or dispose of any distributed or offered property or rights in a timely manner or at a specified price, or at all.

 

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Record Dates

The ADR depositary will fix a record date, after consultation with us, in each of the following situations:

 

   

any cash dividend or other cash distribution becomes payable;

 

   

any distribution other than cash is made;

 

   

rights are issued with respect to deposited shares of common stock;

 

   

the ADR depositary causes a change in the number of shares of common stock that are represented by each ADS; or

 

   

the ADR depositary receives notice of any shareholders’ meeting.

The record date will, to the extent practicable, be as near as the record date fixed by us for the shares of common stock. The record date will determine (1) the ADR holders who are entitled to receive the dividend, distribution or rights, or the net proceeds of the sale of the rights; or (2) the ADR holders who are entitled to receive notices or exercise rights.

Voting of the Underlying Shares of Common Stock

We will give the ADR depositary a notice of any meeting or solicitation of shareholder proxies immediately after we finalize the form and substance of such notice but not less than 14 days before the meeting. As soon as practicable after it receives our notice, the ADR depositary will fix a record date, and upon our written request, the ADR depositary will mail to you a notice that will contain the following:

 

   

the information contained in our notice to the ADR depositary including an English translation, or, if requested by us, a summary of the information provided by us;

 

   

a statement that the ADR holders as of the close of business on a specified record date will be entitled to instruct the ADR depositary as to how to exercise their voting rights for the number of shares of deposited shares of common stock, subject to the provisions of applicable Korean law and our articles of incorporation, which provisions, if any, will be summarized in the notice to the extent that they are material; and

 

   

a statement as to the manner in which the ADR holders may give their instructions.

Upon your written request received on or before the date set by the ADR depositary for this purpose, the ADR depositary will endeavor, in so far as practicable, to vote or cause to be voted the deposited shares of common stock in accordance with the instructions set forth in your written requests. The ADR depositary may not itself exercise any voting discretion over any deposited shares of common stock. You may only exercise the voting rights in respect of nine ADSs or multiples of nine ADSs. ADR holders may not be entitled to give instruction to vote the shares represented by the ADSs if, and to the extent, the total number of shares represented by the ADSs of an ADR holder exceeds the limit set under applicable law. We can give no assurance to you, however, that we will notify the ADR depositary sufficiently in advance of the scheduled date of a meeting or solicitation of consents or proxies to enable the ADR depositary to make a timely mailing of notices to you, or that you will receive the notices sufficiently in advance of a meeting or solicitation of consents or proxies to give instructions to the ADR depositary.

Inspection of Transfer Books

The ADR depositary will keep books at its principal New York office, which is currently located at 388 Greenwich Street, 14th Floor, New York, New York 10013, for the registration and transfer of ADRs. You may inspect the books of the ADR depositary as long as the inspection is not for the purpose of communicating with holders in the interest of a business or object other than our business or a matter related to the deposit agreement or the ADRs.

Reports and Notices

On or before the first date on which we give notice, by publication or otherwise, of any meeting of shareholders, or of any adjourned meeting of shareholders, or of the taking of any action in respect of any cash or other distributions or the offering of any rights in respect of the shares of common stock, we will transmit to the

 

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Custodian and the ADR depositary sufficient copies of the notice in English in the form given or to be given to shareholders. We will furnish to the ADR depositary English language versions of any reports, notices and other communications that we generally transmit to holders of our common stock, including our annual reports, with annual audited consolidated financial statements prepared in conformity with IFRS and unaudited non-consolidated semiannual financial statements prepared in conformity with IFRS. The ADR depositary will arrange for the prompt mailing of copies of these documents, or, if we request, a summary of any such notice provided by us to you or, at our request, make notices, reports (other than the annual reports and semiannual financial statements) and other communications available to you on a basis similar to that for the holders of our common stock or on such other basis as we may advise the ADR depositary according to any applicable law, regulation or stock exchange requirement.

Notices to you under the deposit agreement will be deemed to have been duly given if personally delivered or sent by mail or cable, telegraph or facsimile transmission, confirmed by letter, addressed to you at your address as it appears on the transfer books of the ADR depositary or at such other address as you have notified the ADR depositary.

In addition, the ADR depositary will make available for inspection by holders at its principal New York office and its principal London office any notices, reports or communications, including any proxy soliciting materials, received from us that we generally transmit to the holders of our common stock or other deposited securities, including the ADR depositary. The ADR depositary will also send to you copies of reports and communications we will provide as provided in the deposit agreement.

Changes Affecting Deposited Shares of Common Stock

In case of a change in the par value, or a split-up, consolidation or any other reclassification of our common shares or upon any recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale of assets affecting us, any securities received by the ADR depositary or the Custodian in exchange for, in conversion of or in respect of deposited shares of our common stock will be treated as new deposited shares of common stock under the deposit agreement. In that case, ADSs will, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement and applicable laws and regulations, including any registration requirements under the Securities Act, represent the right to receive the new deposited shares of common stock, unless additional ADRs are issued, as in the case of a stock dividend, or unless the ADR depositary calls for the surrender of outstanding ADRs to be exchanged for new ADRs.

Amendment and Termination of the Deposit Agreement

We may agree with the ADR depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the ADSs without your consent for any reason. If the amendment adds or increases fees or charges, except for taxes and other governmental charges or certain expenses of the ADR depositary, or prejudices any substantial existing right of ADR holders, it will only become effective 30 days after the ADR depositary notifies you of the amendment. If you continue to hold your ADSs at the time an amendment becomes effective, you will be considered to have agreed to the amendment and to be bound by the deposit agreement as amended. Except as otherwise required by any mandatory provisions of applicable law, no amendment may impair your right to surrender your ADSs and to receive the underlying deposited securities.

The ADR depositary will terminate the deposit agreement if we ask it to do so with 90 days’ prior written notice. The ADR depositary may also terminate the deposit agreement if the ADR depositary has notified us at least 90 days in advance that it would like to resign and we have not appointed a new depositary. In both cases, the ADR depositary must notify you at least 30 days before the termination date.

If any ADRs remain outstanding after the date of termination, the ADR depositary will stop performing any further acts under the deposit agreement, except:

 

   

to collect dividends and other distributions pertaining to the deposited shares of common stock;

 

   

to sell property and rights and the conversion of deposited shares of common stock into cash as provided in the deposit agreement; and

 

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to deliver deposited shares of common stock, together with any dividends or other distributions received with respect to the deposited shares of common stock and the net proceeds of the sale of any rights or other property represented by those ADSs in exchange for surrendered ADRs.

At any time after the expiration of six months from the date of termination, the ADR depositary may sell any remaining deposited shares of common stock and hold uninvested the net proceeds in an unsegregated account, together with any other cash or property then held, without liability for interest, for the pro rata benefit of the holders of ADSs that have not been surrendered by then.

Charges of ADR Depositary

The fees and expenses of the ADR depositary as agreed between us and the ADR depositary include:

 

   

taxes and other governmental charges;

 

   

registration fees applicable to transfers of shares of common stock on our shareholders’ register, or that of any entity acting as registrar for the shares, to the name of the ADR depositary or its nominee, or the Custodian or its nominee, when making deposits or withdrawals under the deposit agreement;

 

   

cable, telegraph and facsimile transmission expenses that are expressly provided in the deposit agreement;

 

   

expenses incurred by the ADR depositary in the conversion of foreign currency into Dollars under the deposit agreement;

 

   

a fee of up to US$5.00 per 100 ADSs, or portion thereof, for execution and delivery of ADSs and the surrender of ADRs under the deposit agreement; and

 

   

a fee of up to US$0.02 per ADS held for cash distributions, a sale or exercise of rights or the taking of any other corporate action involving distributions to shareholders.

For a detailed description of fees and charges payable by the holders of ADSs under the deposit agreement, see “Item 12.D. American Depositary Shares — Fees and Charges under Deposit Agreement.”

General

Neither we nor the ADR depositary will be liable to you if prevented or delayed by law, governmental authority, any provision of our articles of incorporation or any circumstances beyond our or its control in performing our or its obligations under the deposit agreement. The deposit agreement provides that the ADR depositary will hold the shares of common stock for your sole benefit. Our obligations and those of the ADR depositary under the deposit agreement are expressly limited to performing, in good faith and without negligence, our and its respective duties specified in the deposit agreement.

The ADSs are transferable on the books of the ADR depositary, provided that the ADR depositary may, after consultation with us, close the transfer books at any time or from time to time, when deemed expedient by it in connection with the performance of its duties. As a condition precedent to the execution and delivery of any ADSs, registration of transfer, split-up, combination of any ADR or surrender of any ADS for the purpose of withdrawal of deposited shares of common stock, the ADR depositary or the Custodian may require payment from the depositor of the shares of common stock or a holder of ADSs of a sum sufficient to reimburse the ADR depositary for any tax or other governmental charge and any stock transfer or registration fee and payment of any applicable fees payable by the holders of ADSs.

Any person depositing shares of common stock, any holder of an ADS or any beneficial owner may be required from time to time to file with the ADR depositary or the Custodian a proof of citizenship, residence, exchange control approval, payment of applicable Korean or other taxes or governmental charges, or legal or beneficial ownership and the nature of their interest, to provide information relating to the registration on our shareholders’ register (or our appointed agent for the transfer and registration of shares of common stock) of the shares of common stock presented for deposit or other information, to execute certificates and to make representations and warranties as we or the ADR depositary may deem necessary or proper or to enable us or the ADR depositary to perform our and its obligations under the deposit agreement. The ADR depositary may withhold the execution or delivery or registration of transfer of all or part of any ADR or the distribution or sale of any

 

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dividend or other distribution of rights or of the proceeds from their sale or the delivery of any shares deposited under the deposit agreement and any other securities, property and cash received by the ADR depositary or the Custodian until the proof or other information is filed or the certificates are executed or the representations and warranties are made. The ADR depositary shall provide us, unless otherwise instructed by us, in a timely manner, with copies of any of these proofs and certificates and these written representations and warranties.

The delivery and surrender of ADSs and transfer of ADSs generally may be suspended during any period when our or the ADR depositary’s transfer books are closed or, if that action is deemed necessary or advisable by us or the ADR depositary, at any time or from time to time in accordance with the deposit agreement. We may restrict, in a manner as we deem appropriate, transfers of shares of common stock where the transfers may result in ownership of shares of common stock in excess of limits under applicable law. Except as described in “Deposit and Withdrawal of Shares of Common Stock” above, notwithstanding any other provision of the deposit agreement, the surrender of outstanding ADRs and withdrawal of Deposited Securities (as defined in the deposit agreement) represented by the ADRs may be suspended, but only as required in connection with (1) temporary delays caused by closing the transfer books of the ADR depositary or the issuer of any Deposited Securities (or the appointed agent or agents for such issuer for the transfer and registration of such Deposited Securities) in connection with voting at a shareholders’ meeting or the payment of dividends, (2) payment of fees, taxes and similar charges, or (3) compliance with any United States or foreign laws or governmental regulations relating to the ADRs or to the withdrawal of the Deposited Securities.

Governing Law

The deposit agreement and the ADRs will be interpreted under, and all rights under the deposit agreement or the ADRs are governed by, the laws of the State of New York.

We have irrevocably submitted to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of New York State or United States Federal Courts located in New York City and waived any objection to legal actions or proceedings in these courts whether on the ground of venue or on the ground that the proceedings have been brought in an inconvenient forum.

This submission was made for the benefit of the ADR depositary and the holders and will not limit the right of any of them to take legal actions or proceedings in any other court of competent jurisdiction nor will the taking of legal actions or proceedings in one or more jurisdictions preclude the taking of legal actions or proceedings in any other jurisdiction (whether concurrently or not), to the extent permitted under applicable law.

Information Relating to the ADR Depositary

Citibank, N.A. (“Citibank”) has been appointed as ADR depositary pursuant to the deposit agreement. Citibank is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Citigroup Inc., a Delaware corporation whose principal office is located in New York, New York. Citibank is a global financial services organization serving individuals, businesses, governments and financial institutions in approximately 100 countries around the world.

Citibank was originally organized on June 16, 1812, and now is a national banking association organized under the National Bank Act of 1864 of the United States of America. Citibank is primarily regulated by the United States Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Its principal office is at 399 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022.

The consolidated balance sheets of Citibank are set forth in Citigroup’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q, each on file with the SEC.

Citibank’s Articles of Association and By-laws, each as currently in effect, together with Citigroup’s most recent annual and quarterly reports will be available for inspection at the Depositary Receipt office of Citibank, N.A., 388 Greenwich Street, 14th Floor, New York, New York 10013.

 

Item 10.C. Material Contracts

We have not entered into any material contracts since January 1, 2014, other than in the ordinary course of our business. For information regarding our agreements and transactions with entities affiliated with the SK Group, see “Item 7.B. Related Party Transactions” and note 36 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements. For a description of certain agreements entered into during the past three years related to our capital commitments and obligations, see “Item 5B. Liquidity and Capital Resources.”

 

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Item 10.D. Exchange Controls

Korean Foreign Exchange Controls and Securities Regulations

General

The Foreign Exchange Transaction Act and the Presidential Decree and regulations under that Act and Decree, collectively referred to as the Foreign Exchange Transaction Laws, regulate investment in Korean securities by non-residents and issuance of securities outside Korea by Korean companies. Non-residents may invest in Korean securities pursuant to the Foreign Exchange Transaction Laws. The FSC has also adopted, pursuant to its authority under the FSCMA, regulations that restrict investment by foreigners in Korean securities and regulate issuance of securities outside Korea by Korean companies.

Subject to certain limitations, the MOSF has authority to take the following actions under the Foreign Exchange Transaction Laws:

 

   

if the Government deems it necessary on account of war, armed conflict, natural disaster or grave and sudden and significant changes in domestic or foreign economic circumstances or similar events or circumstances, the MOSF may temporarily suspend performance under any or all foreign exchange transactions, in whole or in part, to which the Foreign Exchange Transaction Laws apply (including suspension of payment and receipt of foreign exchange) or impose an obligation to deposit, safe-keep or sell any means of payment to The Bank of Korea, a foreign exchange stabilization fund, certain other governmental agencies or financial companies; and

 

   

if the Government concludes that the international balance of payments and international financial markets are experiencing or are likely to experience significant disruption or that the movement of capital between Korea and other countries are likely to adversely affect the Won, exchange rate or other macroeconomic policies, the MOSF may take action to require any person who intends to effect or effects a capital transaction to deposit all or a portion of the means of payment acquired in such transactions with The Bank of Korea, a foreign exchange stabilization fund, certain other governmental agencies or financial companies.

Under the regulations of the FSC amended on February 4, 2009, (1) if a company listed on the KRX KOSPI Market or a company listed on the KRX KOSDAQ Market has submitted a public disclosure of material matters to a foreign financial investment supervisory authority pursuant to the laws of the foreign jurisdiction, then it must submit a copy of the public disclosure and a Korean translation thereof to the FSC and the Korea Exchange, and (2) if a KRX KOSPI Market-listed company or KRX KOSDAQ Market-listed company is approved for listing on a foreign stock market or determined to be de-listed from the foreign stock market or actually listed on, or de-listed from a foreign stock market, then it must submit a copy of any document, which it submitted to or received from the relevant foreign government, foreign financial investment supervisory authority or the foreign stock market, and a Korean translation thereof to the FSC and the Korea Exchange.

Government Review of Issuances of ADSs

In order for us to issue ADSs in excess of US$30 million, we are required to submit a report to the MOSF with respect to the issuance of the ADSs prior to and after such issuance; provided that such US$30 million threshold amount would be reduced by the aggregate principal amount of any foreign currency loans borrowed, and any securities offered and issued, outside Korea during the one-year period immediately preceding the report’s submission date. The MOSF may at its discretion direct us to take necessary measures to avoid exchange rate fluctuation in connection with its acceptance of report of the issuance of the ADSs.

 

   

Under current Korean laws and regulations, the depositary is required to obtain our prior consent for any proposed deposit of common shares if the number of shares to be deposited in such proposed deposit exceeds the number of common shares initially deposited by us for the issuance of ADSs (including deposits in connection with the initial and all subsequent issuances of ADSs by us or with our consent and stock dividends or other distributions related to the ADSs).

 

   

In addition to such restrictions under Korean laws and regulations, there are also restrictions on the deposits of our common shares for issuance of ADSs. See “Item 10.B. Memorandum and Articles of

 

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Incorporation — Description of American Depositary Shares.” Therefore, a holder of ADRs who surrenders ADRs and withdraws shares may not be permitted subsequently to deposit those shares and obtain ADRs.

We submitted a report to and obtained acceptance thereof by the MOSF for the issuance of ADSs up to an amount corresponding to 24,321,893 common shares. No additional Korean governmental approval is necessary for the issuance of ADSs except that if the total number of our common shares on deposit for conversion into ADSs exceeds 24,321,893 common shares, we may be required to file a report to and obtain acceptance thereof by the MOSF with respect to the increase of such limit and the issuance of additional ADSs.

Reporting Requirements for Holders of Substantial Interests

Under the FSCMA, any person whose direct or beneficial ownership of shares with voting rights, certificates representing the rights to subscribe for shares and equity-related debt securities including convertible bonds and bonds with warrants (collectively referred to as “equity securities”), together with the equity securities beneficially owned by certain related persons or by any person acting in concert with the person, accounts for 5.0% or more of the total outstanding equity securities is required to report the status and purpose (in terms of whether the purpose of shareholding is to affect control over management of the issuer) of the holdings to the FSC and the Korea Exchange within five business days after reaching the 5.0% ownership interest threshold and promptly deliver a copy of such report to the issuer. In addition, any change (1) in the ownership interest subsequent to the report which equals or exceeds 1.0% of the total outstanding equity securities, or (2) in the shareholding purpose is required to be reported to the FSC and the Korea Exchange within five business days from the date of the change. However, reporting deadline of such reporting requirement is extended to (1) certain professional investors, as specified under the FSCMA, or (2) persons who hold shares for purposes other than management control by the tenth day of the month immediately following the month of share acquisition or change in their shareholding. Those who reported the purpose of shareholding is to affect control over management of the issuer are prohibited from exercising their voting rights and acquiring additional shares for five days subsequent to the report under the FSCMA.

Violation of these reporting requirements may subject a person to criminal sanctions such as fines or imprisonment and may result in a loss of voting rights with respect to the ownership of unreported equity securities exceeding 5.0%. Furthermore, the FSC may issue an order to dispose of such non-reported equity securities.

In addition to the reporting requirements described above, any person whose direct or beneficial ownership of our common shares accounts for 10.0% or more of the total issued and outstanding shares with voting rights (a “major shareholder”) must report the status of his or her shareholding to the Securities and Futures Commission and the Korea Exchange within five business days after he or she becomes a major shareholder. In addition, any change in the ownership interest subsequent to the report must be reported to the Securities and Futures Commission and the Korea Exchange by the fifth business day of any changes in his or her shareholding. Violations of these reporting requirements may subject a person to criminal sanctions, such as fines or imprisonment.

Restrictions Applicable to ADSs

No Korean governmental approval is necessary for the sale and purchase of ADSs in the secondary market outside Korea or for the withdrawal of shares underlying ADSs and the delivery of shares in Korea in connection with the withdrawal, provided that a foreigner who intends to acquire the shares must obtain an investment registration card from the FSS, as described below. The acquisition of the shares by a foreigner must be reported by the foreigner or his or her standing proxy in Korea immediately to the Governor of the FSS (the “Governor”).

Persons who have acquired shares as a result of the withdrawal of shares underlying the ADSs may exercise their preemptive rights for new shares, participate in free distributions and receive dividends on shares without any further governmental approval.

In addition, we are required to file a securities registration statement with the FSC and such securities registration statement has to become effective pursuant to the FSCMA in order for us to issue shares represented by ADSs, except in certain limited circumstances.

 

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Restrictions Applicable to Shares

As a result of amendments to the Foreign Exchange Transaction Laws and the regulations of the FSC, together referred to as the Investment Rules, adopted in connection with the stock market opening from January 1992 and after that date, foreigners may invest, with limited exceptions and subject to procedural requirements, in all shares of Korean companies, whether listed on the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market, unless prohibited by specific laws. Foreign investors may trade shares listed on the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market only through the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market, except in limited circumstances, including, among others:

 

   

odd-lot trading of shares;

 

   

acquisition of shares by a foreign company as a result of a merger;

 

   

acquisition or disposal of shares in connection with a tender offer;

 

   

acquisition of shares by exercise of warrant, conversion right under convertible bonds, exchange right under exchangeable bonds or withdrawal right under depositary receipts issued outside of Korea by a Korean company (“converted shares”);

 

   

acquisition of shares through exercise of rights under securities issued outside of Korea;

 

   

acquisition of shares as a result of inheritance, donation, bequest or exercise of shareholders’ rights, including preemptive rights or rights to participate in free distributions and receive dividends;

 

   

over-the-counter transactions between foreigners of a class of shares for which the ceiling on aggregate acquisition by foreigners, as explained below, has been reached or exceeded;

 

   

acquisition of shares by direct investment under the Foreign Investment Promotion Law;

 

   

acquisition and disposal of shares on an overseas stock exchange market, if such shares are simultaneously listed on the KRX KOSPI Market or KRX KOSDAQ Market and such overseas stock exchange;

 

   

arm’s length transactions between foreigners in the event all such foreigners belong to an investment group managed by the same person; and

 

   

acquisition and disposal of shares through alternative trading systems.

For over-the-counter transactions of shares between foreigners outside the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market for shares with respect to which the limit on aggregate foreign ownership has been reached or exceeded, a financial investment company with a brokerage license in Korea must act as an intermediary. Odd-lot trading of shares outside the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market must involve a financial investment company with a dealing license in Korea as the other party. Foreign investors are prohibited from engaging in margin transactions through borrowing shares from financial investment companies with respect to shares which are subject to a foreign ownership limit.

The Investment Rules require a foreign investor who wishes to invest in shares for the first time on the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market (including converted shares) and shares being publicly offered for initial listing on the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market to register its identity with the FSS prior to making any such investment; however, the registration requirement does not apply to foreign investors who acquire converted shares with the intention of selling such converted shares within three months from the date of acquisition of the converted shares or who acquire the shares in an over-the-counter transaction or dispose of shares where such acquisition or disposal is deemed to be a foreign direct investment pursuant to the Foreign Investment Promotion Law. Upon registration, the FSS will issue to the foreign investor an investment registration card which must be presented each time the foreign investor opens a brokerage account with a financial investment company or financial institution in Korea. Foreigners eligible to obtain an investment registration card include foreign nationals who have not been residing in Korea for a consecutive period of six months or longer, foreign governments, foreign municipal authorities, foreign public institutions, international financial institutions or similar international organizations, corporations incorporated under foreign laws and any person in any additional category designated

 

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by decree promulgated under the FSCMA. All Korean offices of a foreign corporation as a group are treated as a separate foreigner from the offices of the corporation outside Korea for the purpose of investment registration. However, a foreign corporation or depositary issuing depositary receipts may obtain one or more investment registration cards in its name in certain circumstances as described in the relevant regulations.

Upon a foreign investor’s purchase of shares through the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market, no separate report by the investor is required because the investment registration card system is designed to control and oversee foreign investment through a computer system. However, where a foreign investor acquires or sells shares outside the KRX KOSPI Market and the KRX KOSDAQ Market, such acquisition or sale of shares must be reported by the foreign investor or such foreign investor’s standing proxy to the Governor at the time of each such acquisition or sale; provided, however, that a foreign investor must ensure that any acquisition or sale of shares outside the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market in the case of trades in connection with a tender offer, odd-lot trading of shares or trades of a class of shares for which the aggregate foreign ownership limit has been reached or exceeded, is reported to the Governor by the Korea Securities Depository, financial investment companies with a dealing or brokerage license or securities finance companies engaged to facilitate such transaction. In the event a foreign investor desires to acquire or sell shares outside the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market and the circumstances in connection with such sale or acquisition do not fall within the exceptions made for certain limited circumstances described above, then the foreign investor must obtain the prior approval of the Governor. In addition, in the event a foreign investor acquires or sells shares outside the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market, a prior report to the Bank of Korea may also be required in certain circumstances. A foreign investor must appoint one or more standing proxies among the Korea Securities Depository, foreign exchange banks (including domestic branches of foreign banks), financial investment companies with a dealing, brokerage or collective investment license and certain eligible foreign custodians which will act as a standing proxy to exercise shareholders’ rights, or perform any matters related to the foregoing activities if the foreign investor does not perform these activities himself. Generally, a foreign investor may not permit any person, other than his, her or its standing proxy, to exercise rights relating to its shares or perform any tasks related thereto on his, her or its behalf. However, a foreign investor may be exempted from complying with these standing proxy rules with the approval of the Governor in cases deemed inevitable by reason of conflict between laws of Korea and the home country of the foreign investor.

Certificates evidencing shares of Korean companies must be kept in custody with an eligible custodian in Korea. The Korea Securities Depository, foreign exchange banks (including domestic branches of foreign banks), financial investment companies with a dealing, brokerage or collective investment license and certain eligible foreign custodians are eligible to act as a custodian of shares for a non-resident or foreign investor. A foreign investor must ensure that his, her or its custodian deposits the shares with the Korea Securities Depository. However, a foreign investor may be exempted from complying with this deposit requirement with the approval of the Governor in circumstances where compliance with that requirement is made impracticable, including cases where compliance would contravene the laws of the home country of such foreign investor.

Under the Investment Rules, with certain exceptions, foreign investors may acquire shares of a Korean company without being subject to any foreign investment ceiling. As one such exception, designated public corporations are subject to a 40.0% ceiling on the acquisition of shares by foreigners in the aggregate. Designated public corporations may set a ceiling on the acquisition of shares by a single person within 3.0% of the total number of shares in their articles of incorporation. Currently, Korea Electric Power Corporation is the only designated public corporation which has set such a ceiling. Furthermore, an investment by a foreign investor of not less than 10.0% of the outstanding shares with voting rights of a Korean company is defined as a direct foreign investment under the Foreign Investment Promotion Law, which is, in general, subject to the report to, and acceptance by, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of Korea, which delegates its authority to foreign exchange banks or the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency under the relevant regulations. The acquisition of our shares by a foreign investor is also subject to the restrictions prescribed in the Telecommunications Business Act. The Telecommunications Business Act generally limits the maximum aggregate foreign shareholdings in us to 49.0% of the outstanding shares. A foreigner who has acquired shares in excess of such restriction described above may not exercise the voting rights with respect to the shares exceeding such limitations and may be subject to corrective orders.

 

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Under the Foreign Exchange Transaction Laws, a foreign investor who intends to make a portfolio investment in shares of a Korean company listed on the KRX KOSPI Market or the KRX KOSDAQ Market must designate a foreign exchange bank at which he, she or it must open a foreign currency account and a Won account exclusively for stock investments. No approval is required for remittance into Korea and deposit of foreign currency funds in the foreign currency account. Foreign currency funds may be transferred from the foreign currency account at the time required to place a deposit for, or settle the purchase price of, a stock purchase transaction to a Won account opened at a securities company. Funds in the foreign currency account may be remitted abroad without any governmental approval.

Dividends on shares are paid in Won. No governmental approval is required for foreign investors to receive dividends on, or the Won proceeds of the sale of, any such shares to be paid, received and retained in Korea. Dividends paid on, and the Won proceeds of the sale of, any such shares held by a non-resident of Korea must be deposited either in a Won account with the investor’s financial investment companies with a securities dealing, brokerage or collective investment license or the investor’s Won account. Funds in the investor’s Won account may be transferred to such investor’s foreign currency account or withdrawn for local living expenses, provided that any withdrawal of local living expenses in excess of a certain amount is reported to the tax authorities by the foreign exchange bank at which the Won account is maintained. Funds in the investor’s Won account may also be used for future investment in shares or for payment of the subscription price of new shares obtained through the exercise of preemptive rights.

Financial investment companies with a securities dealing, brokerage or collective investment license are allowed to open foreign currency accounts with foreign exchange banks exclusively for accommodating foreign investors’ stock investments in Korea. Through these accounts, these financial investment companies may enter into foreign exchange transactions on a limited basis, such as conversion of foreign currency funds and Won funds, either as a counterparty to or on behalf of foreign investors, without the investors having to open their own accounts with foreign exchange banks.

 

Item 10.E. Taxation

United States Taxation

This summary describes certain material U.S. federal income tax consequences for a U.S. holder (as defined below) of acquiring, owning, and disposing of common shares or ADSs. This summary applies to you only if you hold our common shares or ADSs as capital assets for tax purposes. This summary does not apply to you if you are a member of a class of holders subject to special rules, such as:

 

   

a dealer in securities or currencies;

 

   

a trader in securities that elects to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for securities holdings;

 

   

a bank;

 

   

a life insurance company;

 

   

a tax-exempt organization;

 

   

a person that holds common shares or ADSs that are a hedge or that are hedged against interest rate or currency risks;

 

   

a person that holds common shares or ADSs as part of a straddle or conversion transaction for tax purposes;

 

   

a person whose functional currency for tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar; or

 

   

a person that owns or is deemed to own 10.0% or more of any class of our stock.

This summary is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, its legislative history, existing and proposed regulations promulgated thereunder, and published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect. These laws are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis.

Please consult your own tax advisers concerning the U.S. federal, state, local, and other tax consequences of purchasing, owning, and disposing of common shares or ADSs in your particular circumstances.

 

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For purposes of this summary, you are a “U.S. holder” if you are the beneficial owner of a common share or an ADS and are:

 

   

a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

   

a U.S. domestic corporation; or

 

   

otherwise subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis with respect to income from the common share or ADS.

In general, if you are the beneficial owner of ADSs, you will be treated as the beneficial owner of the common shares represented by those ADSs for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and no gain or loss will be recognized if you exchange an ADS for the common share represented by that ADS.

Dividends

The gross amount of cash dividends that you receive (prior to deduction of Korean taxes) generally will be subject to U.S. federal income taxation as foreign source dividend income and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction. Dividends paid in Won will be included in your income in a U.S. dollar amount calculated by reference to the exchange rate in effect on the date of your receipt of the dividend, in the case of common shares, or the depositary’s receipt, in the case of ADSs, regardless of whether the payment is in fact converted into U.S. dollars. If such a dividend is converted into U.S. dollars on the date of receipt, you generally should not be required to recognize foreign currency gain or loss in respect of the dividend income.

Subject to certain exceptions for short-term and hedged positions, the U.S. dollar amount of dividends received by an individual with respect to the ADSs will be subject to taxation at a maximum rate of 20.0% if the dividends are “qualified dividends”. Dividends paid on the ADSs will be treated as qualified dividends if (1) the ADSs are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States and (2) we were not, in the year prior to the year in which the dividend was paid, and are not, in the year in which the dividend is paid, a passive foreign investment company as defined for U.S. federal income tax purposes (“PFIC”). The ADSs are listed on the NYSE, and will qualify as readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States so long as they are so listed. Based on our audited financial statements, as well as relevant market and shareholder data, we believe that we were not a PFIC with respect to our 2014 taxable year. In addition, based on our audited financial statements and current expectations regarding the value and nature of our assets, the sources and nature of our income, and relevant market and shareholder data, we do not anticipate becoming a PFIC for our 2015 taxable year.

Distributions of additional shares in respect of common shares or ADSs that are made as part of a pro-rata distribution to all of our stockholders generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax.

Sale or Other Disposition

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, gain or loss you realize on a sale or other disposition of common shares or ADSs generally will be treated as U.S. source capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the common shares or ADSs were held for more than one year. Your ability to offset capital losses against ordinary income is limited. Long-term capital gain recognized by an individual U.S. holder generally is subject to taxation at reduced rates.

Foreign Tax Credit Considerations

You should consult your own tax advisers to determine whether you are subject to any special rules that limit your ability to make effective use of foreign tax credits, including the possible adverse impact of failing to take advantage of benefits under the income tax treaty between the United States and Korea. If no such rules apply, you may claim a credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability for Korean taxes withheld from dividends on the common shares or ADSs, so long as you have owned our common shares or ADSs (and not entered into specified kinds of hedging transactions) for at least a 16-day period that includes the ex-dividend date. Instead of claiming a credit, you may, if you so elect, deduct such Korean taxes in computing your taxable income, subject to generally applicable limitations under U.S. tax law. Korean taxes withheld from a distribution of additional shares that is not subject to U.S. tax may be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as imposed on “general category” income. Such treatment could affect your ability to utilize any available foreign tax credit in respect of such taxes.

 

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Any Korean securities transaction tax or agriculture and fishery special surtax that you pay will not be creditable for foreign tax credit purposes.

Foreign tax credits will not be allowed for withholding taxes imposed in respect of certain short-term or hedged positions in securities and may not be allowed in respect of arrangements in which a U.S. holder’s expected economic profit is insubstantial.

The calculation of foreign tax credits and, in the case of a U.S. holder that elects to deduct foreign taxes, the availability of deductions involve the application of complex rules that depend on a U.S. holder’s particular circumstances. You should consult your own tax advisers regarding the creditability or deductibility of such taxes.

U.S. Information Reporting and Backup Withholding Rules

Payments of dividends and sales proceeds that are made within the United States or through certain U.S.-related financial intermediaries are subject to information reporting and may be subject to backup withholding unless the holder (1) is a corporation or other exempt recipient and demonstrates this when required or (2) provides a taxpayer identification number and certifies that no loss of exemption from backup withholding has occurred. Holders that are not U.S. persons generally are not subject to information reporting or backup withholding. However, such a holder may be required to provide a certification of its non-U.S. status in connection with payments received within the United States or through a U.S.-related financial intermediary.

Korean Taxation

The following is a summary of the principal Korean tax consequences to owners of the common shares or ADSs, as the case may be, who are non-resident individuals or non-Korean corporations without a permanent establishment in Korea to which the relevant income is attributable or with which the relevant income is effectively connected (“Non-resident Holders”). The statements regarding Korean tax laws set forth below are based on the laws in force and as interpreted by the Korean taxation authorities as of the date hereof. This summary is not exhaustive of all possible tax considerations which may apply to a particular investor and potential investors are advised to satisfy themselves as to the overall tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the common shares or ADSs, including specifically the tax consequences under Korean law, the laws of the jurisdiction of which they are resident, and any tax treaty between Korea and their country of residence, by consulting their own tax advisors.

Tax on Dividends

Dividends on the common shares or ADSs paid (whether in cash or in shares) to a Non-resident Holder will be subject to Korean withholding taxes at the rate of 22.0% (including local income tax) or such lower rate as is applicable under a treaty between Korea and such Non-resident Holder’s country of tax residence. Free distributions of shares representing a capitalization of certain capital surplus reserves may be subject to Korean withholding taxes.

The tax is withheld by the payer of the dividend. Since the payer is required to withhold the tax, Korean law does not entitle the person who was subject to the withholding of Korean tax to recover from the Government any part of the Korean tax withheld, even if it subsequently produces evidence that it was entitled to have tax withheld at a lower rate, except in certain limited circumstances.

Tax on Capital Gains

As a general rule, capital gains earned by Non-resident Holders upon transfer of the common shares or ADSs are subject to Korean withholding tax at the lower of (1) 11.0% (including local income tax) of the gross proceeds realized or (2) 22.0% (including local income tax) of the net realized gains (subject to the production of satisfactory evidence of the acquisition costs and certain direct transaction costs), unless exempt from Korean income taxation under the effective Korean tax treaty with the Non-resident Holder’s country of tax residence.

However, a Non-resident Holder will not be subject to Korean income taxation on capital gains realized upon the sale of the common shares through the KRX KOSPI Market if the Non-resident Holder (1) has no permanent establishment in Korea and (2) did not or has not owned (together with any shares owned by any entity with certain

 

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special relationship with such Non-resident Holder) 25.0% or more of the total issued and outstanding shares of us at any time during the calendar year in which the sale occurs and during the five calendar years prior to the calendar year in which the sale occurs.

It should be noted that capital gains earned by you (regardless of whether you have a permanent establishment in Korea) from a transfer of ADSs outside Korea will generally be exempt from Korean income taxation, provided that the ADSs are deemed to have been issued overseas. If and when an owner of the underlying common shares transfers the ADSs following the conversion of the underlying shares for ADSs, such person will not be exempt from Korean income taxation.

Inheritance Tax and Gift Tax

Korean inheritance tax is imposed upon (1) all assets (wherever located) of the deceased if at the time of his death he was domiciled in Korea and (2) all property located in Korea which passes on death (irrespective of the domicile of the deceased). Gift tax is imposed in similar circumstances to the above. The taxes are imposed if the value of the relevant property is above a certain limit and vary according to the identity of the parties involved.

Under Korean inheritance and gift tax laws, securities issued by a Korean corporation are deemed to be located in Korea irrespective of where they are physically located or by whom they are owned.

Securities Transaction Tax

Securities transaction tax is imposed on the transfer of shares issued by a Korean corporation or the right to subscribe for such shares generally at the rate of 0.5% of the sales price. In the case of the transfer of shares listed on the KRX KOSPI Market (such as our common shares), the securities transaction tax is imposed generally at the rate of (1) 0.3% of the sales price of such shares (including agricultural and fishery special surtax thereon) if traded on the KRX KOSPI Market or (2) subject to certain exceptions, 0.5% of the sales price of such shares if traded outside the KRX KOSPI Market.

Securities transaction tax or the agricultural and fishery special surtax is not applicable if (1) the shares or rights to subscribe for shares are listed on a designated foreign stock exchange and (2) the sale of the shares takes place on such exchange.

Securities transaction tax, if applicable, must be paid by the transferor of the shares or rights, in principle. When the transfer is effected through a securities settlement company, such settlement company is generally required to withhold and pay (to the tax authority) the tax, and when such transfer is made through a financial investment company with a brokerage license only, such company is required to withhold and pay the tax. Where the transfer is effected by a Non-resident Holder without a permanent establishment in Korea, other than through a securities settlement company or a financial investment company with a brokerage license, the transferee is required to withhold the securities transaction tax. Failure to do so will result in the imposition of penalties equal to the sum of (1) between 10.0% to 40.0% of the tax amount due, depending on the nature of the improper reporting, and (2) 10.95% per annum on the tax amount due for the default period.

Tax Treaties

Currently, Korea has income tax treaties with a number of countries, inter alia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States under which the rate of withholding tax on dividend and interest is reduced, generally to between 5.0% and 16.5% (including local income tax), and the tax on capital gains derived by a non-resident from the transfer of securities issued by a Korean company is often eliminated.

Each Non-resident Holder of common shares should inquire for itself whether it is entitled to the benefits of a tax treaty with Korea. It is the responsibility of the party claiming the benefits of a tax treaty in respect of interest, dividend, capital gains or “other income” to submit to us (or our agent), the purchaser or the financial investment company with a brokerage license, as the case may be, prior to or at the time of payment, such evidence of tax residence of the party claiming the treaty benefit as the Korean tax authorities may require in support of its claim for treaty protection. In the absence of sufficient proof, we (or our agent), the purchaser or the financial investment company with a brokerage license, as the case may be, must withhold tax at the normal rates.

 

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Furthermore, in order for a non-resident of Korea to obtain the benefits of tax exemption on certain Korean source income (e.g., capital gains and interest) under an applicable tax treaty, Korean tax law requires such non-resident (or its agent) to submit to the payer of such Korean source income an application for a tax exemption along with a certificate of tax residency of such non-resident issued by a competent authority of the non-resident’s country of tax residence, subject to certain exceptions. The payer of such Korean source income, in turn, is required to submit such application to the relevant district tax office by the ninth day of the month following the date of the first payment of such income.

For a non-resident of Korea to obtain the benefits of treaty-reduced tax rates on certain Korean source income (e.g., capital gains and interest) under an applicable tax treaty, Korean tax law requires such non-resident (or its agents) to submit to the payer of such Korean source income an application for treaty-reduced tax rates prior to receipt of such Korean source income; provided, however, that an owner of ADSs who is a non-resident of Korea is not required to submit such application, if the Korean source income on the ADSs is paid through an account opened at the Korea Securities Depository by a foreign depository.

At present, Korea has not entered into any tax treaty relating to inheritance or gift tax.

 

Item 10.F. Dividends and Paying Agents

Not applicable.

 

Item 10.G. Statements by Experts

Not applicable.

 

Item 10.H. Documents on Display

We file reports, including annual reports on Form 20-F, and other information with the SEC pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC that apply to foreign private issuers. You may read and copy any materials filed with the SEC at the Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. Any filings we make electronically will be available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s Website at http://www.sec.gov.

Documents filed with annual reports and documents filed or submitted to the SEC are also available for inspection at our principal business office during normal business hours. Our principal business office is located at SK T-Tower, 65, Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-999, Korea.

 

Item 10.I. Subsidiary Information

Not applicable.

 

Item 11. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We are exposed to foreign exchange rate and interest rate risk primarily associated with underlying liabilities and to equity price risk as a result of our investment in equity instruments.

We have entered into floating-to-fixed cross currency swap contracts to hedge foreign currency and interest rate risks with respect to long-term borrowings of US$300 million of bonds issued in March 2013, US$300 million of bonds issued in October 2013 and US$86.3 million of bonds issued in December 2013. In addition, we have entered into fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap contracts to hedge the foreign currency risks of US$400 million of bonds issued in July 2007, CHF 300 million of bonds issued in June 2012, US$700 million of bonds issued in November 2012 and AUD 300 million of bonds issued in January 2013. See note 23 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements. We may consider in the future entering into other such transactions solely for hedging purposes.

The following discussion and tables, which constitute “forward looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties, summarize our market-sensitive financial instruments including fair value, maturity and contract terms. These tables address market risk only and do not present other risks which we face in the normal course of business, including country risk, credit risk and legal risk.

 

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Exchange Rate Risk

Korea is our main market and, therefore, substantially all of our cash flow is denominated in Won. We are exposed to foreign exchange risk related to foreign currency denominated liabilities. These liabilities relate primarily to foreign currency denominated debt, primarily in Dollars, Franc and Australian Dollars. A 10.0% increase in the exchange rate between the Won and all foreign currencies would result in an increase in profit before income tax of approximately 0.3%, or Won 7.3 billion, with a decrease of 10.0% in the exchange rate having the opposite effect, as of December 31, 2014. For a further discussion of our exchange rate risk exposures, see note 35(1) of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Interest Rate Risk

We are also subject to market risk exposure arising from changing interest rates. The following table summarizes the carrying amounts and fair values, maturity and contract terms of our exchange rate and interest sensitive short-term and long-term liabilities as of December 31, 2014:

 

    Maturities  
    2015     2016     2017     2018     2019     Thereafter     Total     Fair Value  
    (In billions of Won, except for percentage data)  

Local currency:

               

Fixed-rate

  898.0      673.6      244.0      204.1      766.5      1,375.9      4,162.1      2,893.5   

Average weighted rate(1)

    3.82     5.19     4.41     5.70     3.01     3.41    

Sub-total

    898.0        673.6        244.0        204.1        766.5        1,375.9        4,162.1        2,893.5   

Foreign currency:

               

Fixed-rate

    12.7        12.7        613.3        1,102.2        12.7        465.0        2,218.6        2,445.4   

Average weighted rate(1)

    1.70     1.70     3.08     2.36     1.70     6.38    

Variable rate

                                       328.5        328.5        328.5   

Average weighted rate(1)

                                       1.11    

Sub-total

    12.7        12.7        613.3        1,102.2        12.7        793.5        2,547.1        2,773.9   

Total

  910.7      686.3      857.3      1,306.3      779.2      2,169.4      6,709.2      5,667.4   

 

 

(1) Weighted average rates of the portfolio at the period end.

A 1.0% point increase in interest rates would result in a decrease in profit before income tax of approximately 0.02%, Won 0.5 billion, with a 1.0% point decrease in interest rates having the opposite effect, as of December 31, 2014. For a further discussion of our interest rate risk exposures, see note 35(1) of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Equity Price Risk

We are also subject to market risk exposure arising from changes in the equity securities market, which affect the fair value of our equity portfolio. As of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, a 10.0% increase in the equity indices where our available-for-sale equity instruments are listed, with all other variables held constant, would have increased our total equity by Won 54.2 billion, Won 63.4 billion and Won 58.4 billion, respectively, with a 10.0% decrease in the equity index having the opposite effect. The foregoing sensitivity analysis assumes that all variables other than changes in the equity index are held constant, and that our available-for-sale equity instruments had moved according to the historical correlation to the index, and as such, does not reflect any correlation between the equity index and other variables. For a further discussion of our equity price risk exposures, see note 35(1) of the notes to our consolidated financial statements.

 

Item 12. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES

 

Item 12.A. Debt Securities

Not applicable.

 

Item 12.B. Warrants and Rights

Not applicable.

 

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Item 12.C. Other Securities

Not applicable.

 

Item 12.D. American Depositary Shares

Fees and Charges under Deposit Agreement

The ADR depositary will charge the party receiving ADSs up to US$5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof), provided that the ADR depositary has agreed to waive such fee as would have been payable by us in the case of (1) an offering of ADSs by us or (2) any distribution of shares of common stock or any rights to subscribe for additional shares of common stock. The ADR depositary will not charge the party to whom ADSs are delivered against deposits. The ADR depositary will charge the party surrendering ADSs for delivery of deposited securities up to US$5.00 per 100 ADSs (or fraction thereof) surrendered. The ADR depositary will also charge the party to whom any cash distribution, or for whom the sale or exercise of rights or other corporate action involving distributions to shareholders, is made with respect to ADSs up to US$0.02 per ADS held plus the expenses of the ADR depositary on a per-ADS basis. We will pay the expenses of the ADR depositary and any entity acting as registrar for the shares only as specified in the deposit agreement. The ADR depositary will pay any other charges and expenses of the ADR depositary and the entity acting as registrar for the shares.

Holders of ADRs must pay (1) taxes and other governmental charges, (2) share transfer registration fees on deposits of shares of common stock, (3) such cable, telex, facsimile transmission and delivery expenses as are expressly provided in the deposit agreement to be at the expense of persons depositing shares of common stock or holders of ADRs and (4) such reasonable expenses as are incurred by the ADR depositary in the conversion of foreign currency into United States dollars.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the deposit agreement, in the event that the ADR depositary determines that any distribution in property (including shares or rights to subscribe therefor or other securities) is subject to any tax or governmental charges which the ADR depositary is obligated to withhold, the ADR depositary may dispose of all or a portion of such property (including shares and rights to subscribe therefor) in such amounts and in such manner as the ADR depositary deems necessary and practicable to pay such taxes or governmental charges, including by public or private sale, and the ADR depositary will distribute the net proceeds of any such sale or the balance of any such property after deduction of such taxes or governmental charges to the holders of ADSs entitled thereto in proportion to the number of ADSs held by them respectively.

All such charges may be changed by agreement between the ADR depositary and us at any time and from time to time, subject to the deposit agreement. The right of the ADR depositary to receive payment of fees, charges and expenses shall survive the termination of this deposit agreement and, as to any depositary, the resignation or removal of such depositary pursuant to the deposit agreement.

For a detailed summary of the deposit agreement, see “Item 10.B. Memorandum and Articles of Incorporation — Description of American Depositary Shares.”

Payments made by ADS Depositary

All fees and other direct and indirect payments reimbursed by the depositary are as following:

 

     Year Ended
December 31,
2014
 
     (In Dollars)  

Expenses for preparation of SEC filing and submission

   US$ 713,546   

Listing Fees

     266,861   

Education/Training

     193,865   

Corporate Action

     203,980   

Miscellaneous

     141,932   
  

 

 

 

Total

   US$ 1,520,184   
  

 

 

 

 

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PART II

 

Item 13. DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES

None.

 

Item 14. MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS

None.

 

Item 15. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Our management has evaluated, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, as of December 31, 2014. There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures. Accordingly, even effective disclosure controls and procedures can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving their control objectives. Based upon our evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of such date. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that it is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act, as of December 31, 2014. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting is not intended to provide absolute assurance that a misstatement of our consolidated financial statements would be prevented or detected. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013 framework) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB. Based on our evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2014.

Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on the Effectiveness of Our Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

The report of our independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG Samjong Accounting Corp. (“KPMG Samjong”), on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014 is included in Item 18 of this Form 20-F.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting during 2014 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

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Item 16. RESERVED

 

Item 16A. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT

Dae Shick Oh is the chairman of our audit committee and was elected and designated an “audit committee financial expert” within the meaning of this Item 16A at a meeting of the board of directors in April 2014. The board of directors have further determined that Dae Shick Oh is independent within the meaning of applicable SEC rules and the listing standards of the NYSE. See “Item 6.C. Board Practices — Audit Committee” for additional information regarding our audit committee.

 

Item 16B. CODE OF ETHICS

Code of Ethics for Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Controller

We have a code of ethics that applies to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, senior accounting officers and employees. We also have internal control and disclosure policy designed to promote full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in all of our reports and publicly filed documents. A copy of our code of ethics is available on our website at www.sktelecom.com. If we amend the provisions of our code of ethics that apply to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and persons performing similar functions, or if we grant any waiver of such provisions, we will disclose such amendment or waiver on our website.

 

Item 16C. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The table sets forth the fees we paid to our independent registered public accounting firm KPMG Samjong and its affiliates for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013:

 

     Year Ended December 31,  
     2014      2013  
     (In millions of Won)  

Audit Fees

   3,522       2,102   

Audit-Related Fees

   12       4   

Tax Fees

   408       182   

All Other Fees

   50       9   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   3,992       2,297   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

“Audit Fees” are the aggregate fees billed by KPMG Samjong for the audit of our consolidated annual financial statements, reviews of interim financial statements and attestation services that are provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.

“Audit-Related Fees” are fees charged by KPMG Samjong for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” This category comprises fees billed for advisory services associated with our financial reporting.

“Tax Fees” are fees for professional services rendered by KPMG Samjong for tax compliance, tax advice on actual or contemplated transactions and tax planning services.

Fees disclosed under the category “All Other Fees” are fees for professional services rendered by KPMG Samjong, primarily for business consulting in connection with our internal control over financial reporting.

Pre-Approval of Audit and Non-Audit Services Provided by Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Our audit committee pre-approves all audit services to be provided by KPMG Samjong, our independent registered public accounting firm. Our audit committee’s policy regarding the pre-approval of non-audit services to be provided to us by our independent auditors is that all such services shall be pre-approved by our audit committee. Non-audit services that are prohibited to be provided to us by our independent auditors under the rules of the SEC and applicable law may not be pre-approved. In addition, prior to the granting of any pre-approval, our audit committee must be satisfied that the performance of the services in question will not compromise the independence of our independent registered public accounting firm.

 

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Our audit committee did not pre-approve any non-audit services under the de minimis exception of Rule 2-01 (c)(7)(i)(C) of Regulation S-X as promulgated by the SEC.

 

Item 16D. EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES

Not applicable.

 

Item 16E. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS

Neither we nor any “affiliated purchaser,” as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) of the Exchange Act, purchased any of our equity securities during the period covered by this annual report.

 

Item 16F. CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT

Not applicable.

 

Item 16G. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The following is a summary of the significant differences between the NYSE’s corporate governance standards and those that we follow under Korean law.

 

NYSE Corporate Governance Standards

  

Our Corporate Governance Practice

Director Independence

  
Listed companies must have a majority of independent directors.    Of the six members of our board of directors, four are independent directors.

Executive Session

  
Listed companies must hold meetings solely attended by independent directors to more effectively check and balance management directors.    Our audit committee, which is comprised solely of three independent directors, holds meetings whenever there are matters related to management directors, and such meetings are generally held once every month.

Nomination/Corporate Governance Committee

  
Listed companies must have a nomination/corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors.    Although we do not have a separate nomination/ corporate governance committee, we maintain an independent director nomination committee composed of two independent directors and one management director.

Audit Committee

  
Listed companies must have an audit committee that satisfies the requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act.    We maintain an audit committee comprised solely of three independent directors.

Audit Committee Additional Requirements

  
Listed companies must have an audit committee that is composed of more than three directors.    Our audit committee has three independent directors.

Shareholder Approval of Equity Compensation Plan

  
Listed companies must allow its shareholders to exercise their voting rights with respect to any material revision to the company’s equity compensation plan.    We currently have two equity compensation plans: a stock option plan for officers and directors and employee stock ownership plan for employees (“ESOP”). We manage such compensation plans in compliance with the applicable laws and our articles of incorporation, provided that, under certain limited circumstances, the grant of stock options or matters relating to ESOP are not subject to shareholders’ approval under Korean law.

 

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NYSE Corporate Governance Standards

  

Our Corporate Governance Practice

Corporate Governance Guidelines

  
Listed companies must adopt and disclose corporate governance guidelines.    Although we do not maintain separate corporate governance guidelines, we are in compliance with the Korean Commercial Code in connection with such matters, including the governance of the board of directors.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

  
Listed companies must adopt and disclose a code of business conduct and ethics for directors, officers and employees and promptly disclose any waivers of the code for directors or executive officers.    We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for all of our directors, officers and employees, and such code is also available on our website at www.sktelecom.com.

 

Item 16H. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

Not applicable.

PART III

 

Item 17. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Not applicable.

 

Item 18. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Index of Financial Statements

     F-1   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on the Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-2   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

     F-3   

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as of December 31, 2014 and 2013

     F-4   

Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-6   

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-7   

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-8   

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-10   

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-12   

Financial Statements of SK Hynix

  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on the Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013

     G-1   

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as of December 31, 2014 and 2013

     G-2   

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December  31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     G-4   

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     G-5   

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     G-7   

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     G-8   

 

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Item 19. EXHIBITS

 

Number

  

Description

  1.1    Articles of Incorporation
  2.1    Deposit Agreement dated as of May 31, 1996, as amended by Amendment No. 1 dated as of March 15, 1999, Amendment No. 2 dated as of April 24, 2000 and Amendment No. 3 dated as of July 24, 2002, entered into among SK Telecom Co., Ltd., Citibank, N.A., as Depositary, and all Holders and Beneficial Owners of American Depositary Shares (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on June 30, 2006)
  8.1    List of Subsidiaries of SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
12.1    Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
12.2    Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
13.1    Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
13.2    Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, As Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
15.1    Framework Act on Telecommunications, as amended (English translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 15.1 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on April 30, 2013)
15.2    Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Telecommunications, as amended (English translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 15.2 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on June 30, 2011)
15.3    Telecommunications Business Act, as amended (English translation)
15.4    Enforcement Decree of the Telecommunications Business Act, as amended (English translation)
15.5    Government Organization Act, as amended (English translation)

 

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INDEX OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Index of Financial Statements

     F-1   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on the Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-2   

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

     F-3   

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as of December 31, 2014 and 2013

     F-4   

Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-6   

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-7   

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-8   

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-10   

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     F-12   

Financial Statements of SK Hynix

  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on the Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013

     G-1   

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as of December 31, 2014 and 2013

     G-2   

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the years ended December  31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     G-4   

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     G-5   

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     G-7   

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

     G-8   

 

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To The Board of Directors and Shareholders

SK Telecom Co., Ltd.:

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of SK Telecom Co., Ltd. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2014. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of SK Telecom Co., Ltd.’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of SK Telecom Co., Ltd. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2014 in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the effectiveness of SK Telecom Co., Ltd.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated April 29, 2015, expressed an unqualified opinion on SK Telecom Co., Ltd.’s internal control over financial reporting.

/s/  KPMG Samjong Accounting Corp.

Seoul, Korea

April 29, 2015

 

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Table of Contents

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To The Board of Directors and Shareholders

SK Telecom Co., Ltd.:

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of SK Telecom Co., Ltd. as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. SK Telecom Co., Ltd.’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on SK Telecom Co., Ltd.’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, SK Telecom Co., Ltd. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), consolidated statements of financial position of SK Telecom Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2014, and our report dated April 29, 2015, expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.

/s/  KPMG Samjong Accounting Corp.

Seoul, Korea

April 29, 2015

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

As of December 31, 2014 and 2013

 

(In millions of won)    Note      December 31,
2014
     December 31,
2013
 

Assets

        

Current Assets:

        

Cash and cash equivalents

     30,34,35       834,429         1,398,639   

Short-term financial instruments

     6,30,34,35,36,37         313,068         311,474   

Short-term investment securities

     9,34,35         280,161         106,068   

Accounts receivable — trade, net

     7,30,34,35,36         2,392,150         2,257,316   

Short-term loans, net

     7,34,35,36         74,512         79,395   

Accounts receivable — other, net

     7,34,35,36         690,527         643,603   

Prepaid expenses

        134,404         108,909   

Derivative financial assets

     23,34,35                 10   

Inventories, net

     8,37         267,667         177,120   

Assets classified as held for sale

     10         10,510         3,667   

Advanced payments and other

     7,9,34,35,36         85,720         37,214   
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Current Assets

        5,083,148         5,123,415   
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-Current Assets:

        

Long-term financial instruments

     6,34,35,37         631         8,142   

Long-term investment securities

     9,34,35         956,280         968,527   

Investments in associates and joint ventures

     13         6,298,088         5,325,297   

Property and equipment, net

     14,36,37         10,567,701         10,196,607   

Investment property, net

     15         14,997         15,811   

Goodwill

     16         1,917,595         1,733,261   

Intangible assets, net

     17         2,483,994         2,750,782   

Long-term loans, net

     7,34,35,36         55,728         57,442   

Long-term accounts receivable — other

     7,34,35         3,596           

Long-term prepaid expenses

     37         51,961         32,008   

Guarantee deposits

     6,7,34,35,36         285,144         249,600   

Long-term derivative financial assets

     23,34,35         70,035         41,712   

Deferred tax assets

     2,31         25,083         26,322   

Other non-current assets

     7,34,35         127,252         47,589   
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Non-Current Assets

        22,858,085         21,453,100   
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Assets

      27,941,233         26,576,515   
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position — (Continued)

As of December 31, 2014 and 2013

 

(In millions of won)    Note      December 31,
2014
    December 31,
2013
 

Liabilities and Equity

       

Current Liabilities:

       

Short-term borrowings

     18,30,34,35       366,600        260,000   

Current installments of long-term debt, net

     18,30,34,35         590,714        1,042,276   

Current installments of finance lease liabilities

     21,30,34,35         3,804        19,351   

Current installments of long-term payables — other

     19,34,35         189,389        206,800   

Accounts payable — trade

     34,35,36         275,495        214,716   

Accounts payable — other

     34,35,36         1,381,850        1,864,024   

Withholdings

     34,35,36         1,053,063        728,936   

Accrued expenses

     34,35         952,418        988,193   

Income tax payable

     31         99,236        112,316   

Unearned revenue

        327,003        441,731   

Derivative financial liabilities

     23,34,35                21,171   

Provisions

     20         51,075        66,775   

Advanced receipts

     33,34         129,255        102,931   

Liabilities classified as held for sale

     10         408          
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Current Liabilities

        5,420,310        6,069,220   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Non-Current Liabilities:

       

Debentures, excluding current installments, net

     18,30,34,35         5,649,158        4,905,579   

Long-term borrowings, excluding current installments

     18,30,34,35         149,720        104,808   

Long-term payables — other

     19,34,35         684,567        838,585   

Long-term unearned revenue

        19,659        50,894   

Finance lease liabilities

     21,30,34,35         26        3,867   

Defined benefit liabilities

     22         91,587        74,201   

Long-term derivative financial liabilities

     23,34,35         130,889        103,168   

Long-term provisions

     20         36,013        28,106   

Deferred tax liabilities

     32         444,211        168,825   

Other non-current liabilities

     34,35         66,823        62,705   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Non-Current Liabilities

        7,272,653        6,340,738   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Liabilities

        12,692,963        12,409,958   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Equity

       

Share capital

     1,24         44,639        44,639   

Capital surplus (deficit) and other capital adjustments

     24,25         (120,520     (81,010

Hybrid bonds

     26         398,518        398,518   

Retained earnings

     27         14,188,591        13,102,495   

Reserves

     28         (4,489     (12,270
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Equity attributable to owners of the Parent Company

        14,506,739        13,452,372   

Non-controlling interests

        741,531        714,185   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Equity

        15,248,270        14,166,557   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Liabilities and Equity

      27,941,233        26,576,515   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Income

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won except for per share data)    Note      2014     2013     2012  

Continuing operations

         

Operating revenue and other income:

     5,36          

Revenue

      17,163,798        16,602,054        16,141,409   

Other income

     20,29         56,471        74,954        201,844   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
        17,220,269        16,677,008        16,343,253   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating expense:

     36          

Labor cost

     22         1,659,777        1,561,358        1,267,928   

Commissions paid

        5,692,680        5,498,695        5,949,542   

Depreciation and amortization

     5         2,714,730        2,661,623        2,421,128   

Network interconnection

        997,319        1,043,733        1,057,145   

Leased line

        399,014        448,833        468,785   

Advertising

        415,857        394,066        384,353   

Rent

        460,309        443,639        422,388   

Cost of products that have been resold

        1,680,110        1,300,375        1,292,304   

Other operating expenses

     29         1,592,647        1,746,283        1,342,025   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

        15,612,443        15,098,605        14,605,598   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating income

     5         1,607,826        1,578,403        1,737,655   

Finance income

     5,30         126,337        113,392        444,558   

Finance costs

     5,30         (386,673     (571,203     (638,285

Gain (loss) related to investments in subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures, net

     1,5,13         906,338        706,509        (24,560
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Profit before income tax

        2,253,828        1,827,101        1,519,368   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income tax expense from continuing operations

     31         454,508        400,797        288,207   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Profit from continuing operations

        1,799,320        1,426,304        1,231,161   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Discontinued operation

         

Profit (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes

     38                183,245        (115,498
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Profit for the year

      1,799,320        1,609,549        1,115,663   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Attributable to:

         

Owners of the Parent Company

      1,801,178        1,638,964        1,151,705   

Non-controlling interests

        (1,858     (29,415     (36,042

Earnings per share

     32          

Basic earnings per share (in Won)

      25,154        23,211        16,525   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per share (in Won)

      25,154        23,211        16,141   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Earnings per share — Continuing operations

     32          

Basic earnings per share (in Won)

      25,154        20,708        18,015   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per share (in Won)

      25,154        20,708        17,583   
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-6


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)    Note     2014     2013     2012  

Profit for the year

     1,799,320        1,609,549        1,115,663   

Other comprehensive income (loss)

        

Items that will never be reclassified to profit or loss, net of taxes:

        

Remeasurement of defined benefit liabilities

     3,22        (32,942     5,946        (15,048

Items that are or may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss, net of taxes:

        

Net change in unrealized fair value of available-for-sale financial assets

     3,28,30        27,267        2,009        (149,082

Net change in other comprehensive income of investments in associates and joint ventures

     3,13,28        8,187        3,034        (82,513

Net change in unrealized fair value of derivatives

     3,23,28,30        (45,942     11,222        (23,361

Foreign currency translation differences for foreign operations

     3,28        14,944        (3,714     (49,538
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income (loss) for the year

       (28,486     18,497        (319,542
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income

     1,770,834        1,628,046        796,121   
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income attributable to:

        

Owners of the Parent Company

     1,777,519        1,655,570        851,565   

Non-controlling interests

       (6,685     (27,524     (55,444

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-7


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)    Controlling interest     Non-
controlling
interests
       
     Share capital      Capital surplus
(deficit) and
other capital
adjustments
    Hybrid
bonds
     Retained
earnings
    Reserves     Sub-total       Total equity  

Balance, January 1, 2012

   44,639         (285,347             11,642,525        260,064        11,661,881        1,070,828        12,732,709   

Cash dividends

                            (655,133            (655,133     (2,133     (657,266

Total comprehensive income

                  

Profit (loss) for the year

                            1,151,705               1,151,705        (36,042     1,115,663   

Other comprehensive loss

                            (14,440     (285,700     (300,140     (19,402     (319,542
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
                            1,137,265        (285,700     851,565        (55,444     796,121   

Changes in ownership in subsidiaries

             (3,536                           (3,536     (13,246     (16,782
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance, December 31, 2012

   44,639         (288,883             12,124,657        (25,636     11,854,777        1,000,005        12,854,782   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance, January 1, 2013

   44,639         (288,883             12,124,657        (25,636     11,854,777        1,000,005        12,854,782   

Cash dividends

                            (655,946            (655,946     (2,242     (658,188

Total comprehensive income

                  

Profit (loss) for the year

                            1,638,964               1,638,964        (29,415     1,609,549   

Other comprehensive income

                            3,240        13,366        16,606        1,891        18,497   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
                            1,642,204        13,366        1,655,570        (27,524     1,628,046   

Issuance of hybrid bonds

                    398,518                       398,518               398,518   

Interest on hybrid bonds

                            (8,420            (8,420            (8,420

Treasury stock

             271,536                              271,536               271,536   

Business combination under common control

             (61,854                           (61,854            (61,854

Changes in ownership in subsidiaries

             (1,809                           (1,809     (256,054     (257,863
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance, December 31, 2013

   44,639         (81,010     398,518         13,102,495        (12,270     13,452,372        714,185        14,166,557   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-8


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)    Controlling interest     Non-
controlling
interests
       
     Share capital      Capital surplus
(deficit) and
other capital
adjustments
    Hybrid
bonds
     Retained
earnings
    Reserves     Sub-total       Total equity  

Balance, January 1, 2014

   44,639         (81,010     398,518         13,102,495        (12,270     13,452,372        714,185        14,166,557   

Cash dividends

                            (666,802            (666,802     (170     (666,972

Total comprehensive income

                  

Profit (loss) for the year

                            1,801,178               1,801,178        (1,858     1,799,320   

Other comprehensive income (loss)

                            (31,440     7,781        (23,659     (4,827     (28,486
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
                            1,769,738        7,781        1,777,519        (6,685     1,770,834   

Interest on hybrid bonds

                            (16,840            (16,840            (16,840

Changes in consolidation scope

                                                 23,667        23,667   

Business combination under common control

             (28,641                           (28,641            (28,641

Changes in ownership in subsidiaries

             (10,869                           (10,869     10,534        (335
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance, December 31, 2014

   44,639         (120,520     398,518         14,188,591        (4,489     14,506,739        741,531        15,248,270   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-9


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)    2014     2013     2012  

Cash flows from operating activities:

      

Cash generated from operating activities

      

Profit for the year

   1,799,320        1,609,549        1,115,663   

Adjustments for income and expenses (Note 39)

     2,978,995        3,275,376        3,289,861   

Changes in assets and liabilities related to operating activities
(Note 39)

     (707,333     (969,870     204,308   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

     4,070,982        3,915,055        4,609,832   

Interest received

     56,706        64,078        88,711   

Dividends received

     13,048        10,197        27,732   

Interest paid

     (280,847     (300,104     (363,685

Income tax paid

     (182,504     (130,656     (362,926
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

     3,677,385        3,558,570        3,999,664   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash flows from investing activities:

      

Cash inflows from investing activities:

      

Decrease in short-term financial instruments, net

     5,627        186,425        464,531   

Decrease in short-term investment securities, net

                   65,000   

Collection of short-term loans

     207,439        290,856        282,658   

Proceeds from disposals of long-term financial instruments

     2,535        16        23   

Proceeds from disposals of long-term investment securities

     65,287        287,777        511,417   

Proceeds from disposals of investments in associates and
joint ventures

     7,333        43,249        1,518   

Proceeds from disposals of property and equipment

     25,143        12,579        271,122   

Proceeds from disposals of investment property

                   43,093   

Proceeds from disposals of intangible assets

     10,917        2,256        21,048   

Proceeds from disposal of assets held for sale

     3,667        190,393          

Collection of long-term loans

     4,454        13,104        11,525   

Decrease in deposits

     8,891        8,509        41,785   

Proceeds from disposals of other non-current assets

     94        683        1,853   

Proceeds from disposals of subsidiaries

            215,939        89,002   

Increase in cash due to acquisitions of subsidiaries

                   26,651   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

     341,387        1,251,786        1,831,226   

Cash outflows for investing activities:

      

Increase in short-term investment securities, net

     (174,209     (45,032       

Increase in short-term loans

     (202,501     (279,926     (245,465

Increase in long-term loans

     (4,341     (4,050     (3,464

Increase in long-term financial instruments

     (2,522     (7,510     (16

Acquisitions of long-term investment securities

     (41,305     (22,141     (92,929

Acquisitions of investments in associates and joint ventures

     (60,020     (97,366     (3,098,833

Acquisitions of property and equipment

     (3,008,026     (2,879,126     (3,394,349

Acquisitions of investment property

                   (129

Acquisitions of intangible assets

     (130,667     (243,163     (146,249

Cash held by disposal group classified as held for sale

     (552            (51,831

Increase in deposits

     (6,903     (83,314     (43,534

Increase in other non-current assets

     (18,233     (1,830     (8,619

Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired

     (375,273     (94,805     (43,389

Decrease in cash due to disposals of a subsidiaries

                   (12,003
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

     (4,024,552     (3,758,263     (7,140,810
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

   (3,683,165     (2,506,477     (5,309,584
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-10


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)    2014     2013     2012  

Cash flows from financing activities:

      

Cash inflows from financing activities:

      

Proceeds from short-term borrowings, net

   102,868                 

Proceeds from issuance of debentures

     1,255,468        1,328,694        2,098,351   

Proceeds from long-term borrowings

     62,552        105,055        2,059,004   

Proceeds from issuance of hybrid bonds

            398,518          

Cash inflows from transaction of derivatives

     200        19,970        87,899   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

     1,421,088        1,852,237        4,245,254   

Cash outflows for financing activities:

      

Decrease in short-term borrowings, net

            (340,245     (61,401

Repayments of long-term account payables-other

     (207,791     (161,575     (102,672

Repayments of debentures

     (1,039,938     (771,976     (1,145,691

Repayments of long-term borrowings

     (23,284     (467,217     (1,660,509

Cash outflows from transactions of derivatives

     (6,444            (5,415

Repayments of finance lease liabilities

     (19,388     (20,342     (20,794

Payments of dividends

     (666,802     (655,946     (655,133

Payments of interest on hybrid bonds

     (16,840              

Decrease in cash from consolidated capital transaction

            (8,093     (8,372
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

     (1,980,487     (2,425,394     (3,659,987
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

     (559,399     (573,157     585,267   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

     (565,179     478,936        (724,653

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year

     1,398,639        920,125        1,650,794   

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

     969        (422     (6,016
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year

   834,429        1,398,639        920,125   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-11


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

1. Reporting Entity

(1)    General

SK Telecom Co., Ltd. (“the Parent Company”) was incorporated in March 1984 under the laws of the Republic of Korea (“Korea”) to engage in providing cellular telephone communication services in Korea. The Parent Company mainly provides wireless telecommunications in Korea. The Parent Company’s common shares and depositary receipts (DRs) are listed on the Stock Market of Korea Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. As of December 31, 2014, the Parent Company’s total issued shares are held by the following:

 

     Number of
shares
     Percentage of
total shares issued (%)
 

SK Holdings Co., Ltd.

     20,363,452         25.22   

National Pension Service

     5,722,692         7.09   

Institutional investors and other minority stockholders

     44,850,192         55.54   

Treasury stock

     9,809,375         12.15   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total number of shares

     80,745,711         100.00   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

These consolidated financial statements comprise the Parent Company and its subsidiaries (together referred to as the “Group” and individually as “Group entities”). SK Holdings Co, Ltd. is the ultimate controlling entity of the Parent Company.

(2)    List of subsidiaries

The list of subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 is as follows:

 

               Ownership (%)  

Subsidiary

  

Location

  

Primary business

   Dec. 31,
2014
     Dec. 31,
2013
 

SK Telink Co., Ltd.

   Korea    Telecommunication and MVNO service      83.5         83.5   

M&Service Co., Ltd.

   Korea    Data base and internet website service      100.0         100.0   

SK Communications Co., Ltd.

   Korea    Internet website services      64.6         64.6   

Stonebridge Cinema Fund

   Korea    Investment association      56.0         56.0   

Commerce Planet Co., Ltd.

   Korea    Online shopping mall operation agency      100.0         100.0   

SK Broadband Co., Ltd.

   Korea    Telecommunication services      50.6         50.6   

K-net Culture and Contents Venture Fund

   Korea    Investment association      59.0         59.0   

Fitech Focus Limited Partnership II

   Korea    Investment association      66.7         66.7   

Open Innovation Fund

   Korea    Investment association      98.9         98.9   

PS&Marketing Corporation

   Korea    Communications device retail business      100.0         100.0   

Service Ace Co., Ltd.

   Korea    Customer center management service      100.0         100.0   

Service Top Co., Ltd.

   Korea    Customer center management service      100.0         100.0   

Network O&S Co., Ltd.

   Korea    Base station maintenance service      100.0         100.0   

BNCP Co., Ltd.

   Korea    Internet website services      100.0         100.0   

Iconcube Holdings, Inc.(*1)

   Korea    Investment association      100.0           

Iconcube, Inc.(*1)

   Korea    Internet website services      100.0           

SK Planet Co., Ltd.

   Korea    Telecommunication service      100.0         100.0   

Neosnetworks Co., Ltd.(*1,2)

   Korea    Guarding of facilities      66.7           

IRIVER LIMITED(*1,3)

   Korea    Manufacturing digital audio players and other portable media devices.      49.0           

 

F-12


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

               Ownership (%)  

Subsidiary

  

Location

  

Primary business

   Dec. 31,
2014
     Dec. 31,
2013
 

Iriver CS Co., Ltd.(*1)

   Korea    After-sales service and logistics agency      100.0           

iriver Enterprise Ltd.(*1)

   Hong Kong    Management of Chinese subsidiary      100.0           

iriver America Inc.(*1)

   USA    Marketing and sales in North America      100.0           

iriver Inc.(*1)

   USA    Marketing and sales in North America      100.0           

iriver China Co., Ltd.(*1)

   China    Sales and manufacturing MP3,4 in China      100.0           

Dongguan iriver Electronics Co., Ltd.(*1)

   China    Sales and manufacturing e-book in China      100.0           

SK Telecom China Holdings Co., Ltd.

   China    Investment association      100.0         100.0   

Shenzhen E-eye High Tech Co., Ltd.

   China    Manufacturing      65.5         65.5   

SK Global Healthcare Business Group, Ltd.

   Hong Kong    Investment association      100.0         100.0   

SK Planet Japan

   Japan    Digital contents sourcing service      100.0         100.0   

SKT Vietnam PTE. Ltd.

   Singapore    Telecommunication service      73.3         73.3   

SK Planet Global PTE. Ltd.

   Singapore    Digital contents sourcing service      100.0         100.0   

SKP GLOBAL HOLDINGS PTE. LTD.

   Singapore    Investment association      100.0         100.0   

SKT Americas, Inc.

   USA    Information gathering and consulting      100.0         100.0   

SKP America LLC.

   USA    Digital contents sourcing service      100.0         100.0   

YTK Investment Ltd.

   Cayman    Investment association      100.0         100.0   

Atlas Investment

   Cayman    Investment association      100.0         100.0   

Technology Innovation Partners, L.P.

   USA    Investment association      100.0         100.0   

SK Telecom China Fund I L.P.

   Cayman    Investment association      100.0         100.0   

shopkick Management Company, Inc.(*1)

   USA    Investment association      95.2           

shopkick, Inc.(*1)

   USA    Mileage-based online transaction app development      100.0           

 

 

(*1) Changes in subsidiaries are explained in Note 1-(4).

 

(*2) Due to the shareholders’ agreement which grants put option to the non-controlling shareholders, this entity is consolidated as a wholly owned subsidiary in the consolidated financial statements (See Note 11).

 

(*3) Although the Group has less than 50% of the voting rights of IRIVER LIMITED, it is considered to have de facto control since the Group holds significantly more voting rights than any other vote holder or organized group of vote holders, and the other shareholdings are widely dispersed (See Note 11).

In accordance with the Group’s accounting policy relating to the scope of consolidation, small-sized subsidiaries including IM Shopping Inc. were excluded from the list of subsidiaries as the effects on the Group’s consolidated financial statements are not material considering both individual and overall quantitative and qualitative effects.

 

F-13


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(3)    Condensed financial information of subsidiaries

Condensed financial information of subsidiaries as of and for the year ended December 31, 2014 is as follows:

 

(In millions of won)  

Subsidiary

   Total
assets
     Total
liabilities
     Total
equity
    Revenue      Profit
(loss)
 

SK Telink Co., Ltd.

   324,028         184,074         139,954        465,463         13,073   

M&Service Co., Ltd.

     79,476         37,505         41,971        133,789         7,458   

SK Communications Co., Ltd.

     176,168         41,987         134,181        93,910         (18,386

Stonebridge Cinema Fund

     11,137         320         10,817                383   

Commerce Planet Co., Ltd.

     26,078         27,259         (1,193     64,509         933   

SK Broadband Co., Ltd.

     3,109,991         1,988,379         1,121,612        2,654,381         4,307   

K-net Culture and Contents Venture Fund

     21,094         4         21,090                4,920   

Fitech Focus Limited Partnership II

     19,301                 19,301                (2,055

Open Innovation Fund

     21,765                 21,765                (6,266

PS&Marketing Corporation

     544,292         336,221         208,071        1,627,217         2,817   

Service Ace Co., Ltd.

     66,336         37,770         28,566        207,427         3,570   

Service Top Co., Ltd.

     57,032         36,723         20,309        188,835         3,503   

Network O&S Co., Ltd.

     71,348         45,770         25,578        211,916         3,823   

BNCP Co., Ltd.

     6,785         5,887         898        12,869         (1,505

Iconcube Holdings, Inc.(*1)

     1,415         515         900        630         (2,284

SK Planet Co., Ltd.

     2,579,286         746,832         1,832,454        1,512,492         1,593   

Neosnetworks Co., Ltd.

     31,633         13,251         18,382        33,302         (1,989

IRIVER LIMITED(*2)

     61,945         14,392         47,553        53,192         2,345   

SK Telecom China Holdings Co., Ltd.

     37,877         2,335         35,542        12,420         1,058   

Shenzhen E-eye High Tech Co., Ltd.

     15,566         408         15,158        3,637         (1,143

SK Global Healthcare Business Group, Ltd.

     25,874                 25,874                (689

SK Planet Japan

     5,222         1,638         3,584        93         (4,561

SKT Vietnam PTE. Ltd.

     4,242         1,286         2,956                (73

SK Planet Global PTE. Ltd.

     4,215         64         4,151        87         (2,543

SKP GLOBAL HOLDINGS PTE. LTD.

     29,529         11         29,518                (9,716

SKT Americas, Inc.

     42,159         554         41,605        9,100         (5

SKP America LLC.

     297,981         67         297,914                (2,370

YTK Investment Ltd.

     27,944                 27,944                (15,259

Atlas Investment(*3)

     66,825         94         66,731                (6,626

shopkick Management Company, Inc.

     230,925                 230,925                  

shopkick, Inc.

     28,216         13,698         14,518                  

 

 

(*1) The condensed financial information of Iconcube Holdings, Inc. includes financial information of Iconcube, Inc., a subsidiary of Iconcube Holdings, Inc.

 

(*2) The condensed financial information of IRIVER LIMITED includes financial information of iriver CS Co. Ltd., iriver Enterprise Ltd., iriver America Inc., iriver Inc., iriver China Co., Ltd., and Dongguan iriver Electronics Co., Ltd., subsidiaries of IRIVER LIMITED.

 

(*3) The financial information of Atlas Investment includes financial information of Technology Innovation Partners, L.P. and SK Telecom China Fund I L.P., subsidiaries of Atlas Investment.

 

F-14


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

Condensed financial information of subsidiaries as of and for the year ended December 31, 2013 is as follows:

 

(In millions of won)  

Subsidiary

   Total
assets
     Total
liabilities
     Total
equity
    Revenue      Profit
(loss)
 

SK Telink Co., Ltd.

   252,475         125,807         126,668        433,276         16,024   

M&Service Co., Ltd.

     68,587         32,626         35,961        130,178         4,176   

SK Communications Co., Ltd.

     205,792         53,755         152,037        128,272         (41,893

Stonebridge Cinema Fund

     11,974         377         11,597        1         1,320   

Commerce Planet Co., Ltd.

     26,237         27,333         (1,096     56,565         587   

SK Broadband Co., Ltd.

     3,044,349         1,916,721         1,127,628        2,539,366         12,306   

K-net Culture and Contents Venture Fund

     16,181         12         16,169                (16,595

Fitech Focus Limited Partnership II

     21,446                 21,446                (1,179

Open Innovation Fund

     27,996                 27,996                (15,408

PS&Marketing Corporation

     277,300         141,356         135,944        1,095,647         1,369   

Service Ace Co., Ltd.

     56,276         30,667         25,609        187,961         2,995   

Service Top Co., Ltd.

     48,369         30,634         17,735        159,364         3,484   

Network O&S Co., Ltd.

     56,677         32,353         24,324        198,664         2,060   

BNCP Co., Ltd.

     12,108         6,433         5,675        14,819         (9,019

SK Planet Co., Ltd.

     2,528,054         766,841         1,761,213        1,378,211         201,556   

SK Telecom China Holdings Co., Ltd.

     36,261         2,052         34,209        17,025         613   

Shenzhen E-eye High Tech Co., Ltd.

     17,894         1,841         16,053        7,703         (789

SK Global Healthcare Business Group, Ltd.

     27,625                 27,625                831   

SK Planet Japan

     1,793         280         1,513        394         (1,635

SKT Vietnam PTE. Ltd.

     11,773         8,862         2,911                (28,086

SK Planet Global PTE. Ltd.

     697         149         548        331         (1,420

SKP GLOBAL HOLDINGS PTE. LTD.

     20,713         9         20,704                1,542   

SKT Americas, Inc.

     33,876         1,315         32,561        9,207         (6,544

SKP America LLC.

     22,399         12         22,387                  

YTK Investment Ltd.

     42,118                 42,118                (21,764

Atlas Investment(*)

     40,218         101         40,117                (8,248

 

 

(*) The financial information of Atlas Investment includes financial information of Technology Innovation Partners, L.P. and SK Telecom China Fund I L.P., subsidiaries of Atlas Investment.

 

F-15


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

Condensed financial information of subsidiaries as of and for the year ended December 31, 2012 is as follows:

 

(In millions of won)  

Subsidiary

   Total assets      Total
liabilities
     Total
equity
    Revenue      Profit
(loss)
 

SK Telink Co., Ltd.

   241,977         128,191         113,786        341,084         (74,951

SK Communications Co., Ltd.

     265,819         70,483         195,336        197,153         (35,334

PAXNet Co., Ltd.

     31,400         9,173         22,227        34,237         (156

Loen Entertainment, Inc.

     173,079         44,998         128,081        185,016         23,839   

Stonebridge Cinema Fund

     10,965         903         10,062        509         5,707   

Commerce Planet Co., Ltd.

     34,007         35,351         (1,344     52,507         655   

SK Broadband Co., Ltd.

     3,035,657         1,656,923         1,378,734        2,486,317         26,412   

Broadband media Co., Ltd.

     50,574         320,727         (270,153     90,602         (3,396

K-net Culture and Contents Venture Fund

     43,779         15         43,764                (1,778

Fitech Focus Limited Partnership II

     22,547                 22,547                (3,934

Open Innovation Fund

     43,394                 43,394                (788

PS&Marketing Corporation

     317,613         181,737         135,876        1,484,492         (9,662

Service Ace Co., Ltd.

     48,956         24,461         24,495        146,554         3,418   

Service Top Co., Ltd.

     43,332         25,963         17,369        133,705         4,198   

Network O&S Co., Ltd.

     165,818         140,853         24,965        377,909         7,970   

BNCP Co., Ltd.

     24,000         9,367         14,633        26,167         (2,463

SK Planet Co., Ltd.

     1,647,965         381,620         1,266,345        1,034,697         11,977   

Madsmart, Inc.

     1,591         724         867        635         (2,756

SK Telecom China Holdings Co., Ltd.

     35,233         1,782         33,451        25,755         (151

SKY Property Mgmt. Ltd.(*1)

     773,413         294,305         479,108        70,808         10,390   

Shenzhen E-eye High Tech Co., Ltd.

     18,915         1,788         17,127        9,590         (1,068

SK Global Healthcare Business Group, Ltd.

     25,784                 25,784                  

SK Planet Japan

     47         4         43                (63

SKT Vietnam PTE. Ltd.

     38,331         7,904         30,427        990         (8

SK Planet Global PTE. Ltd.

     636         130         506                (526

SKT Americas, Inc.

     36,378         784         35,594        10,712         (10,837

SKP America LLC.

     6,669         2,431         4,238        109         (3,301

YTK Investment Ltd.

     64,036                 64,036                  

Atlas Investment(*2)

     51,065         205         50,860                (4,324

 

 

(*1) The financial information of SKY Property Mgmt. Ltd. includes the financial information of SK China Real Estate Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Sky Property Mgmt. Ltd.

 

(*2) The financial information of Atlas Investment includes financial information of Technology Innovation Partners, L.P. and SK Telecom China Fund I L.P., subsidiaries of Atlas Investment.

 

F-16


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(4)    Changes in subsidiaries

The list of subsidiaries that were newly included in consolidation during the year ended December 31, 2014 is as follows:

 

Subsidiary

  

Reason

Neosnetworks Co., Ltd.

   The Parent Company acquired ownership interests during the year ended December 31, 2014.(See Note 11)

IRIVER LIMITED

  

Iriver CS Co., Ltd.

  

iriver Enterprise Ltd.

  

iriver America Inc.

  

iriver Inc.

  

iriver China Co., Ltd.

  

Dongguan iriver Electronics Co., Ltd.

  

Iconcube Holdings, Inc.

   Established by spinoff from BNCP Co., Ltd. during the year ended December 31, 2014.

Iconcube, Inc.

  

shopkick Management Company, Inc.

   Established by SKP America LLC. during the year ended December 31, 2014.

shopkick, Inc.

   Shopkick Management Company, Inc. acquired ownership interests during the year ended December 31, 2014. (See Note 11)

(5)    The information of significant non-controlling interests of the Group as of and for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows. There were no dividends paid during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 by subsidiaries of which non-controlling interests are significant.

 

(In millions of won)    December 31, 2014  
     SK Communications Co.,
Ltd.
    SK Broadband Co.,
Ltd.
 

Ownership of non-controlling interests (%)

     35.4        49.4   

Current assets

   89,135        463,764   

Non-current assets

     87,033        2,646,227   

Current liabilities

     (41,252     (881,886

Non-current liabilities

     (735     (1,106,493

Net assets

     134,181        1,121,612   

Adjustment for fair value

            111,561   

Net assets of consolidated entities

     134,181        1,233,173   

Carrying amount of non-controlling interests

     47,577        609,638   

Revenue

   93,910        2,654,381   

Profit (loss) for the period

     (18,386     4,307   

Amortization of fair value adjustment

            (1,916

Profit (loss) of the consolidated entities

     (18,386     2,391   

Total comprehensive income (loss)

     530        (10,324

Profit (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests

     (6,519     1,182   

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

   (5,962     431,760   

Net cash used in investing activities

     (17,927     (599,016

Net cash provided by financing activities

            119,484   

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

     (23,889     (47,772

 

F-17


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)    December 31, 2013  
     SK
Communications
Co., Ltd.
    SK
Broadband
Co., Ltd.
 

Ownership of non-controlling interests (%)

     35.4        49.4   

Current assets

   108,100        533,597   

Non-current assets

     97,692        2,510,752   

Current liabilities

     (51,868     (938,385

Non-current liabilities

     (1,887     (978,336

Net assets

     152,037        1,127,628   

Adjustment for fair value

            113,478   

Net assets of consolidated entities

     152,037        1,241,106   

Carrying amount of non-controlling interests

     53,856        613,560   

Revenue

   128,272        2,539,366   

Profit (loss) for the period

     (41,893     12,306   

Amortization of fair value adjustment

            (30,977

Loss of the consolidated entities

     (41,893     (18,671

Total comprehensive loss

     (43,318     (13,059

Loss attributable to non-controlling interests

     (14,853     (9,231

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

   (22,867     440,036   

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

     41,788        (329,346

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

     19        (129,181

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

     18,940        (18,491

 

(In millions of won)    December 31, 2012  
     SK
Communications
Co., Ltd.
    SK
Broadband
Co.,
Ltd.(*1)
    SKY
Property
Mgmt.
Ltd.(*2)
 

Ownership of non-controlling interests (%)

     35.4        49.4        40.0   

Revenue

   197,153        2,492,160        70,808   

Profit (loss) for the period

     (35,334     22,499        10,390   

Amortization of fair value adjustment

            (72,192       

Profit (loss) of the consolidated entities

     (35,334     (49,693     10,390   

Total comprehensive Income (loss)

     (36,785     17,397        (23,948

Profit (loss) attribute to non-controlling interests

     (12,525     (24,595     4,156   

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

   (14,925     375,848        16,258   

Net cash provided by (used in) Investing activities

     5,319        (287,975     (396

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

     92        (224,837     (1,405

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

     (9,514     (136,964     14,457   

 

 

(*1) The financial information of SK Broadband Co., Ltd. includes the financial information of Broadband media Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of SK Broadband Co., Ltd.

 

(*2) The financial information of SKY Property Mgmt. Ltd. includes the financial information of SK China Real Estate Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Sky Property Mgmt. Ltd.

 

F-18


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

2. Basis of Presentation

(1)    Statement of compliance

These consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”).

The consolidated financial statements were authorized for issuance by the Board of Directors on February 5, 2015.

(2)    Basis of measurement

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, except for the following material items in the consolidated statements of financial position:

 

   

derivative financial instruments are measured at fair value

 

   

financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss are measured at fair value

 

   

available-for-sale financial assets are measured at fair value

 

   

liabilities for defined benefit plans are recognized at the net of the total present value of defined benefit obligations less the fair value of plan assets

(3)    Functional and presentation currency

Financial statements of Group entities within the Group are presented in functional currency and the currency of the primary economic environment in which each entity operates. Consolidated financial statements of the Group are presented in Korean won, which is the Parent Company’s functional and presentation currency.

(4)    Use of estimates and judgments

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period prospectively.

1)    Critical judgments

Information about critical judgments in applying accounting policies that have the most significant effect on the amounts recognized in the consolidated financial statements is included in the following notes:

 

   

revenue : See Note 4-(22)

 

   

consolidation : See Note 4-(2)

 

   

classification of lease : See Note 4-(14)

2)    Assumptions and estimation uncertainties

Information about assumptions and estimation uncertainties that have a significant risk of resulting in a material adjustment within the next financial year are included in the following notes: allowance for doubtful accounts, estimated useful lives of property and equipment and intangible assets, impairment of goodwill, recognition of provision, measurement of defined benefit obligations, recognition of deferred tax assets (liabilities), and commitments and contingencies.

 

F-19


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

3)    Fair value measurement

Group’s accounting policies and disclosures require the measurement of fair values, for both financial and non-financial assets and liabilities. The Group has an established control framework with respect to the measurement of fair values. This includes a valuation team that has overall responsibility for overseeing all significant fair value measurements, including Level 3 fair values, and reports directly to the finance executive.

The valuation team regularly reviews significant unobservable inputs and valuation adjustments. If third party information, such as broker quotes or pricing services, is used to measure fair values, then the valuation team assesses the evidence obtained from the third parties to support the conclusion that such valuations meet the requirements of IFRS, including the level in the fair value hierarchy in which such valuations should be classified.

When measuring the fair value of an asset or a liability, the Group uses market observable data as far as possible. Fair values are categorized into different levels in a fair value hierarchy based on the inputs used in the valuation techniques as follows.

 

   

Level 1: quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

   

Level 2: inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices).

 

   

Level 3: inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs).

If the inputs used to measure the fair value of an asset or a liability fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, then the fair value measurement is categorized in its entirety in the same level of the fair value hierarchy as the lowest level input that is significant to the entire measurement. The Group recognizes transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy at the end of the reporting period during which the change has occurred.

Information about assumptions used for fair value measurements are included in Note 35.

(5)    Common control transactions

SK Holdings Co., Ltd. (“the Ultimate Controlling Entity”) is the Ultimate Controlling Entity of the Parent Company because it controls the Parent Company. Accordingly, gains and losses from business acquisitions and dispositions involving entities that are under the control of the Ultimate Controlling Entity are accounted for as common control transactions within equity.

 

3. Changes in Accounting Policies

Except for the changes below, the Group has consistently applied the accounting policies set out in Note 4 to all periods presented in these consolidated financial statements.

The Group has adopted the following amendments to standards with a date of initial application of January 1, 2014.

(1)    Offsetting a financial asset and a financial liability

The Group has adopted amendments to IAS 32, ‘Financial Instruments: Presentation’, since January 1, 2014. The amendments clarify the meaning of ‘currently has a legally enforceable right of set-off’ in paragraph 42(a). According to the amendments, the right to set off should not be contingent on a future event, and legally enforceable in the normal course of business, in the event of default, and in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the entity and all of the counterparties. The amendments also state that some gross settlement systems would be considered equivalent to net settlement if they eliminate or result in insignificant credit and liquidity risk and process receivables and payables in a single settlement process or cycle.

There is no material impact of the application of this amendment on the consolidated financial statements.

 

F-20


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

4. Significant Accounting Policies

The significant accounting policies applied by the Group in preparation of its consolidated financial statements are included below. The accounting policies set out below have been applied consistently to all periods presented in these consolidated financial statements except for those as described in Note 3.

(1)    Operating segments

An operating segment is a component of the Group that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses, including revenues and expenses that relate to transactions with any of the Group’s other components. The Group’s operating segments have been determined to be each business unit, for which the Group generates separately identifiable financial information that is regularly reported to the chief operating decision maker for the purpose of resource allocation and assessment of segment performance. The Group has three reportable segments which consist of cellular services, fixed-line telecommunication services and others, as described in Note 5. Segment results that are reported to the chief operating decision maker include items directly attributable to a segment as well as those that can be allocated on a reasonable basis.

The group’s chief operating decision maker receives and reviews operating income based on Korean IFRS as the measure of segment profit and loss for each operating segment. Segment operating income differs from consolidated operating income from continuing operations used in the Group’s consolidated statements of income. Segment operating income does not include certain items such as fee revenues, gain/loss from disposal of property, plant, equipment and intangible assets, impairment losses on property, plant, equipment and intangible assets, donations, bad debt expense and penalties. The chief operating decision maker does not receive any information about segment assets and liabilities. Segment information does not include the Group’s discontinued operations information. See Note 38 for details on discontinued operations.

(2)    Basis of consolidation

(i)    Business combination

A business combination is accounted for by applying the acquisition method, unless it is a combination involving entities or businesses under common control.

Consideration transferred is generally measured at fair value, identical to the measurement of identifiable net assets acquired at fair value. If goodwill incurs as a result of business combination, the Group performs impairment test on an annual basis and recognizes gain from bargain purchases through profit or loss. Acquisition-related costs are expensed in the periods in which the costs are incurred and the services are received excluding costs to issue debt or equity securities recognized based on IAS 32 and 39.

Consideration transferred does not include the amount settled in relation to the pre-existing relationship and the amount settled in relation to the pre-existing relationship is generally recognized through profit or loss.

Contingent consideration is measured at fair value at the acquisition date. Contingent consideration classified as equity is not remeasured and its subsequent settlement is accounted for within equity. If contingent consideration is not classified as equity, the Group subsequently recognizes changes in fair value of contingent consideration and recognizes through profit or loss.

Entire or certain portion of market-based measure of replacement award for share-based payment transactions of the acquiree or the replacement of an acquiree’s share-based payment transactions with share-based payment transactions of the acquirer is included in measurement of contingent considerations. Portion of a replacement award that is part of the consideration transferred for the acquiree and the portion that is remuneration for post-combination service is determined by comparing market-based measure of the awards of acquire and replacement awards that is attributable to pre-combination service.

 

F-21


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(ii)    Non-controlling interests

The Group measure at the acquisition date components of non-controlling interests in the acquiree that are present ownership interests and entitle their holders to a proportionate share of the acquiree’s net assets.

Changes in a Controlling Company’s ownership interest in a subsidiary that do not result in the Controlling Company losing control of the subsidiary are accounted for as equity transactions.

(iii)    Subsidiaries

Subsidiaries are entities controlled by the Group. The Group controls an investee when it is exposed, or has rights, to variable returns from its involvement with the investee and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over the investee. Consolidation of an investee begins from the date the Group obtains control of the investee and cease when the Group loses control of the investee.

(iv)    Loss of control

If the Group loses control of a subsidiary, the Group derecognizes the assets and liabilities of the former subsidiary from the consolidated statement of financial position and recognizes gain or loss associated with the loss of control attributable to the former controlling interest. Any investment retained in the former subsidiary is recognized at its fair value when control is lost.

(v)    Interest in investees accounted for using the equity method

Interest in investees accounted for using the equity method composed of interest in associates and joint ventures. An associate is an entity in which the Group has significant influence, but not control, over the entity’s financial and operating policies. A joint venture is a joint arrangement whereby the Group that has joint control of the arrangement have rights to the net assets of the arrangement.

The investment in an associate and a joint venture is initially recognized at cost including transaction costs and the carrying amount is increased or decreased to recognize the Group’s share of the profit or loss and changes in equity of the associate or the joint venture after the date of acquisition.

(vi)    Intra-group transactions

Intra-group balances and transactions, and any unrealized income and expenses arising from intra-group transactions, are eliminated in preparing the consolidated financial statements. The Group’s share of unrealized gain incurred from transactions with investees accounted for using the equity method are eliminated and unrealized loss are eliminated using the same basis if there are no evidence of asset impairments.

(vii)    Business combinations under common control

The assets and liabilities acquired from the combination of entities or business under common control are recognized at the carrying amounts in the ultimate controlling shareholder’s consolidated financial statements. The difference between consideration and carrying amount of net assets acquired is added to or subtracted from other capital adjustments.

(3)    Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash balances and call deposits with maturities of three months or less from the acquisition date that are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in their fair value, and are used by the Group in the management of its short-term commitments.

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(4)    Inventories

Inventories are stated at the acquisition cost using the average method. During the period, a perpetual inventory system is used to value inventories, which is adjusted to the physical inventory counts performed at the period end. When the net realizable value of inventories is less than the acquisition cost, the carrying amount is reduced to the net realizable value and any difference is charged to current operations as operating expenses. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less the estimated costs of completion and selling expenses.

(5)    Non-derivative financial assets

The Group recognizes and measures non-derivative financial assets by the following four categories: financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, held-to-maturity investments, loans and receivables and available-for-sale financial assets. The Group recognizes financial assets in the consolidated statement of financial position when the Group becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Upon initial recognition, non-derivative financial assets are measured at their fair value plus, in the case of a financial asset not at fair value through profit or loss, transaction costs that are directly attributable to the asset’s acquisition or issuance.

(i)    Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

A financial asset is classified as financial assets are classified at fair value through profit or loss if it is held for trading or is designated as such upon initial recognition. Upon initial recognition, transaction costs are recognized in profit or loss when incurred. Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss are measured at fair value, and changes therein are recognized in profit or loss.

(ii)    Held-to-maturity investments

A non-derivative financial asset with a fixed or determinable payment and fixed maturity, for which the Group has the positive intention and ability to hold to maturity, are classified as held-to-maturity investments. Subsequent to initial recognition, held-to-maturity investments are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest rate method.

(iii)    Loans and receivables

Loans and receivables are financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market. Subsequent to initial recognition, loans and receivables are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method except for loans and receivables of which the effect of discounting is immaterial.

(iv)    Available-for-sale financial assets

Available-for-sale financial assets are those non-derivative financial assets that are designated as available-for-sale or are not classified as financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, held-to-maturity investments or loans and receivables. Subsequent to initial recognition, they are measured at fair value, which changes in fair value, net of any tax effect, recorded in other comprehensive income in equity. Investments in equity instruments that do not have a quoted market price in an active market and whose fair value cannot be reliably measured are measured at cost.

(v)    De-recognition of financial assets

The Group derecognizes a financial asset when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire, or it transfers the rights to receive the contractual cash flows on the financial asset in a transaction in which substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the financial asset are transferred. Any interest in transferred

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

financial assets that is created or retained by the Group is recognized as a separate asset or liability. If the Group retains substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the transferred financial assets, the Group continues to recognize the transferred financial assets and recognizes financial liabilities for the consideration received.

(vi)    Offsetting between financial assets and financial liabilities

Financial assets and financial liabilities are offset and the net amount is presented in the consolidated statement of financial position only when the Group currently has a legally enforceable right to offset the recognized amounts, and there is the intention to settle on a net basis or to realize the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

(6)    Derivative financial instruments, including hedge accounting

Derivatives are initially recognized at fair value. Subsequent to initial recognition, derivatives are measured at fair value, and changes therein are accounted for as described below.

(i)    Hedge accounting

The Group holds forward exchange contracts, interest rate swaps, currency swaps and other derivative contracts to manage interest rate risk and foreign exchange risk. The Group designated derivatives as hedging instruments to hedge the risk of changes in the fair value of assets, liabilities or firm commitments (a fair value hedge) and foreign currency risk of highly probable forecasted transactions or firm commitments (a cash flow hedge).

On initial designation of the hedge, the Group formally documents the relationship between the hedging instrument(s) and hedged item(s), including the risk management objectives and strategy in undertaking the hedge transaction, together with the methods that will be used to assess the effectiveness of the hedging relationship.

Fair value hedge

Changes in the fair value of a derivative hedging instrument designated as a fair value hedge are recognized in profit or loss. The gain or loss from remeasuring the hedging instrument at fair value for a derivative hedging instrument and the gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk are recognized in profit or loss in the same line item of the consolidated statement of income. The Group discontinues fair value hedge accounting if the hedging instrument expires or is sold, terminated or exercised, or if the hedge no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting. Any adjustment arising from gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk is amortized to profit or loss from the date the hedge accounting is discontinued.

Cash flow hedge

When a derivative is designated to hedge the variability in cash flows attributable to a particular risk associated with a recognized asset or liability or a highly probable forecasted transaction that could affect profit or loss, the effective portion of changes in the fair value of the derivative is recognized in other comprehensive income, net of tax, and presented in the hedging reserve in equity. Any ineffective portion of changes in the fair value of the derivative is recognized immediately in profit or loss. If the hedging instrument no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting, expires or is sold, terminated, exercised, or the designation is revoked, then hedge accounting is discontinued prospectively. The cumulative gain or loss on the hedging instrument that has been recognized in other comprehensive income is reclassified to profit or loss in the periods during which the forecasted transaction occurs. If the forecasted transaction is no longer expected to occur, then the balance in other comprehensive income is recognized immediately in profit or loss.

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(ii)    Separable embedded derivatives

Embedded derivatives are separated from the host contract and accounted for separately only if the following criteria have been met:

 

  (a) the economic characteristics and risks of the embedded derivative are not closely related to those of the host contract;

 

  (b) a separate instrument with the same terms as the embedded derivative would meet the definition of a derivative; and

 

  (c) the hybrid instrument is not measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in profit or loss.

Changes in the fair value of separable embedded derivatives are recognized immediately in profit or loss.

(iii)    Other derivative financial instruments

Changes in the fair value of other derivative financial instrument not designated as a hedging instrument are recognized immediately in profit or loss.

(7)    Impairment of financial assets

A financial asset not carried at fair value through profit or loss is assessed at each reporting date to determine whether there is objective evidence that it is impaired. A financial asset is impaired if objective evidence indicates that a loss event has occurred after the initial recognition of the asset, and that the loss event had a negative effect on the estimated future cash flows of that asset that can be estimated reliably. However, losses expected as a result of future events, regardless of likelihood, are not recognized.

Objective evidence that a financial asset is impaired includes following loss events:

 

   

significant financial difficulty of the issuer or obligor;

 

   

a breach of contract, such as default or delinquency in interest or principal payments;

 

   

the lender, for economic or legal reasons relating to the borrower’s financial difficulty, granting to the borrower a concession that the lender would not otherwise consider;

 

   

it becoming probable that the borrower will enter bankruptcy or other financial reorganization;

 

   

the disappearance of an active market for that financial asset because of financial difficulties; or

 

   

observable data indicating that there is a measurable decrease in the estimated future cash flows from a group of financial assets since the initial recognition of those assets, although the decrease cannot yet be identified with the individual financial assets in the group

In addition, for an investment in an equity security, a significant or prolonged decline in its fair value below its cost is objective evidence of impairment.

If financial assets have objective evidence that they are impaired, impairment losses should be measured and recognized.

(i)    Financial assets measured at amortized cost

An impairment loss in respect of a financial asset measured at amortized cost is calculated as the difference between its carrying amount and the present value of its estimated future cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. If it is not practicable to obtain the instrument’s estimated future cash flows, impairment losses would be measured by using prices from any observable current market transactions. The Group can recognize impairment losses directly or establish a provision to cover impairment losses. If, in a subsequent

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

period, the amount of the impairment loss decreases and the decrease can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment was recognized (such as an improvement in the debtor’s credit rating), the previously recognized impairment loss shall be reversed either directly or by adjusting an allowance account.

(ii)    Financial assets carried at cost

If there is objective evidence that an impairment loss has occurred on an unquoted equity instrument that is not carried at fair value because its fair value cannot be reliably measured, or on a derivative asset that is linked to and must be settled by delivery of such an unquoted equity instrument, the amount of the impairment loss is measured as the difference between the carrying amount of the financial asset and the present value of estimated future cash flows discounted at the current market rate of return for a similar financial asset. Such impairment losses shall not be reversed.

(iii)    Available-for-sale financial assets

When a decline in the fair value of an available-for-sale financial asset has been recognized in other comprehensive income and there is objective evidence that the asset is impaired, the cumulative loss that had been recognized in other comprehensive income shall be reclassified from equity to profit or loss as a reclassification adjustment even though the financial asset has not been derecognized. Impairment losses recognized in profit or loss for an investment in an equity instrument classified as available-for-sale shall not be reversed through profit or loss. If, in a subsequent period, the fair value of a debt instrument classified as available-for-sale increases and the increase can be objectively related to an event occurring after the impairment loss was recognized in profit or loss, the impairment loss shall be reversed, with the amount of the reversal recognized in profit or loss.

(8)    Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are initially measured at cost and after initial recognition, are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. The cost of property, plant and equipment includes expenditures arising directly from the construction or acquisition of the asset, any costs directly attributable to bringing the asset to the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by management and the initial estimate of the costs of dismantling and removing the item and restoring the site on which it is located.

Subsequent to initial recognition, an item of property, plant and equipment is carried at its cost less any accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses.

Subsequent costs are recognized in the carrying amount of property, plant and equipment at cost or, if appropriate, as separate items if it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the Group and the cost of the item can be measured reliably. The carrying amount of the replaced part is derecognized. The costs of the day-to-day servicing are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

Property, plant and equipment, except for land, are depreciated on a straight-line basis over estimated useful lives that appropriately reflect the pattern in which the asset’s future economic benefits are expected to be consumed. A component that is significant compared to the total cost of property, plant and equipment is depreciated over its separate useful life.

Gains and losses on disposal of an item of property, plant and equipment are determined by comparing the proceeds from disposal with the carrying amount of property, plant and equipment and are recognized as other non-operating income (loss).

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

The estimated useful lives of the Group’s property, plant and equipment are as follows:

 

     Useful lives (years)  

Buildings and structures

     15 ~ 40   

Machinery

     3 ~ 15   

Other property, plant and equipment (“Other PP&E”)

     4 ~ 10   

Depreciation methods, useful lives and residual values are reviewed at the end of each reporting date and adjusted, if appropriate. The change is accounted for as a change in an accounting estimate.

(9)    Borrowing costs

The Group capitalizes borrowing costs directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of a qualifying asset as part of the cost of that asset. Other borrowing costs are recognized in expense as incurred. A qualifying asset is an asset that requires a substantial period of time to get ready for its intended use or sale. Financial assets and inventories that are manufactured or otherwise produced over a short period of time are not qualifying assets. Assets that are ready for their intended use or sale when acquired are not qualifying assets.

To the extent that the Group borrows funds specifically for the purpose of obtaining a qualifying asset, the Group determines the amount of borrowing costs eligible for capitalization as the actual borrowing costs incurred on that borrowing during the period less any investment income on the temporary investment of those borrowings. To the extent that the Group borrows funds generally and uses them for the purpose of obtaining a qualifying asset, the Group shall determine the amount of borrowing costs eligible for capitalization by applying a capitalization rate to the expenditures on that asset. The capitalization rate shall be the weighted average of the borrowing costs applicable to the borrowings of the Group that are outstanding during the period, other than borrowings made specifically for the purpose of obtaining a qualifying asset. The amount of borrowing costs that the Group capitalizes during a period shall not exceed the amount of borrowing costs incurred during that period.

(10)    Intangible assets

Intangible assets are measured initially at cost and, subsequently, are carried at cost less accumulated amortization and accumulated impairment losses.

Amortization of intangible assets except for goodwill is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of intangible assets from the date that they are available for use. The residual value of intangible assets is zero. However, as there are no foreseeable limits to the periods over which club memberships are expected to be available for use, this intangible asset is determined as having indefinite useful lives and not amortized.

The estimated useful lives of the Group’s intangible assets are as follows:

 

     Useful lives (years)

Frequency use rights

   6.3 ~ 13.1

Land use rights

   5

Industrial rights

   5, 10

Development costs

   5

Facility usage rights

   10, 20

Customer relations

   3 ~ 7

Other

   3 ~ 20

Amortization periods and the amortization methods for intangible assets with finite useful lives are reviewed at the end of each reporting period. The useful lives of intangible assets that are not being amortized are reviewed at the end of each reporting period to determine whether events and circumstances continue to support indefinite useful life assessments for those assets. Changes are accounted for as changes in accounting estimates.

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

Expenditures on research activities, undertaken with the prospect of gaining new scientific or technical knowledge and understanding, are recognized in profit or loss as incurred. Development expenditures are capitalized only if development costs can be measured reliably, the product or process is technically and commercially feasible, future economic benefits are probable, and the Group intends to and has sufficient resources to complete development and to use or sell the asset. Other development expenditures are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

Subsequent expenditures are capitalized only when they increase the future economic benefits embodied in the specific asset to which it relates. All other expenditures, including expenditures on internally generated goodwill and brands, are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

(11)    Government grants

Government grants are not recognized unless there is reasonable assurance that the Group will comply with the grant’s conditions and that the grant will be received.

(i)    Grants related to assets

Government grants whose primary condition is that the Group purchase, construct or otherwise acquire long-term assets are deducted in calculating the carrying amount of the asset. The grant is recognized in profit or loss over the life of a depreciable asset as a reduction to depreciation expense.

(ii)    Grants related to income

Government grants which are intended to compensate the Group for expenses incurred are deducted from the related expenses.

(12)    Investment property

Property held for the purpose of earning rentals or benefiting from capital appreciation is classified as investment property. Investment property is initially measured at its cost. Transaction costs are included in the initial measurement. Subsequently, investment property is carried at depreciated cost less any accumulated impairment losses.

Subsequent costs are recognized in the carrying amount of investment property at cost or, if appropriate, as separate items if it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the Group and the cost of the item can be measured reliably. The carrying amount of the replaced part is derecognized. The costs of the day-to-day servicing are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

Investment property except for land, are depreciated on a straight-line basis over 15~40 years as estimated useful lives.

Depreciation methods, useful lives and residual values are reviewed at the end of each reporting date and adjusted, if appropriate. The change is accounted for as a change in an accounting estimate.

(13)    Impairment of non-financial assets

The carrying amounts of the Group’s non-financial assets, other than assets arising from employee benefits, inventories, deferred tax assets and non-current assets held for sale, are reviewed at the end of the reporting period to determine whether there is any indication of impairment. If any such indication exists, then the asset’s recoverable amount is estimated. Goodwill and intangible assets that have indefinite useful lives or that are not yet available for use, irrespective of whether there is any indication of impairment, are tested for impairment annually by comparing their recoverable amount to their carrying amount.

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

The Group estimates the recoverable amount of an individual asset, if it is impossible to measure the individual recoverable amount of an asset, then the Group estimates the recoverable amount of cash-generating unit (“CGU”). A CGU is the smallest identifiable group of assets that generates cash inflows that are largely independent of the cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets. The recoverable amount of an asset or CGU is the greater of its value in use and its fair value less costs to sell. The value in use is estimated by applying a pre-tax discount rate that reflect current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset or CGU for which estimated future cash flows have not been adjusted, to the estimated future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset or CGU.

An impairment loss is recognized in profit or loss if the carrying amount of an asset or a CGU exceeds its recoverable amount.

Goodwill acquired in a business combination is allocated to each CGU that is expected to benefit from the synergies arising from the goodwill acquired. Any impairment identified at the CGU level will first reduce the carrying value of goodwill and then be used to reduce the carrying amount of the other assets in the CGU on a pro rata basis. Except for impairment losses in respect of goodwill which are never reversed, an impairment loss is reversed if there has been a change in the estimates used to determine the recoverable amount. An impairment loss is reversed only to the extent that the asset’s carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined, net of depreciation or amortization, if no impairment loss had been recognized.

(14)    Leases

The Group classifies and accounts for leases as either a finance or operating lease, depending on the terms. Leases where the Group assumes substantially all of the risks and rewards of ownership are classified as finance leases. All other leases are classified as operating leases.

(i)    Finance leases

At the commencement of the lease term, the Group recognizes as finance assets and finance liabilities in its consolidated statements of financial position, the lower amount of the fair value of the leased property and the present value of the minimum lease payments, each determined at the inception of the lease. Any initial direct costs are added to the amount recognized as an asset.

Minimum lease payments are apportioned between the finance charge and the reduction of the outstanding liability. The finance charge is allocated to each period during the lease term so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability. Contingent rents are charged as expenses in the periods in which they are incurred.

The depreciable amount of a leased asset is allocated to each accounting period during the period of expected use on a systematic basis consistent with the depreciation policy the lessee adopts for depreciable assets that are owned. If there is no reasonable certainty that the lessee will obtain ownership by the end of the lease term, the asset is fully depreciated over the shorter of the lease term and its useful life. The Group reviews to determine whether the leased asset may be impaired.

(ii)    Operating leases

Leases where the lessor retains a significant portion of the risks and rewards of ownership are classified as operating leases. Payments made under operating leases (net of any incentives received from the lessor) are recognized in profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the period of the lease.

(iii)    Determining whether an arrangement contains a lease

Determining whether an arrangement is, or contains, a lease shall be based on the substance of the arrangement and requires an assessment of whether fulfillment of the arrangement is dependent on the use of a specific asset or assets (the asset) and the arrangement conveys a right to use the asset.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

At inception or reassessment of the arrangement, the Group separates payments and other consideration required by such an arrangement into those for the lease and those for other elements on the basis of their relative fair values. If the Group concludes for a financial lease that it is impracticable to separate the payments reliably, the Group recognizes an asset and a liability at an amount equal to the fair value of the underlying asset that was identified as the subject of the lease. Subsequently, the liability shall be reduced as payments are made and an imputed finance charge on the liability recognized using the purchaser’s incremental borrowing rate of interest.

(15)    Non-current assets held for sale

Non-current assets, or disposal groups comprising assets and liabilities, that are expected to be recovered primarily through sale rather than through continuing use, are classified as held for sale. In order to be classified as held for sale, the asset (or disposal group) must be available for immediate sale in its present condition and its sale must be highly probable. The assets or disposal group that are classified as non-current assets held for sale are measured at the lower of their carrying amount and fair value less cost to sell. The Group recognizes an impairment loss for any initial or subsequent write-down of an asset (or disposal group) to fair value less costs to sell, and a gain for any subsequent increase in fair value less costs to sell, up to the cumulative impairment loss previously recognized in accordance with IAS 36, ‘Impairment of Assets’.

A non-current asset that is classified as held for sale or part of a disposal group classified as held for sale is not depreciated (or amortized).

(16)    Non-derivative financial liabilities

The Group classifies non-derivative financial liabilities into financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss or other financial liabilities in accordance with the substance of the contractual arrangement and the definitions of financial liabilities. The Group recognizes financial liabilities in the consolidated statement of financial position when the Group becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the financial liability.

(i)    Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss

Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss include financial liabilities held for trading or designated as such upon initial recognition. Subsequent to initial recognition, financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss are measured at fair value, and changes therein are recognized in profit or loss. Upon initial recognition, transaction costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

(ii)    Other financial liabilities

Non-derivative financial liabilities other than financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss are classified as other financial liabilities. At the date of initial recognition, other financial liabilities are measured at fair value minus transaction costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition. Subsequent to initial recognition, other financial liabilities are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method.

The Group derecognizes a financial liability from the consolidated statement of financial position when it is extinguished (i.e. when the obligation specified in the contract is discharged, cancelled or expires).

(17)    Employee benefits

(i)    Short-term employee benefits

Short-term employee benefits are employee benefits that are due to be settled within 12 months after the end of the period in which the employees render the related service. When an employee has rendered service to the Group during an accounting period, the Group recognizes the undiscounted amount of short-term employee benefits expected to be paid in exchange for that service.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(ii)    Other long-term employee benefits

Other long-term employee benefits include employee benefits that are settled beyond 12 months after the end of the period in which the employees render the related service, and are calculated at the present value of the amount of future benefit that employees have earned in return for their service in the current and prior periods. Any changes from remeasurements are recognized through profit or loss in the period in which they arise.

(iii)    Retirement benefits: defined contribution plans

When an employee has rendered service to the Group during a period, the Group recognizes the contribution payable to a defined contribution plan in exchange for that service as a liability (accrued expense), after deducting any contribution already paid. If the contribution already paid exceeds the contribution due for service before the end of the reporting period, the Group recognizes that excess as an asset (prepaid expense) to the extent that the prepayment will lead to a reduction in future payments or a cash refund.

(iv)    Retirement benefits: defined benefit plans

As of the end of reporting period, defined benefits liabilities relating to defined benefit plans are recognized as present value of defined benefit obligations net of fair value of plan assets.

The calculation is performed annually by an independent actuary using the projected unit credit method. When the fair value of plan assets exceeds the present value of the defined benefit obligations, the Group recognizes an asset, to the extent of the present value of any economic benefits available in the form of refunds from the plan or reduction in the future contributions to the plan.

Remeasurements of the net defined benefit liability comprise of actuarial gains and losses, the return on plan assets excluding amounts included in net interest on the net defined benefit liability, and any change in the effect of the asset ceiling, excluding amounts included in net interest on the net defined benefit liability and recognized in other comprehensive income. The Group determines net interests on net defined benefit liability (asset) by multiplying discount rate determined at the beginning of the annual reporting period and considers changes in net defined benefit liability (asset) from contributions and benefit payments. Net interest costs and other costs relating to the defined benefit plan are recognized through profit or loss.

When the plan amendment or curtailment occurs, gains or losses on amendment or curtailment in benefits for the past service provided are recognized through profit or loss. The Group recognizes gain or loss on a settlement when the settlement of defined benefit plan occurs.

(v)    Termination benefits

The Group recognizes a liability and expense for termination benefits at the earlier of the period when the Group can no longer withdraw the offer of those benefits and the period when the Group recognizes costs for a restructuring. If benefits are payable more than 12 months after the reporting period, then they are discounted to their present value.

(18)    Provisions

Provisions are recognized when the Group has a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.

The risks and uncertainties that inevitably surround many events and circumstances are taken into account in reaching the best estimate of a provision. Where the effect of the time value of money is material, provisions are determined at the present value of the expected future cash flows.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

Where some or all of the expenditures required to settle a provision are expected to be reimbursed by another party, the reimbursement shall be recognized when, and only when, it is virtually certain that reimbursement will be received if the entity settles the obligation. The reimbursement shall be treated as a separate asset.

Provisions are reviewed at the end of each reporting period and adjusted to reflect the current best estimates. If it is no longer probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation, the provision is reversed.

A provision shall be used only for expenditures for which the provision was originally recognized.

(19)    Foreign currencies

(i)    Foreign currency transactions

Transactions in foreign currencies are translated to the respective functional currencies of Group entities at exchange rates at the dates of the transactions. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated to the functional currency using the reporting date’s exchange rate. Non-monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies that are measured at fair value are retranslated to the functional currency at the exchange rate at the date that the fair value was determined.

Foreign currency differences arising on retranslation are recognized in profit or loss, except for differences arising on the retranslation of available-for-sale equity instruments, a financial liability designated as a hedge of the net investment in a foreign operation, or qualifying cash flow hedges, which are recognized in other comprehensive income. Non-monetary items that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rate at the date of the transaction.

(ii)    Foreign operations

If the presentation currency of the Group is different from a foreign operation’s functional currency, the financial statements of the foreign operation are translated into the presentation currency using the following methods:

The assets and liabilities of foreign operations, whose functional currency is not the currency of a hyperinflationary economy, are translated to presentation currency at exchange rates at the reporting date. The income and expenses of foreign operations are translated to functional currency at exchange rates at the dates of the transactions. Foreign currency differences are recognized in other comprehensive income.

Any goodwill arising on the acquisition of a foreign operation and any fair value adjustments to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities arising on the acquisition of that foreign operation is treated as assets and liabilities of the foreign operation. Thus they are expressed in the functional currency of the foreign operation and translated at the closing rate.

When a foreign operation is disposed of, the relevant amount in the translation is transferred to profit or loss as part of the profit or loss on disposal. On the partial disposal of a subsidiary that includes a foreign operation, the relevant proportion of such cumulative amount is reattributed to non-controlling interest. In any other partial disposal of a foreign operation, the relevant proportion is reclassified to profit or loss.

(20)    Equity capital

Ordinary shares are classified as equity. Incremental costs directly attributable to the issuance of ordinary shares and share options are recognized as a deduction from equity, net of any tax effects.

When the Group repurchases its share capital, the amount of the consideration paid is recognized as a deduction from equity and classified as treasury shares. The profits or losses from the purchase, disposal, reissue, or retirement of treasury shares are not recognized as current profit or loss. If the Group acquires and retains treasury shares, the consideration paid or received is directly recognized in equity.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(21)    Hybrid bond

The Group recognizes a financial instrument issued by the Group as an equity instrument if it does not include contractual obligation to deliver financial assets including cash to the counter party.

(22)    Revenue

Revenue from the sale of goods, rendering of services or use of the Group assets is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable. Returns, trade discounts and volume rebates are recognized as a reduction of revenue.

(i)    Services

Revenue from cellular services consists of revenue from basic charges, voice charges, data charges, data-roaming services and interconnection charges. Such revenues are recognized as services are performed. Revenues received for the activation of service are deferred and recognized over the average customer retention period.

Revenue from fixed-line services includes domestic short and long distance charges, international phone connection charges, and broadband internet services. Such revenues are recognized as the related services are performed.

Revenue from services rendered is recognized in profit or loss in proportion to the stage of completion of the transaction at the reporting date. The stage of completion is assessed by reference to surveys of work performed.

(ii)    Goods sold

Revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence exists, usually in the form of an executed sales agreement, that the significant risks and rewards of ownership have been transferred to the buyer, recovery of the consideration is probable, the associated costs and possible return of goods can be estimated reliably, there is no continuing management involvement with the goods, and the amount of revenue can be measured reliably.

(iii)    Customer loyalty programs

For customer loyalty programs, the fair value of the consideration received or receivable in respect of the initial sale is allocated between the award credits and the other components of the sale. The amount allocated to the award credits is estimated by reference to the fair value of the services to be provided with respect to the redeemable award credits. The fair value of the services to be provided with respect to the redeemable portion of the award credits granted to the customers in accordance with customer loyalty programs is estimated taking into account the expected redemption rate and timing of the expected redemption. Considerations allocated to the award credits are deferred and revenue is recognized when the award credits are recovered and the Group performs its obligation to provide the service. The amount of revenue recognized is based on the relative size of the total award credits that are expected to be redeemed and the redeemed award credits in exchange for services.

(iv)    Bundled arrangements

When the Group sells both handsets and wireless services to subscribers, the Group recognizes these transactions separately as sales for handset sales and wireless telecommunication services.

(23)    Finance income and finance costs

Finance income comprises interest income on funds invested (including available-for-sale financial assets), dividend income, gains on the disposal of available-for-sale financial assets, changes in the fair value of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, and gains on hedging instruments that are recognized in profit or loss. Interest income is recognized as it accrues in profit or loss, using the effective interest rate method. Dividend income is recognized in profit or loss on the date that the Group’s right to receive payment is established.

 

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

Finance costs comprise interest expense on borrowings, unwinding of the discount on provisions, changes in the fair value of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, and losses on hedging instruments that are recognized in profit or loss. Interest expense on borrowings and debentures are recognized in profit or loss using the effective interest rate method.

(24)    Income taxes

Income tax expense comprises current and deferred tax. Current tax and deferred tax are recognized in profit or loss except to the extent that it relates to a business combination, or items recognized directly in equity or in other comprehensive income.

(i)    Current tax

Current tax is the expected tax payable or receivable on the taxable profit or loss for the year, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at the end of the reporting period and any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous years. The taxable profit is different from the accounting profit for the period since the taxable profit is calculated excluding the temporary differences, which will be taxable or deductible in determining taxable profit (tax loss) of future periods, and non-taxable or non-deductible items from the accounting profit.

(ii)    Deferred tax

Deferred tax is recognized, using the asset-liability method, in respect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. The Group recognizes a deferred tax liability for all taxable temporary differences associated with investments in subsidiaries and associates, except to the extent that the Group is able to control the timing of the reversal of the temporary difference and it is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future. The Group recognizes a deferred tax asset for all deductible temporary differences arising from investments in subsidiaries and associates, to the extent that it is probable that the temporary difference will reverse in the foreseeable future and taxable profit will be available against which the temporary difference can be utilized.

The carrying amount of a deferred tax asset is reviewed at the end of each reporting period and reduces the carrying amount to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profit will be available to allow the benefit of part or all of that deferred tax asset to be utilized.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply to the period when the asset is realized or the liability is settled, based on tax rates (and tax laws) that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting period. The measurement of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets reflects the tax consequences that would follow from the manner in which the Group expects, at the end of the reporting period to recover or settle the carrying amount of its assets and liabilities.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset only if (a) there is a legally enforceable right to offset the related current tax liabilities and assets, (b) they relate to income taxes levied by the same tax authority and (c) they intend to settle current tax liabilities and assets on a net basis. Income tax expense in relation to dividend payments is recognized when liabilities relating to the dividend payments are recognized.

(25)    Earnings per share

The Group presents basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS) data for its ordinary shares. Basic EPS is calculated by dividing the profit or loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Parent Company by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period, adjusted for own shares held. Diluted EPS is determined by adjusting the profit or loss attributable to ordinary shareholders and the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding, adjusted for own shares held, for the effects of all dilutive potential ordinary shares, which comprise convertible notes and share options granted to employees.

 

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(26)    Discontinued operations

A discontinued operation is a component of the Group’s business that represents a separate major line of business or geographical area of operations that has been disposed of or is held for sale, or is a subsidiary acquired exclusively with a view to resale. When an operation is classified as a discontinued operation, the comparative consolidated statement of comprehensive income is re-presented as if the operation had been discontinued from the start of the comparative period.

(27)    Recent accounting pronouncements, not yet adopted

The following accounting standards, interpretations and amendments are issued and will be effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2015 and have not been adopted early in preparing these consolidated financial statements.

(i)    Amendments to IAS 19, ‘Employee Benefits’ – Employee contributions

Amendments to IAS 19 introduced a practical expedient to accounting for defined benefit plan, when employees or third parties pay contributions if certain criteria are met. According to the amendments, the entity is permitted to recognize those contributions as a reduction of the service cost in the period in which the related service is rendered, instead of forecast future contributions from employees or third parties and attribute them to periods or service as negative benefits. The amendment is mandatorily effective for annual periods beginning on or after July 1, 2014. Management is in the process of evaluating the impact on the adoption of the amendment.

(ii)    IFRS 9, Financial Instrument

IFRS 9, published in July 2014, replaces the existing guidance in IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement. IFRS 9 includes revised guidance on the classification and measurement of financial instruments, including a new expected credit loss model for calculating impairment on financial assets, and the new general hedge accounting requirements. It also carries forward the guidance on recognition and derecognition of financial instruments from IAS 39. IFRS 9 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018, with early adoption permitted. Management is in the process of evaluating the impact on the adoption of the new standard.

(iii)     IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers

IFRS 15 establishes a comprehensive framework for determining whether, how much and when revenue is recognized. It replaces existing revenue recognition guidance, including IAS 18 Revenue, IAS 11 Construction Contracts and IFRIC 13 Customer Loyalty Programs. IFRS 15 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted. Management is in the process of evaluating the impact on the adoption of the new standard.

 

5. Operating Segments

The Group’s operating segments have been determined to be each business unit, for which the Group provides independent services and merchandise. The Group’s reportable segments are: 1) cellular services, which include cellular voice service, wireless data service and wireless internet services, and 2) fixed-line telecommunication services, which include telephone services, internet services, and leased line services. All other operating segments, which include the Group’s Internet portal services and other operations, do not meet the quantitative thresholds to be considered reportable segments and are presented as Others.

Cellular services include cellular voice service, wireless data service and wireless internet services. Fixed-line telecommunication services include telephone services, internet services, and leased line services. Others include the Group’s Internet portal services, game manufacturing and other immaterial operations.

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

The segment information of the Group as of and for the years ended December 31, 2012 has been retrospectively restated to exclude the discontinued operation related to Loen Entertainment, Inc. (See Note 38-(1)).

(1) Segment information as of and for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 is as follows:

 

(In millions of won)      
    2014  
    Cellular
services
    Fixed-line
telecommu-
nication
services
    Others     Total
segments
    Consolidation
adjustments
    Consolidated
amount
 

Total revenue

  15,248,039        3,119,845        1,884,784        20,252,668        (3,088,870     17,163,798   

Internal revenue

    1,720,158        669,925        698,787        3,088,870        (3,088,870       

External revenue

    13,527,881        2,449,920        1,185,997        17,163,798               17,163,798   

Depreciation and amortization

    2,113,510        501,623        99,597        2,714,730               2,714,730   

Operating income (loss)

    1,754,433        80,423        (9,751     1,825,105        (217,279     1,607,826   

Gain related to investments in subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures, net

              906,338   

Finance income

              126,337   

Finance costs

              (386,673
           

 

 

 

Profit from continuing operations before income tax

              2,253,828   

 

(In millions of won)      
    2013  
    Cellular
services
    Fixed-line
telecommu-
nication
services
    Others     Total
segments
    Consolidation
adjustments
    Consolidated
amount
 

Total revenue

  14,501,829        2,972,642        1,741,599        19,216,070        (2,614,016     16,602,054   

Internal revenue

    1,186,297        648,253        779,466        2,614,016        (2,614,016       

External revenue

    13,315,532        2,324,389        962,133        16,602,054               16,602,054   

Depreciation and amortization

    2,019,531        522,155        119,937        2,661,623               2,661,623   

Operating income (loss)

    1,986,106        55,625        (30,622     2,011,109        (432,706     1,578,403   

Gain related to investments in subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures, net

              706,509   

Finance income

              113,392   

Finance costs

              (571,203
           

 

 

 

Profit from continuing operations before income tax

              1,827,101   

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)      
    2012  
    Cellular
services
    Fixed-line
telecommu-
nication
services
    Others     Total
segments
    Consolidation
adjustments
    Consolidated
amount
 

Total revenue

  14,475,379        3,018,156        1,469,457        18,962,992        (2,821,583     16,141,409   

Internal revenue

    1,256,475        824,295        740,813        2,821,583        (2,821,583       

External revenue

    13,218,904        2,193,861        728,644        16,141,409               16,141,409   

Depreciation and amortization

    1,735,193        578,969        106,966        2,421,128               2,421,128   

Operating income (loss)

    1,683,431        53,115        (6,497     1,730,049        7,606        1,737,655   

Loss related to investments in subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures, net

              (24,560

Finance income

              444,558   

Finance costs

              (638,285
           

 

 

 

Profit from continuing operations before income tax

              1,519,368   

Reconciliation of total segment operating income to consolidated operating income from continuing operations for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                   
     2014     2013     2012  

Total segment operating income

   1,825,105        2,011,109        1,730,049   

Other operating income:

      

Fees revenues

     8,199        7,303        3,982   

Gain on disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets

     8,792        7,991        162,590   

Others(*1)

     39,480        59,660        35,272   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     56,471        74,954        201,844   

Other operating expenses:

      

Impairment loss on property and equipment and intangible assets

     (47,489     (13,770     (37,007

Loss on disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets

     (32,950     (267,468     (15,117

Donations

     (67,823     (82,057     (81,330

Bad debt for accounts receivable – other

     (17,943     (22,155     (30,107

Others(*2)

     (107,545     (122,210     (30,677
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     (273,750     (507,660     (194,238
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Consolidated operating income from continuing operations

   1,607,826        1,578,403        1,737,655   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) Others for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 primarily consist of ₩8.1 billion, ₩10.3 billion and ₩5.6 billion of VAT refund, respectively.

 

(*2) Others for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 primarily consist of ₩54.7 billion, and ₩96.5 billion of penalties.

Intersegment sales and purchases are conducted on an arms-length basis and eliminated on consolidation. Since there are no intersegment sales of inventory, there is no unrealized intersegment profit to be eliminated on consolidation. Domestic revenue for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 amounts to ₩17,073 billion, ₩16,557 billion and ₩16,093 billion, respectively. Domestic non-current assets (excluding financial assets, investments in associates and joint ventures and deferred tax assets) as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 amount to ₩14,817 billion, ₩14,762 billion and ₩14,212 billion, and non-current assets outside of Korea amount to ₩278 billion, ₩1 billion and ₩680 billion, respectively.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

No single customer contributed 10% or more to the Group’s total sales for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 or 2012.

Though the Group is expanding into new geographic regions, as of December 31, 2014, the Group still principally operates in its domestic market in Korea.

The Group’s operating revenue by service type is as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    2014      2013      2012  

Cellular revenue

        

Wireless service(*1)

   11,010,639         11,001,123         10,591,489   

Cellular interconnection

     817,038         844,977         860,250   

Digital handset sales(*2)

     761,629         645,914         1,131,657   

Miscellaneous(*3)

     938,575         823,518         635,508   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     13,527,881         13,315,532         13,218,904   

Fixed-line telecommunication services revenue

        

Fixed line telephone service(*4)

     467,333         474,430         485,941   

Fixed line interconnection

     57,401         78,731         98,460   

Broadband internet service(*4)

     1,152,708         1,023,156         864,955   

International calling service(*5)

     111,983         127,005         144,073   

Miscellaneous(*6)

     660,468         621,067         600,432   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     2,449,893         2,324,389         2,193,861   

Others revenue

        

Commerce service(*7)

     911,487         742,616         391,894   

Portal service(*8)

     72,984         92,153         167,815   

Miscellaneous(*9)

     201,553         127,364         168,935   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     1,186,024         962,133         728,644   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Consolidated operating revenue

   17,163,798         16,602,054         16,141,409   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) Wireless service revenue includes revenue from cellular voice service, wireless data service and initial subscription fees. Revenue from cellular voice service is primarily composed of monthly plan-based fees, usage charges for outgoing voice calls, roaming charges and value-added service fees. Revenue from wireless data service is primarily composed of usage charges for SMS and MMS and revenues from outgoing data usage.

 

(*2) Digital handsets are sold by PS&Marketing Co., Ltd., a consolidated subsidiary.

 

(*3) Miscellaneous cellular services revenue includes revenue from the resale of fixed-line telecommunication services, leased lines, Internet solutions business and other miscellaneous cellular services provided by the Parent Company as well as other operating revenue attributable to the cellular services segment.

 

(*4) Broadband Internet service (including IP TV service) and fixed-line telephone service are provided by SK Broadband, a consolidated subsidiary.

 

(*5) International calling service is provided by SK Telink, a consolidated subsidiary.

 

(*6) Miscellaneous fixed-line telecommunication services revenue includes revenues from leased line, corporate data and Internet solutions businesses provided by SK Broadband and VoIP services provided by SK Telink as well as other operating income attributable to the fixed-line telecommunications services segment.

 

(*7) Commerce service revenue includes sales from online shopping mall, such as, 11th Street. As the Parent Company acquired the ownership interests in SK Marketing & Company Co., Ltd. during 2013, commerce service revenue for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 include revenue from advertising and e-commerce agency.

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(*8) Portal service revenue includes revenues from NATE, an online portal service, and Cyworld, our social networking service, each operated by SK Communications.

 

(*9) Miscellaneous others revenue includes revenue from T Store, online open marketplace for mobile applications operated by SK Planet as well as other operating income attributable to the others segment.

 

6. Restricted Deposits

Deposits which are restricted in use as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are summarized as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  

Short-term financial instruments

     

Charitable fund(*)

   86,000         76,500   

Other

     4,321         5,134   

Long-term financial instruments

     

Charitable fund(*)

             7,500   

Other

     612         89   

Guarantee deposits

     280         40   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   91,213         89,263   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(*) The Group established a trust fund for charitable purposes. Profits from the fund are donated to charitable institutions. As of December 31, 2014, the funds cannot be withdrawn.

 

7. Trade and Other Receivables

 

(1) Details of trade and other receivables as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    December 31, 2014  
     Gross
amount
     Allowances for
impairment
    Carrying
amount
 

Current assets:

       

Accounts receivable — trade

   2,614,059         (221,909     2,392,150   

Short-term loans

     75,199         (687     74,512   

Accounts receivable — other

     769,115         (78,588     690,527   

Accrued income

     10,134                10,134   

Others

     3,865                3,865   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
     3,472,372         (301,184     3,171,188   

Non-current assets:

       

Long-term loans

     82,735         (27,007     55,728   

Long-term accounts receivable — other

     3,596                3,596   

Guarantee deposits

     285,144                285,144   

Long-term accounts receivable — trade

     68,536                68,536   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
     440,011         (27,007     413,004   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   3,912,383         (328,191     3,584,192   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)    December 31, 2013  
     Gross
amount
     Allowances for
impairment
    Carrying
amount
 

Current assets:

       

Accounts receivable — trade

   2,482,001         (224,685     2,257,316   

Short-term loans

     80,129         (734     79,395   

Accounts receivable — other

     715,405         (71,802     643,603   

Accrued income

     11,970         (29     11,941   

Others

     2,548                2,548   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
     3,292,053         (297,250     2,994,803   

Non-current assets:

       

Long-term loans

     84,176         (26,734     57,442   

Guarantee deposits

     249,600                249,600   

Long-term accounts receivable — trade

     13,154                13,154   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
     346,930         (26,734     320,196   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   3,638,983         (323,984     3,314,999   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(2) The movements in allowances for doubtful accounts of trade and other receivables during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 were as follows:

 

(In millions of won)       
     2014     2013  

Balance at January 1

   323,984        300,668   

Increase of bad debt allowances

     63,697        79,330   

Reversal of allowances for doubtful accounts

            (359

Write-offs

     (89,529     (76,697

Collection of receivables previously written-off

     29,213        30,361   

Net exchange differences and changes in consolidation scope

     826        (9,319
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31

   328,191        323,984   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(3) Details of overdue but not impaired, and impaired trade and other receivable as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)       
     December 31, 2014     December 31, 2013  
     Accounts
receivable — trade
    Other
receivables
    Accounts
receivable — trade
    Other
receivables
 

Neither overdue nor impaired

   1,831,243        1,089,001        1,882,607        938,131   

Overdue but not impaired

     76,671        3,481        46,773        2,030   

Impaired

     774,681        137,306        565,775        203,667   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     2,682,595        1,229,788        2,495,155        1,143,828   

Allowances for doubtful accounts

     (221,909     (106,282     (224,685     (99,299
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   2,460,686        1,123,506        2,270,470        1,044,529   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

The Group establishes allowances for doubtful accounts based on the likelihood of recoverability of trade and other receivables based on their aging at the end of the period, past customer default experience, customer credit status, and economic and industrial factors.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(4) The aging of overdue but not impaired accounts receivable as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  
     Accounts
receivable — trade
     Other
receivables
     Accounts
receivable — trade
     Other
receivables
 

Less than 1 month

   25,254         1,795         12,036         20   

1 ~ 3 months

     26,469         213         15,686         1,220   

3 ~ 6 months

     11,641         608         3,610         516   

More than 6 months

     13,307         865         15,441         274   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   76,671         3,481         46,773         2,030   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

8. Inventories

Details of inventories as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  
     Acquisition
cost
     Write-
down of
inventory
    Carrying
amount
     Acquisition
cost
     Write-
down of
inventory
    Carrying
amount
 

Merchandise

   252,063         (5,325     246,738         165,080         (3,152     161,928   

Finished goods

     1,930         (216     1,714         1,711         (34     1,677   

Work in process

     1,144         (131     1,013                          

Raw materials and supplies

     19,242         (1,040     18,202         13,515                13,515   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   274,379         (6,712     267,667         180,306         (3,186     177,120   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

The amount of the inventory write-downs charged to statements of income and write-off of inventories are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                     
     2014      2013      2012  

Charged to cost of products that have been resold

   2,052         1,498         510   

Write-off upon sale

     (1,326      (95      (2,844
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   726         1,403         (2,334
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

There are no significant reversals of inventory write-downs for the periods presented.

 

9. Investment Securities

 

(1) Details of short-term investment securities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  

Beneficiary certificates(*)

   277,003         102,828   

Current installments of long-term investment securities

     3,158         3,240   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   280,161         106,068   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(*) The distributions arising from beneficiary certificates as of December 31, 2014 were accounted for as accrued income.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) Details of long-term investment securities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)             
     December 31, 2014     December 31, 2013  

Equity securities:

    

Marketable equity securities

   657,286        638,445   

Unlisted equity securities(*1)

     56,236        47,145   

Equity investments(*2)

     209,120        239,354   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
     922,642        924,944   

Debt securities:

    

Public bonds(*3)

     158        356   

Investment bonds(*4)

     36,638        46,467   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
     36,796        46,823   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

     959,438        971,767   

Less current installments of long-term investment securities

     (3,158     (3,240
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Long-term investment securities

   956,280        968,527   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) Unlisted equity securities whose fair value cannot be measured reliably are recorded at cost.

 

(*2) Equity investments are recorded at cost.

 

(*3) Details of maturity for the public bonds as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  

Less than 1 year

   158         356   

 

(*4) During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Parent Company exercised the conversion right for the convertible bonds of NanoEnTek, Inc., which were classified as financial assets at fair value through profit or loss. As a result of this transaction, investments in associates have increased by ₩19,180 million and the difference between carrying amount of the financial assets at fair value and fair value of ₩1,352 million is accounted for as finance costs.

 

10. Assets and Liabilities Classified as Held for Sale

(1)    Subsidiary

During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Group entered into a disposal contract regarding the Group’s ownership interests in Shenzhen E-eye High Tech Co., Ltd., the Parent Company’s subsidiary. Assets and liabilities of the subsidiary amounting to ₩10,510 million and ₩408 million, were reclassified to assets and liabilities held for sale, respectively, and the carrying amount in excess of the fair value less cost to sell was recognized as impairment loss.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2)    Investments in associates

Non-current assets held for sale relating to investments in associates as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  

TR Entertainment(*1)

           2,611   

SK Fans Co., Ltd.(*2)

             1,056   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
           3,667   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) A disposal contract for the Group’s entire ownership interests in TR Entertainment was entered into during the year ended December 31, 2013 and the investment in the associate was reclassified to assets classified held for sale and an impairment loss of ₩4,019 million was recognized. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Group disposed of its investments in TR Entertainment.

 

(*2) During the year ended December 31, 2013, contract changes for SK Fans Co., Ltd. was made and the Group recognized the difference between the changes and the existing contractual amount as impairment loss. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Group disposed of its investments in SK Fans Co., Ltd.

 

11. Acquisition of Subsidiary

 

(1) General information

The Parent Company acquired the ownership interests of Neosnetworks Co., Ltd., IRIVER LIMITED and shopkick, Inc. and they were newly included in the list of subsidiaries during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

1) Neosnetworks Co., Ltd.

On April 2, 2014, the Parent Company acquired the ownership interest of 66.7% of Neosnetworks Co., Ltd., which manages facility guarding services, in order to secure new growth engine in physical security market and obtained the control over Neosnetworks Co., Ltd.

Neosnetworks Co., Ltd. recognized revenue of ₩25,743 million and loss of ₩2,277 million, respectively, from the acquisition date to December 31, 2014.

 

2) IRIVER LIMITED

On August 13, 2014, the Parent Company obtained ownership interests of 39.3% by acquiring 10,241,722 shares of IRIVER LIMITED from investment companies in order to develop smart phone applications and media devices such as Bluetooth speakers and ear phones for future growth and additionally acquired 4,960,317 shares by participating in the capital increase. As of the end of December 31, 2014, the Parent Company has the ownership interest of 49% of IRIVER LIMITED. After the Group acquired control over IRIVER LIMITED, IRIVER LIMITED has recognized revenue of ₩16,311 million and a net profit of ₩4,066 million.

 

3) shopkick, Inc.

On October 10, 2014, shopkick Management Company, Inc., of which SKP America LLC., a subsidiary of the Parent Company, has the ownership interest of 95.2%, obtained control over shopkick, Inc. by purchasing the ownership interest of 100% of shopkick, Inc. for the purpose of acquiring the platform of its mobile commerce business in the United States and expansion of the Group’s global market position.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) Consideration paid and identifiable assets and liabilities transferred

Consideration paid and identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed recognized at the acquisition date are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                   
     Neosnetworks
Co., Ltd.
    IRIVER
LIMITED
    shopkick, Inc.  

Consideration paid

      

Cash and cash equivalents

   23,968        29,503        230,925   

Other current liabilities

                   18,686   

Long-term payables — other (*)

     14,500                 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     38,468        29,503        249,611   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed

      

Cash and cash equivalents

   16,631        3,098        13,881   

Accounts receivable — trade, net

     111        11,687        6,541   

Inventories, net

            11,780        727   

Property, equipment and intangible assets

     11,489        3,153        81,972   

Other assets

     1,289        6,824        6,236   

Accounts payable — trade

     (3,411     (7,113     (796

Borrowings and debentures

     (2,150     (2,293       

Other liabilities

     (3,305     (6,268     (13,008
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   20,654        20,868        95,553   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Controlling interests

     20,654        8,193        91,006   

Non-controlling interests

            12,675        4,547   

 

 

(*) During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Parent Company acquired 31,310 shares of Neosnetworks Co., Ltd. (the ownership interest of 66.7%) by purchasing old shares from the pre-existing shareholders and participating in the capital increase. The Parent Company entered into a shareholders’ agreement which granted put options to the pre-existing shareholders for the remaining equity interest of Neosnetworks Co., Ltd. and call options to the Parent Company for those shares if certain conditions are met. In accordance with this shareholders’ agreement, the Group deemed that it assumed the residual equity of the pre-existing shareholders on the acquisition date, and the amount to be paid to the pre-existing shareholders for this acquisition in the future was recorded as long-term payables-other.

 

12. Business Combinations under Common Control

 

(1) General information

PS&Marketing Corporation, a subsidiary of the Parent Company, acquired the retail distribution business of IT service department of SK Networks Co., Ltd. on April 30, 2014 in order to strengthen the mid/long-term distribution competitiveness by expanding the retail infrastructure and enlarging the direct management network.

Revenues and profit or loss recognized after the acquisition date by the acquired businesses of PS&Marketing Corporation are not disclosed as the estimate is practically impossible.

In January 2013, the Parent Company acquired 50% ownership interest in SK Marketing & Company Co., Ltd., advertising and e-commerce agency, from SK Innovation Co., Ltd., a related party under common control, through the additional purchase of shares and obtained control over SK Marketing & Company Co., Ltd., and its subsidiary, M&Service Co., Ltd.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

After obtaining control over SK Marketing & Company Co., Ltd, the Parent Company acquired the shares of SK Planet Co., Ltd. by investing its ownership interest of 100% of SK Marketing & Company Co., Ltd. as a form of investment in kind. On February 1, 2013, SK Planet Co., Ltd. merged with SK Marketing & Company Co., Ltd.

As the business combination which occurred during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 was a business combination between entities under common control, the difference between the consideration and book value of net assets was recognized as a capital deficit and other capital adjustments.

 

(2) Consideration paid and assets and liabilities transferred as of the acquisition date are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)             
     2014     2013  

Consideration paid

    

Cash and cash equivalents

   111,330        190,605   

Investments in associates (carrying value)

            141,534   

Accounts payables — other

     13,156          
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
     124,486        332,139   

Assets and liabilities transferred

    

Cash and cash equivalents

            95,800   

Accounts receivable — trade

     57,760        132,514   

Inventories

     94,441        3,472   

Property and equipment, and intangible assets

     13,010        68,699   

Other assets

     23,281        457,431   

Accounts payable — trade and other

     (78,821     (150,014

Other liabilities

     (13,826     (337,617
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
     95,845        270,285   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Amount recorded in capital surplus and other capital adjustments

   28,641        61,854   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

13. Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures

 

(1) Investments in associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)       December 31, 2014     December 31, 2013  
    Country   Ownership
percentage
    Carrying
amount
    Ownership
percentage
    Carrying
amount
 

Investments in associates

         

SK China Company Ltd.(*1)

  China     9.6      35,817        9.6      37,434   

Korea IT Fund(*2)

  Korea     63.3        240,676        63.3        231,402   

Etoos Co., Ltd. (*3)

  Korea                   15.6        12,029   

KEB HanaCard Co., Ltd.(*4)

  Korea     25.4        425,140        49.0        378,616   

Candle Media Co., Ltd.(*5)

  Korea     35.1        19,486        40.9        21,241   

NanoEnTek, Inc.(*6)

  Korea     26.0        36,527        9.2        9,312   

SK Industrial Development China Co., Ltd.

  Hong Kong     21.0        79,394        21.0        77,517   

Packet One Network(*1, 5)

  Malaysia     13.6        53,670        27.0        60,706   

SK Technology Innovation Company

  Cayman     49.0        44,052        49.0        53,874   

HappyNarae Co., Ltd.

  Korea     42.5        15,551        42.5        13,935   

SK hynix Inc.(*7)

  Korea     20.1        4,849,159        20.6        3,943,232   

SK MENA Investment B.V.

  Netherlands     32.1        14,015        32.1        13,477   

SKY Property Mgmt. Ltd.

  Virgin
Island
    33.0        248,534        33.0        238,278   

Xinan Tianlong Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

  China     49.0        25,874        49.0        26,562   

Daehan Kanggun BcN Co., Ltd. and others

             158,725               164,976   
     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Sub-total

        6,246,620          5,282,591   
     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Investments in joint ventures

         

Dogus Planet, Inc.(*8)

  Turkey     50.0        11,441        50.0        10,105   

PT. Melon Indonesia

  Indonesia     49.0        3,564        49.0        3,230   

Television Media Korea Ltd.

  Korea     51.0        6,944        51.0        8,659   

Celcom Planet(*9)

  Malaysia     51.0        16,605                 

PT XL Planet Digital

  Indonesia     50.0        12,914        50.0        20,712   

Sub-total

        51,468          42,706   

Total

      6,298,088        5,325,297   
     

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

(*1) Classified as investments in associates as the Group can exercise significant influence through its participation on the board of directors even though the Group has less than 20% of equity interests.

 

(*2) Investment in Korea IT Fund was classified as investment in associates as the Group has less than 50% of voting rights, and therefore does not have control over Korea IT Fund under the agreement.

 

(*3) Reclassified as available-for-sale financial assets in 2014 as the Group lost the right to appoint directors of this investee and lost significant influence on the investee.

 

(*4) During the year ended December 31, 2014, due to merger between Hana SK Card Co., Ltd., the Parent Company’s associate, and KEB Card Co., Ltd., the Group exchanged 57,647,058 shares of Hana SK Card Co., Ltd., with 67,627,587 shares of the surviving company, KEB HanaCard Co., Ltd.

 

(*5) The ownership percentage has been decreased due to disproportionate paid-in capital increase during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

 

(*6) The carrying amount has increased due to the additional acquisition and the conversion of convertible bonds during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

(*7) The ownership percentage has been decreased due to the conversion of convertible bonds issued by SK hynix Inc.

 

(*8) The carrying amount has increased due to the additional investment during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

(*9) During the year ended December 31, 2014, it was established for online commerce business in Malaysia.

 

(2) The market price of investments in listed associates as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won, except for share and per share data)  
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  
   Market value
per share

(In won)
     Number of
shares
     Market
price
     Market value
per share

(In won)
     Number of
shares
     Market
price
 

Candle Media Co., Ltd.

   734         21,620,360         15,869         810         21,620,360         17,512   

NanoEnTek, Inc.

     5,710         5,870,290         33,519         5,170         1,807,130         9,343   

SK hynix Inc.

     47,750         146,100,000         6,976,275         36,800         146,100,000         5,376,480   

 

(3) The financial information of the significant investees as of and for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 is as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    As of and for the year ended December 31, 2014  
     SK hynix
Inc.
    KEB
HanaCard
Co., Ltd.(*)
    SKY
Property
Mgmt. Ltd.
    Korea IT
Fund
 

Current assets

   10,363,514        6,716,612        172,775        122,026   

Non-current assets

     16,519,764        568,065        667,560        258,144   

Current liabilities

     5,765,304        848,140        62,868          

Non-current liabilities

     3,081,671        5,109,888        242,116          

Revenue

     17,125,566        305,756        81,502        18,883   

Profit (loss) from continuing operations

     4,195,169        (11,196     15,006        5,470   

Other comprehensive income (loss)

     (52,360     (734     (6,090     4,837   

Total comprehensive income (loss)

     4,142,809        (11,930     8,916        10,307   

 

 

(*) Revenue and net profit of Hana SK Card Co., Ltd. for pre-merger period, amounting to ₩853,506 million and ₩3,521 million, respectively, were not included.

 

(In millions of won)    As of and for the year ended December 31, 2013  
     SK hynix
Inc.
     HanaSK
Card Co.,
Ltd.
     SKY
Property
Mgmt. Ltd.
     Korea IT
Fund
 

Current assets

   6,653,123         4,687,020         106,122         132,968   

Non-current assets

     14,144,175         211,376         695,653         232,566   

Current liabilities

     3,078,240         2,053,942         137,544         6   

Non-current liabilities

     4,652,200         2,155,165         163,540           

Revenue

     14,165,102         853,506         76,834         8,161   

Profit from continuing operations

     2,872,857         3,521         14,408         2,128   

Other comprehensive income

     6,594         1,906         55,403           

Total comprehensive income

     2,879,451         5,427         69,811         2,128   

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(4) The condensed financial information of joint ventures as of and for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    As of and for the year ended December 31, 2014  
     Television
Media

Korea  Ltd.
    Dogus
Planet,

Inc.
    PT.
Melon
Indonesia
    PT  XL
Planet
Digital
    Celcom
Planet
 

Current assets

   16,252        38,641        10,022        9,241        30,407   

Cash and cash equivalents

     5,104        6        4,763        6,710        30,400   

Non-current assets

     4,543        13,011        3,094        14,589        3,343   

Current liabilities

     7,188        28,406        5,689        4,198        1,182   

Account payable, other payables and provisions

     265        3,648                        

Non-current liabilities

     464        377        102        124          

Account payable, other payables and provisions

     464        377               124          

Revenue

     16,403        23,897        11,826        1,019          

Depreciation and amortization

     (3,732     (2,402     (928     (1,452     (1

Interest income

     254        1,154        268                 

Interest expense

            (6                     

Income tax expense

                          (5,334       

Profit (loss) from continuing operations

     (3,361     (37,146     523        (15,596     (1,479

Total comprehensive income (loss)

     (3,361     (37,146     523        (15,596     (1,479

 

(In millions of won)    As of and for the year ended December 31, 2013  
     Television
Media

Korea  Ltd.
    Dogus
Planet,

Inc.
    PT.
Melon
Indonesia
    PT  XL
Planet
Digital
 

Current assets

   18,106        25,508        7,423        31,241   

Cash and cash equivalents

     14,532        10,723        4,428        30,288   

Non-current assets

     5,143        9,935        1,658        5,801   

Current liabilities

     6,385        15,471        2,338        2,133   

Account payable, other payables and provisions

     6,385        15,386        2,338        2,133   

Non-current liabilities

     359        142        100        14   

Account payable, other payables and provisions

     359        1               14   

Revenue

     14,139        7,509        7,475          

Depreciation and amortization

     (4,004     (1,315     (397     (84

Interest income

     410        1,598        289        357   

Interest expense

            (29            (3

Income tax expense

                          (513

Profit (loss) from continuing operations

     (6,021     (29,278     (575     3,606   

Total comprehensive income (loss)

     (6,021     (29,278     (575     3,606   

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(5) Reconciliations of financial information of significant associates to carrying amounts of investments in associates in the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)       
     December 31, 2014  
     Net
assets
     Ownership
interests
(%)
     Net assets
attributable to
the ownership
interests
     Cost-book
value
differentials
     Carrying
amount
 

Associates:

              

SK hynix Inc.(*)

   18,036,453         20.1         3,619,666         1,229,493         4,849,159   

KEB HanaCard Co., Ltd.

     1,326,649         25.4         337,266         87,874         425,140   

SKY Property Mgmt. Ltd.(*)

     527,479         33.0         174,068         74,466         248,534   

Korea IT Fund

     380,170         63.3         240,676                 240,676   

 

(In millions of won)       
     December 31, 2013  
     Net
assets
     Ownership
interests
(%)
     Net assets
attributable to
the ownership
interests
     Cost-book
value
differentials
     Carrying
amount
 

Associates:

              

SK hynix Inc.(*)

   13,066,474         20.6         2,687,806         1,255,426         3,943,232   

Hana SK Card Co., Ltd.

     689,290         49.0         337,752         40,864         378,616   

SKY Property Mgmt. Ltd.(*)

     494,004         33.0         163,021         75,257         238,278   

Korea IT Fund

     365,528         63.3         231,402                 231,402   

 

 

(*) These entities prepare consolidated financial statements and net assets of these entities represent net assets attributable to owners of the Parent Company.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(6) Details of changes in investments in associates and joint ventures accounted for using the equity method for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    2014  
     Beginning
balance
     Acquisition
and
disposition
     Share of
profits
(losses)
    Other
compre-
hensive
income
(loss)
    Impair-
ment
loss
    Other
increase
(decrease)
    Ending
balance
 

Investments in associates

                

SK China Company Ltd.

   37,434                 (365     (1,252                   35,817   

Korea IT Fund

     231,402                 3,243        6,031                      240,676   

Etoos Co., Ltd.

     12,029                 346                      (12,375       

KEB HanaCard Co., Ltd.

     378,616                 (739     (2,031            49,294        425,140   

Candle Media Co., Ltd.

     21,241                 (1,701     (54                   19,486   

NanoEnTek, Inc.

     9,312         7,778         284        (27            19,180        36,527   

SK Industrial Development China Co., Ltd.

     77,517                 (791     2,668                      79,394   

Packet One Network

     60,706                 (11,845     4,809                      53,670   

SK Technology Innovation Company

     53,874                 (9,822                          44,052   

HappyNarae Co., Ltd.

     13,935                 1,688        (72                   15,551   

SK hynix Inc.

     3,943,232                 916,486        (10,559                   4,849,159   

SK MENA Investment B.V.

     13,477                 (4     542                      14,015   

SKY Property Mgmt. Ltd.

     238,278                 3,438        6,818                      248,534   

Xinan Tianlong Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

     26,562                 (688                          25,874   

Daehan Kanggun BcN Co., Ltd. and others

     164,976         14,172         (18,126     1,324        (2,363     (1,258     158,725   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

     5,282,591         21,950         881,404        8,197        (2,363     54,841        6,246,620   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Investments in joint ventures

                

Dogus Planet, Inc.

     10,105         19,677         (18,573     232                      11,441   

PT. Melon Indonesia

     3,230                 256        78                      3,564   

Television Media Korea Ltd.

     8,659                 (1,715                          6,944   

Celcom Planet

             17,433         (656                   (172     16,605   

PT XL Planet Digital

     20,712                 (7,798                          12,914   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

     42,706         37,110         (28,486     310               (172     51,468   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   5,325,297         59,060         852,918        8,507        (2,363     54,669        6,298,088   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-50


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)   2013  
    Beginning
balance
    Acquisition
and
disposition
    Share of
profits
(losses)
    Other
compre-
hensive
income
(loss)
    Impair-
ment
loss
    Other
increase
(decrease)
    Ending
balance
 

Investments in associates

             

SK Marketing & Company Co., Ltd.(*1)

  145,333               (3,954     155               (141,534       

SK China Company Ltd.

    37,628               (7,643     7,449                      37,434   

Korea IT Fund

    230,016               1,348        38                      231,402   

JYP Entertainment Corporation(*2)

    4,232               1,000        58               (5,290       

Etoos Co., Ltd.

    12,037               56        (64                   12,029   

HanaSK Card Co., Ltd.

    378,457               (612     771                      378,616   

Candle Media Co., Ltd.

    21,935               (782     88                      21,241   

NanoEnTek, Inc.

    9,276               25        11                      9,312   

SK Industrial Development China Co., Ltd.

    77,967               (1,037     587                      77,517   

Packet One Network

    88,389        25        (2,367     (1,843     (23,498            60,706   

SK Technology Innovation Company

    63,559               (9,108     (577                   53,874   

ViKi, Inc.(*3)

    15,667        (14,636     (995     (36                     

HappyNarae Co., Ltd.

    13,113               822                             13,935   

SK hynix Inc.

    3,328,245               610,201        4,786                      3,943,232   

SK MENA Investment B.V.

    13,666                      (189                   13,477   

SKY Property Mgmt. Ltd.(*4)

                  5,532        43               232,703        238,278   

Xinan Tianlong Science and Technology Co., Ltd.

           25,731        831                             26,562   

Daehan Kanggun BcN Co., Ltd. and others

    170,747        26,257        (17,899     (4,291     (5,547     (4,291     164,976   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

    4,610,267        37,377        575,418        6,986        (29,045     81,588        5,282,591   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Investments in joint ventures

             

Dogus Planet, Inc.

    6,006        21,428        (13,027     (4,302                   10,105   

PT. Melon Indonesia

    4,447               (282     (935                   3,230   

Television Media Korea Ltd.

    11,757               (3,098                          8,659   

PT XL Planet Digital

           19,713        1,549                      (550     20,712   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

    22,210        41,141        (14,858     (5,237            (550     42,706   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  4,632,477        78,518        560,560        1,749        (29,045     81,038        5,325,297   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) The entity was merged into SK Planet Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Parent Company during the year ended December 31, 2013

 

(*2) Investment in JYP Entertainment Corporation decreased as Loen Entertainment, Inc., which holds ownership interests in JYP Entertainment Corporation, has excluded from consolidation scope.

 

(*3) De-recognized upon disposal during the year ended December 31, 2013.

 

(*4) Investment in SKY Property Mgmt. Ltd. was reclassified from investments in subsidiaries to investments to associates as portion of ownership interests were disposed during the year ended December 31, 2013.

 

F-51


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(7) As the Group discontinued the application of the equity method due to the carrying amount of the Group’s share being reduced to zero, the unrecognized accumulated equity losses as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    Unrealized loss      Unrealized change in equity  
     Year ended
December 31,
2014
     Accumulated      Year ended
December 31,
2014
     Accumulated  

ULand Company Limited

   178         1,731         34         31   

Wave City Development Co., Ltd. and others

     1,508         5,229                 334   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   1,686         6,960         34         365   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

14. Property and Equipment

 

(1) Property and equipment as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                          
     December 31, 2014  
     Acquisition cost      Accumulated
depreciation
    Accumulated
impairment
loss
    Carrying
amount
 

Land

   766,780                       766,780   

Buildings

     1,537,042         (603,175            933,867   

Structures

     737,494         (384,705            352,789   

Machinery

     27,088,067         (19,775,784     (1,468     7,310,815   

Other

     1,461,201         (960,450     (1,701     499,050   

Construction in progress

     704,400                       704,400   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   32,294,984         (21,724,114     (3,169     10,567,701   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(In millions of won)                          
     December 31, 2013  
     Acquisition cost      Accumulated
depreciation
    Accumulated
impairment
loss
    Carrying
amount
 

Land

   732,206                       732,206   

Buildings

     1,510,846         (554,155            956,691   

Structures

     716,724         (351,773            364,951   

Machinery

     24,994,337         (18,145,580     (1,698     6,847,059   

Other

     1,428,159         (894,217     (761     533,181   

Construction in progress

     762,519                       762,519   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   30,144,791         (19,945,725     (2,459     10,196,607   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-52


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) Changes in property and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)  
    2014  
    Beginning
balance
    Acquisition     Disposal     Transfer     Depreciation     Impair-
ment
    Classified
as held
for sale
    Business
combination
    Ending
balance
 

Land

  732,206        8,306        (12     24,178                             2,102        766,780   

Buildings

    956,691        5,862        (451     16,885        (48,745                   3,625        933,867   

Structures

    364,951        8,909        (39     11,919        (32,951                          352,789   

Machinery

    6,847,059        572,764        (28,101     1,979,590        (2,065,368     (2,879     (6     7,756        7,310,815   

Other

    533,181        1,124,067        (6,188     (1,022,999     (135,213     (49     (245     6,496        499,050   

Construction in progress

    762,519        1,101,691        (11,277     (1,147,666            (691     (176            704,400   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  10,196,607        2,821,599        (46,068     (138,093     (2,282,277     (3,619     (427     19,979        10,567,701   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(In millions of won)                                                
    2013  
    Beginning
balance
    Acquisition     Disposal     Transfer     Depreciation     Impairment     Change of
consolidation
scope
    Ending
balance
 

Land

  704,908        6,865        (200     15,545                      5,088        732,206   

Buildings

    886,371        1,128        (177     112,827        (47,429            3,971        956,691   

Structures

    363,484        17,850        (18     17,001        (33,366                   364,951   

Machinery

    6,316,192        582,593        (13,183     1,951,267        (1,990,850            1,040        6,847,059   

Other

    637,212        1,190,739        (7,032     (1,157,150     (133,682            3,094        533,181   

Construction in progress

    804,552        1,113,576        (31,146     (1,131,703            (1,275     8,515        762,519   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  9,712,719        2,912,751        (51,756     (192,213     (2,205,327     (1,275     21,708        10,196,607   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

15. Investment Property

 

(1) Investment property as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                    
     December 31, 2014  
     Acquisition
cost
     Accumulated
depreciation
    Carrying
amount
 

Land

   10,418                10,418   

Buildings

     7,379         (2,800     4,579   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   17,797         (2,800     14,997   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(In millions of won)                    
     December 31, 2013  
     Acquisition
cost
     Accumulated
depreciation
    Carrying
amount
 

Land

   10,822                10,822   

Buildings

     7,657         (2,668     4,989   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   18,479         (2,668     15,811   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-53


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) Changes in investment property for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)  
     2014  
     Beginning
balance
     Transfer     Depreciation     Ending
balance
 

Land

   10,822         (404            10,418   

Buildings

     4,989         (172     (238     4,579   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   15,811         (576     (238     14,997   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(In millions of won)  
     2013  
     Beginning
balance
     Transfer     Depreciation     Ending
balance
 

Land

   12,638         (1,816            10,822   

Buildings

     14,841         (8,737     (1,115     4,989   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   27,479         (10,553     (1,115     15,811   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(3) Fair value of investment property as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                            
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  
     Carrying
amount
     Fair value      Carrying
amount
     Fair value  

Land

   10,418         6,056         10,822         6,595   

Buildings

     4,579         4,288         4,989         4,737   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   14,997         10,344         15,811         11,332   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The fair value of investment property was appraised on the basis of market price by an independent appraisal company.

 

(4) Income (expense) from investment property for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                   
     2014     2013     2012  

Rent revenue

   896        1,373        73,755   

Operating expense

     (239     (476     (57,049

 

16. Goodwill

 

(1) Goodwill as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 is as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31,
2014
     December 31,
2013
 

Goodwill related to acquisition of Shinsegi Telecom, Inc.

   1,306,236         1,306,236   

Goodwill related to acquisition of SK Broadband Co., Ltd.

     358,443         358,443   

Other goodwill

     252,916         68,582   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   1,917,595         1,733,261   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-54


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

Goodwill is allocated to the following CGUs for the purpose of the impairment testing.

 

   

Shinsegi Telecom, Inc.(*1): cellular services

 

   

SK Broadband Co., Ltd.(*2): fixed-line telecommunication services

 

   

Other: other

 

 

(*1) Shinsegi Telecom, Inc.

The recoverable amount of the CGU is based on its value in use calculated by applying the annual discount rate of 6.2% to the estimated future cash flows based on financial budgets for the next five years. An annual growth rate of 1.8% was applied for the cash flows expected to be incurred after five years and is not expected to exceed the Group’s long-term wireless telecommunication business growth rate. Management of the Group does not expect the total carrying amount of the CGU will exceed the total recoverable amount due to the reasonably possible changes from the major assumptions used to estimate the recoverable amount. Management believes that a reasonably possible change in a key assumption would not cause the CGU’s carrying amount to exceed its recoverable amount.

 

(*2) Goodwill related to acquisition of SK Broadband Co., Ltd.

The recoverable amount of the CGU is based on its value in use calculated by applying the annual discount rate of 5.2% to the estimated future cash flows based on financial budgets for the next five years. An annual growth rate of 2.2%, the Group’s long-term fixed-line telecommunication business growth rate, was applied for the cash flows expected to be incurred after five years. Management of the Group does not expect the total carrying amount of the CGU will exceed the total recoverable amount due to the reasonably possible changes from the major assumptions used to estimate the recoverable amount. Management believes that a reasonably possible change in a key assumption would not cause the CGU’s carrying amount to exceed its recoverable amount.

 

(2) Details of changes in goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)       
     2014     2013  

Beginning balance

   1,733,261        1,744,483   

Goodwill increase due to acquisitions

     193,202        1,252   

Impairment loss

     (8,868     (9,981

Other decrease(*)

            (2,493
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   1,917,595        1,733,261   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*) Other decrease represents effects of exchange rate changes in relation to the foreign subsidiaries and reclassification of assets held for sale.

Accumulated impairment as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are ₩18,849 million and ₩9,981 million, respectively.

 

F-55


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

17. Intangible Assets

 

(1) Intangible assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    2014  
     Acquisition
cost
     Accumulated
depreciation
    Accumulated
impairment
    Carrying
amount
 

Frequency use rights

   3,033,879         (1,649,835            1,384,044   

Land use rights

     64,136         (38,783            25,353   

Industrial rights

     144,497         (36,737            107,760   

Development costs

     162,493         (144,215     (9,947     8,331   

Facility usage rights

     146,112         (93,476            52,636   

Customer relations

     17,147         (10,743            6,404   

Memberships(*1)

     128,274                (34,155     94,119   

Other(*2)

     3,029,590         (2,223,627     (616     805,347   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   6,726,128         (4,197,416     (44,718     2,483,994   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(In millions of won)    2013  
     Acquisition
cost
     Accumulated
depreciation
    Accumulated
impairment
    Carrying
amount
 

Frequency use rights

   3,033,879         (1,369,308            1,664,571   

Land use rights

     48,031         (31,441            16,590   

Industrial rights

     91,027         (32,264            58,763   

Development costs

     148,714         (126,912     (11,675     10,127   

Facility usage rights

     143,937         (85,109            58,828   

Customer relations

     14,222         (7,889            6,333   

Memberships(*1)

     128,452                       128,452   

Other(*2)

     2,747,121         (1,938,936     (1,067     807,118   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   6,355,383         (3,591,859     (12,742     2,750,782   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) Memberships are classified as intangible assets with indefinite useful life and are not amortized.

 

(*2) Other intangible assets consist of computer software and usage rights to a research facility which the Group built and donated to a university and the Group is given rights-to-use for a definite number of years.

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) Details of changes in intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                                                
    2014  
    Beginning
balance
    Acquisition     Disposal     Transfer     Amortization     Impairment     Change of
consolidation
scope
    Ending
balance
 

Frequency use rights

  1,664,571                             (280,527                   1,384,044   

Land use rights

    16,590        15,560        (573            (8,483            2,259        25,353   

Industrial rights

    58,763        5,048        (180            (4,584            48,713        107,760   

Development costs

    10,127        1,253        (25     63        (4,048     (398     1,359        8,331   

Facility usage rights

    58,828        1,890        (30     382        (8,434                   52,636   

Customer relations

    6,333        779               (39     (3,063            2,394        6,404   

Memberships(*)

    128,452        5,629        (5,810     (264            (34,155     267        94,119   

Other

    807,118        102,322        (9,919     171,858        (300,216     (449     34,633        805,347   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  2,750,782        132,481        (16,537     172,000        (609,355     (35,002     89,625        2,483,994   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*) The Group recognized the difference between recoverable amount and the carrying amount of memberships, amounting to ₩34,155 million as impairment loss for the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

(In millions of won)                                                
    2013  
    Beginning
balance
    Acquisition     Disposal     Transfer     Amortization     Impairment     Change of
consolidation
scope
    Ending
balance
 

Frequency use rights(*)

  1,693,868        1,046,833        (814,213            (261,917                   1,664,571   

Land use rights

    16,062        7,378        (279            (6,571                   16,590   

Industrial rights

    60,104        2,045        (75     485        (3,674            (122     58,763   

Development costs

    13,420        594               650        (5,230     (1,448     2,141        10,127   

Facility usage rights

    65,340        1,930        (75     9        (8,376                   58,828   

Customer relations

    48,886        1,293               1,856        (45,702                   6,333   

Memberships

    118,954        2,828        (997                          7,667        128,452   

Other

    673,024        111,972        (21,751     325,529        (291,870     (1,695     11,909        807,118   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  2,689,658        1,174,873        (837,390     328,529        (623,340     (3,143     21,595        2,750,782   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*) The Group newly acquired 1.8GHz frequency use rights through auction during the year ended December 31, 2013 and returned the existing 1.8GHz frequency use rights as partial consideration in connection with the new acquisition. The Group recognized ₩199,613 million of loss on disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets with regard to this transaction.

 

(3) Research and development expenditure recognized as expense for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012  

Research and development costs expensed

   390,943         352,385         304,557   

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(4) The carrying amount and residual useful lives of major intangible assets as of December 31, 2014 are as follows, all of which are amortized on a straight-line basis:

 

(In millions of won)
     Amount     

Description

   Commencement
of amortization
   Completion of
amortization

W-CDMA license

   198,542       Frequency use rights relating to W-CDMA service    Dec. 2003    Dec. 2016

W-CDMA license

     32,622       Frequency use rights relating to W-CDMA service    Oct. 2010    Dec. 2016

800MHz license

     263,536       Frequency use rights relating to CDMA and LTE service    Jul. 2011    Jun. 2021

1.8GHz license

     879,340       Frequency use rights relating to LTE service    Sep. 2013    Dec. 2021

WiBro license

     10,004       WiBro service    Mar. 2012    Mar. 2019
  

 

 

          
   1,384,044            
  

 

 

          

 

18. Borrowings and Debentures

 

(1) Short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)       
     Lender    Annual
interest
rate (%)
     December 31,
2014
     December 31,
2013
 

Commercial Paper

   Samsung Securities Co.,
Ltd., etc.
     2.16~3.09       206,000         200,000   

Short-term borrowings

   Korea Development
Bank, etc.
     2.48~4.28         160,600         60,000   
        

 

 

    

 

 

 
         366,600         260,000   
        

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) Long-term borrowings as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won and thousands of U.S. dollars)  

Lender

   Annual interest
rate (%)
   Maturity    December 31,
2014
    December 31,
2013
 

Korea Development Bank

   3.19    Jun. 16, 2014           1,648   

Shinhan Bank

   2.77    Jun. 15, 2015      1,712        5,136   

Kookmin Bank

   2.77    Jun. 15, 2016      4,874        8,124   

Kookmin Bank

   2.77    Mar. 15, 2017      4,496        5,996   

Kookmin Bank

   2.77    Mar. 15, 2018      8,600        8,600   

Shinhan Bank(*1)

   6M bank debenture
rate+1.58
   Apr. 30, 2016      10,000          

Korea Finance Corporation

   3.32    Jul. 30, 2019      39,000          

Korea Finance Corporation

   2.94    Jul. 30, 2019      10,000          

Export Kreditnamnden(*2)

   1.70    Apr. 29, 2022      94,903        99,975   
           (USD 86,338     (USD 94,736
        

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

           173,585        129,479   

Less present value discount on long-term borrowings

           (2,623     (3,287
        

 

 

   

 

 

 
           170,962        126,192   

Less current installments of long-term borrowings

           (21,242     (21,384
        

 

 

   

 

 

 

Long-term borrowings

   149,720        104,808   
        

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) As of December 31, 2014, the 6M bank debenture rate of Shinhan Bank is 2.17%.

 

(*2) For the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Group obtained long-term borrowings from Export Kreditnamnden, an export credit agency. The long-term borrowings are redeemed by installments from 2014 to 2022.

 

(3) Debentures as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won, thousands of U.S. dollars and thousands of other currencies)  
     Purpose    Maturity    Annual interest
rate (%)
   December 31,
2014
     December 31,
2013
 

Unsecured private bonds

   Refinancing
fund
   2016    5.00    200,000         200,000   

Unsecured private bonds

      2014    5.00              200,000   

Unsecured private bonds

   Other fund    2015    5.00      200,000         200,000   

Unsecured private bonds

      2018    5.00      200,000         200,000   

Unsecured private bonds

      2016    5.54      40,000         40,000   

Unsecured private bonds

      2016    5.92      230,000         230,000   

Unsecured private bonds

   Operating
fund
   2016    3.95      110,000         110,000   

Unsecured private bonds

      2021    4.22      190,000         190,000   

Unsecured private bonds

   Operating
and
refinancing
fund
   2019    3.24      170,000         170,000   

Unsecured private bonds

      2022    3.30      140,000         140,000   

Unsecured private bonds

      2032    3.45      90,000         90,000   

Unsecured private bonds

   Operating
fund
   2023    3.03      230,000         230,000   

Unsecured private bonds

      2033    3.22      130,000         130,000   

Unsecured private bonds

      2019    3.30      50,000           

Unsecured private bonds

      2024    3.64      150,000           

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won, thousands of U.S. dollars and thousands of other currencies)  
     Purpose    Maturity    Annual interest
rate (%)
   December 31,
2014
    December 31,
2013
 

Unsecured private bonds(*6)

      2029    4.73      55,188          

Unsecured private bonds(*6)

      2029    4.72      55,177          

Unsecured private bonds

   Refinancing
fund
   2019    2.53      160,000          

Unsecured private bonds

      2021    2.66      150,000          

Unsecured private bonds

      2024    2.82      190,000          

Unsecured private bonds(*1)

   Operating fund    2014    4.86             20,000   

Unsecured private bonds(*1)

      2015    4.62      10,000        10,000   

Unsecured private bonds(*2)

      2014    4.53             290,000   

Unsecured private bonds(*2)

      2014    4.40             100,000   

Unsecured private bonds(*2)

      2015    4.09      110,000        110,000   

Unsecured private bonds(*2)

      2015    4.14      110,000        110,000   

Unsecured private bonds(*2)

      2017    4.28      100,000        100,000   

Unsecured private bonds(*2)

      2015    3.14      130,000        130,000   

Unsecured private bonds(*2)

      2017    3.27      120,000        120,000   

Unsecured private bonds(*2)

      2016    3.05      80,000          

Unsecured private bonds(*2)

      2019    3.49      210,000          

Unsecured private bonds(*2)

      2019    2.76      130,000          

Unsecured private bonds(*3)

      2015    3.12      10,000          

Unsecured private bonds(*3)

      2016    3.24      10,000          

Unsecured private bonds(*3)

      2017    3.48      20,000          

Foreign global bonds

      2027    6.63      439,680        422,120   
              (USD 400,000     (USD 400,000

Exchangeable bonds(*5)

   Refinancing
fund
   2014    1.75        96,147   
                     (USD 91,109

Floating rate notes

   Operating fund    2014    3M Libor + 1.60        263,825   
                     (USD 250,000

Floating rate notes

      2014    SOR rate + 1.20        54,129   
                     (SGD 65,000

Swiss unsecured private bonds

      2017    1.75      333,429        356,601   
              (CHF 300,000     (CHF 300,000

Foreign global bonds

      2018    2.13      769,440        738,710   
              (USD 700,000     (USD 700,000

Australia unsecured private bonds

      2017    4.75      269,727        281,988   
              (AUD 300,000     (AUD 300,000

Floating rate notes(*4)

   Operating fund    2020    3M Libor + 0.88      329,760       316,590   
              (USD 300,000     (USD 300,000

Foreign global bonds(*2)

      2018    2.88      329,760        316,590   
              (USD 300,000     (USD 300,000
           

 

 

   

 

 

 

Sub-total

              6,252,161        5,966,700   

Less discounts on bonds

              (33,531     (40,228
           

 

 

   

 

 

 
              6,218,630        5,926,472   

Less current installments of bonds

              (569,472     (1,020,893
           

 

 

   

 

 

 
            5,649,158        4,905,579   
           

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) Unsecured private bonds were issued by SK Telink Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Parent Company.

 

(*2) Unsecured private bonds were issued by SK Broadband Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Parent Company.

 

(*3) Unsecured private bonds were issued by PS&Marketing Corporation, a subsidiary of the Parent Company.

 

(*4) As of December 31, 2014, 3M Libor rate is 0.23%.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(*5) On April 7, 2009, the Group issued exchangeable bonds with a maturity of five years in the principal amount of USD 332,528,000 for USD 326,397,463 with a coupon rate of 1.75%.

The Group may redeem the principal amount after three years from the issuance date if the market price exceeds 130% of the exchange price during a predetermined period. The exchange right may be exercised during the period from May 18, 2009 to March 24, 2014.

Exchanges of notes for common shares may be prohibited under the Telecommunications Law or other legal restrictions which restrains foreign governments, individuals and entities from owning more than 49% of the Group’s voting stock. If such 49% ownership limitation is violated due to the exercise of exchange rights, the Group will pay the bond holder a cash settlement which will be determined at the average price of one day after a holder exercises its exchange right or the weighted average price for the following five or twenty business days. Unless either previously redeemed or exchanged, the notes are redeemable at 100% of the principal amount at maturity.

As of December 31, 2013, the principal amount and the fair value of the remaining exchangeable bonds were USD 57,046,000 and USD 91,108,508, respectively. Exchange for the remaining entire bonds was claimed during 2013 and redeemed by cash during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

(*6) The Group settled the difference of the measurement bases of accounting profit or loss between the bonds and related derivatives by appointing the structured bonds as designated financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss.

The difference between the carrying amount of the designated financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss and the amount required to pay at maturity is ₩10,365 million as of December 31, 2014.

 

19. Long-term Payables — Other

 

(1) Long-term payables — other as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  

Payables related to acquisition of W-CDMA licenses

   657,001         828,721   

Other(*)

     27,566         9,864   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   684,567         838,585   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(*) Other includes vested compensation claims of employees who have rendered long-term service, etc.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, long-term payables — other consist of payables related to the acquisition of W-CDMA licenses for 2.1GHz, 800MHZ, 2.3GHz and 1.8GHz frequencies as follows:

 

(In millions of won)  
     Period of
repayment
     Coupon
rate(*1)
  Annual effective
interest rate(*2)
  December 31,
2014
    December 31,
2013
 

2.1GHz

     2012~2014       3.58%   5.89%          17,533   

800MHz

     2013~2015       3.51%   5.69%     69,416        138,833   

2.3GHz

     2014~2016       3.00%   5.80%     5,766        8,650   

1.8GHz

     2012~2021       2.43~3.00%   4.84~5.25%     824,841        942,675   
         

 

 

   

 

 

 
            900,023        1,107,691   

Present value discount on long-term payables — other

            (53,633     (72,170
         

 

 

   

 

 

 
            846,390        1,035,521   

Current installments of long-term payables — other

            (189,389     (206,800
         

 

 

   

 

 

 

Carrying amount at December 31

          657,001        828,721   
         

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) The Group applied an annual interest rate equal to the previous year average lending rate of public funds financing account less 1%.

 

(*2) The Group estimated the discount rate based on its credit ratings and corporate bond yield rate as there is no market interest rate available for long-term account payables-other.

 

(3) The repayment schedule of long-term payables — other related to acquisition of W-CDMA licenses as of December 31, 2014 is as follows:

 

(In millions of won)       
     Amount  

Less than 1 year

   190,134   

1~3 years

     238,552   

3~5 years

     235,669   

More than 5 years

     235,668   
  

 

 

 
   900,023   
  

 

 

 

 

20. Provisions

 

(1) Changes in provisions for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)        
    For the year ended December 31, 2014     As of December 31, 2014  
    Beginning
balance
    Increase     Utilization     Reversal     Other     Ending
balance
    Current     Non-current  

Provision for handset subsidy(*1)

  53,923        41,802        (68,926                   26,799        14,844        11,955   

Provision for restoration(*2)

    40,507        20,098        (702     (34     (142     59,727        35,865        23,862   

Other provisions

    451        155        (225            181        562        366        196   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  94,881        62,055        (69,853     (34     39        87,088        51,075        36,013   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)        
    For the year ended December 31, 2013     As of December 31, 2013  
    Beginning
balance
    Increase     Utilization     Reversal     Other     Ending
balance
    Current     Non-current  

Provision for handset subsidy(*1)

  353,383        9,416        (308,876                   53,923        53,334        589   

Provision for restoration(*2)

    39,895        5,679        (712     (4,211     (144     40,507        13,441        27,066   

Other provisions

    590               (85     (17     (37     451               451   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  393,868        15,095        (309,673     (4,228     (181     94,881        66,775        28,106   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) The Group recognizes a provision for handset subsidies given to the subscribers who purchase handsets on an installment basis. During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Group’s provision for handset subsidies significantly decreased as it gradually ceased providing handset subsidies to subscribers.

The amount recognized as a provision for handset subsidies is the Group’s best estimate of the expenditure required to settle the current obligations to the relevant subscribers at the end of the reporting period, which is calculated as the sum of the present values of the monthly balances for handset subsidies over the relevant service periods, taking into account the customer retention rate for the relevant subscribers. The discount rate used in calculating the present values is based on AAA-rated corporate bonds with a two-year maturity. The customer retention rate is based on the Group’s historical retention rate.

 

(*2) In the course of the Group’s activities, base station and other assets are utilized on leased premises which are expected to have costs associated with restoring the location where these assets are situated upon ceasing their use on those premises. The associated cash outflows, which are long-term in nature, are generally expected to occur at the dates of exit of the assets to which they relate. These restoration costs are calculated on the basis of the identified costs for the current financial year, extrapolated into the future based on management’s best estimates of future trends in prices, inflation, and other factors, and are discounted to present value at a risk-adjusted rate specifically applicable to the liability. Forecasts of estimated future provisions are revised in light of future changes in business conditions or technological requirements. The Group records these restoration costs as property and equipment and subsequently allocates them to expense using a systematic and rational method over the asset’s useful life, and records the accretion of the liability as a charge to finance costs.

 

(2) The followings are the key assumptions concerning the future, and other key sources of estimation uncertainty at the end of the reporting period.

 

    

Key assumptions

Provision for handset subsidy

   estimation based on historical service retention period data

Provision for restoration

   estimation based on inflation assuming demolition of the relevant assets after six years

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

21. Lease

(1)    Finance Leases

The Group has leased telecommunication equipment under finance lease agreements with Cisco Systems Capital Korea Ltd. Finance lease liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31,
2014
     December 31,
2013
 

Finance Lease Liabilities

     

Current installments of long-term finance lease liabilities

   3,804         19,351   

Long-term finance lease liabilities

     26         3,867   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   3,830         23,218   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

The Group’s related interest and principal as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)             
     December 31, 2014     December 31, 2013  
     Minimum
lease
payment
     Present
value
    Minimum
lease
payment
     Present
value
 

Less than 1 year

   3,909         3,804        20,039         19,351   

1~5 years

     26         26        3,974         3,867   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Sub-total

     3,935         3,830        24,013         23,218   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Current installments of long-term finance lease liabilities

        (3,804        (19,351
     

 

 

      

 

 

 

Long-term finance lease liabilities

      26           3,867   
     

 

 

      

 

 

 

(2)    Operating Leases

The Group entered into operating leases and sublease agreements in relation to rented office space and the expected future lease payments and lease revenues as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 (included in other non-operating income in the accompanying consolidated statements of income) are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                            
     2014      2013  
     Lease
payments
     Lease
revenues
     Lease
payments
     Lease
revenues
 

Less than 1 year

   29,233         3,496         32,842         2,422   

1~5 years

     76,306         1,390         72,236         1,074   

More than 5 years

     49,582         1,043         65,013         1,026   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   155,121         5,929         170,091         4,522   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(3)    Sale and Leaseback Transaction

For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Group disposed a portion of its property and equipment and investment property, and entered into lease agreements with respect to those assets. This sale and leaseback transaction is accounted for as an operating lease and the gain on disposal of the property and equipment is recognized in profit or loss. The Group recognized ₩14,075 million and ₩13,703 million of lease payments in relation to this lease agreement and ₩2,469 million and ₩269 million of lease revenues in relation to the sublease agreement for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Expected future lease payments and lease revenues are included in Note 21-(2).

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

22. Defined Benefit Liabilities

 

(1) Details of defined benefit liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)             
     December 31, 2014     December 31, 2013  

Present value of defined benefit obligations

   437,844        312,494   

Fair value of plan assets

     (346,257     (238,293
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   91,587        74,201   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(2) Principal actuarial assumptions as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     December 31, 2014    December 31, 2013

Discount rate for defined benefit obligations

   2.23%~3.70%    3.06%~4.34%

Expected rate of salary increase

   2.51%~7.39%    3.05%~6.27%

Discount rate for defined benefit obligations is determined based on the Group’s credit ratings and yield rate of corporate bonds with similar maturities for estimated payment term of defined benefit obligations. Expected rate of salary increase is determined based on the Group’s historical promotion index, inflation rate and salary increase ratio in accordance with salary agreement.

 

(3) Changes in defined benefit obligations for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                  
               2014                        2013          

Beginning balance

     312,494           244,866   

Current service cost

       109,625           89,802   

Interest cost

       12,630           9,370   

Remeasurement

         

- Demographic assumption

       2,859           (394

- Financial assumption

       28,287           (12,371

- Adjustment based on experience

       9,932           6,475   

Benefit paid

       (46,531        (42,948

Others(*)

       8,548           17,694   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Ending balance

     437,844           312,494   
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

(*) Others for the year ended December 31, 2014 include the effect of changes in the consolidation scope of ₩2,939 million, liabilities of ₩4,433 million succeeded due to transfer of employees from associates, and transfer to construction in progress, etc. Others for the year ended December 31, 2013 include the effect of changes in the consolidation scope of ₩(4,141) million, liabilities of ₩14,703 million succeeded due to business combination and transfer to construction in progress, etc.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(4) Changes in plan assets for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)             
     2014     2013  

Beginning balance

   238,293        158,345   

Interest income

     9,538        6,332   

Actuarial gain

     50        122   

Contributions by employer directly to plan assets

     117,558        85,683   

Benefits paid

     (20,711     (23,827

Others(*)

     1,529        11,638   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending balance

   346,257        238,293   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*) Others for the year ended December 31, 2014 include the effect of changes in the consolidation scope of ₩1,221 million. Others for the year ended December 31, 2013 include the effect of changes in the consolidation scope of ₩(3,074) million and assets of ₩14,334 million transferred due to business combination.

The Group expects to make a contribution of ₩82,062 million to the defined benefit plans during the next financial year.

 

(5) Expenses recognized in profit and loss (included in labor cost in the accompanying consolidated statements of income) and capitalized into construction-in-progress for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                     
     2014      2013      2012  

Current service cost

   109,625         89,802         77,060   

Net interest cost

     3,092         3,038         3,805   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   112,717         92,840         80,865   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The above costs are recognized in labor cost, research and development, or capitalized into construction-in-progress.

 

(6) Details of plan assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  

Equity instruments

   1,746         713   

Debt instruments

     70,778         48,901   

Short-term financial instruments, etc.

     273,733         188,679   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   346,257         238,293   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Actual return on plan assets for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 amounted to ₩9,588 million and ₩6,472million, respectively.

 

(7) As of December 31, 2014, effects on defined benefit obligations if each of significant actuarial assumptions changes within expectable and reasonable range are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)             
     Increase     Decrease  

Discount rate (if changed by 0.5%)

   (17,290     17,988   

Expected salary increase rate (if changed by 0.5%)

     18,064        (17,431

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

The sensitivity analysis does not consider dispersion of all cash flows that are expected from the plan and provides approximate values of sensitivity for the assumptions used.

Weighted average durations of defined benefit obligations as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are 9.10 years and 9.12 years, respectively.

 

23. Derivative Instruments

 

(1) Currency swap contracts under cash flow hedge accounting as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

(In thousands of foreign currencies)             

Borrowing
date

  

Hedged item

 

Hedged risk

 

Contract
type

  

Financial
institution

 

Duration of
contract

Jul. 20,
2007
  

Fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap (U.S. dollar denominated bonds face value of USD 400,000)

  Foreign currency risk   Currency swap    Morgan Stanley and five other banks  

Jul. 20, 2007 ~

Jul. 20, 2027

Jun. 12,
2012
  

Fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap (Swiss Franc denominated bonds face value of CHF 300,000)

  Foreign currency risk   Currency swap    Citibank and five other banks  

Jun. 12, 2012 ~

Jun.12, 2017

Nov. 1,
2012
  

Fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap (U.S. dollar denominated bonds face value of USD 700,000)

  Foreign currency risk   Currency swap    Barclays and nine other banks  

Nov. 1, 2012 ~

May 1, 2018

Jan. 17,
2013
  

Fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap (Australia dollar denominated bonds face value of AUD 300,000)

  Foreign currency risk   Currency swap    BNP Paribas and three other banks  

Jan. 17, 2013 ~

Nov. 17, 2017

Mar. 7,
2013
  

Floating-to-fixed cross currency interest rate swap (U.S. dollar denominated bonds face value of USD 300,000)

  Foreign currency risk and the interest rate risk   Currency interest rate swap    DBS Bank  

Mar. 7, 2013 ~

Mar. 7, 2020

Oct. 29,
2013
  

Fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap (U.S. dollar denominated bonds face value of USD 300,000)

  Foreign currency risk   Currency swap    Korea Development Bank and others  

Oct. 29, 2013 ~

Oct. 26, 2018

Dec. 16,
2013
  

Fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap (U.S. dollar denominated bonds face value of USD 86,338)

  Foreign currency risk   Currency swap    Deutsche bank  

Dec.16, 2013 ~

Apr. 29, 2022

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) As of December 31, 2014, fair values of the above derivatives recorded in assets or liabilities and details of derivative instruments are as follows:

 

(In millions of won and thousands of foreign currencies)  
     Fair value  
     Cash flow hedge      Held for
trading
purpose
     Total  

Hedged item

   Accumulated
gain (loss) on
valuation of
derivatives
    Tax
effect
    Accumulated
foreign
currency
translation
(gain) loss
    Others
(*)
       

Non-current assets:

              

Structured bond(face value of KRW 100,000)

                                8,713         8,713   

Fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap (U.S. dollar denominated bonds face value of USD 400,000)

     (40,360     (12,886     (17,545     129,806                 59,015   

Fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap (U.S. dollar denominated bonds face value of USD 300,000)

     8,895               (6,588                     2,307   
              

 

 

 

Total assets

               70,035   
              

 

 

 

Non-current liabilities:

              

Fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap (Swiss Franc denominated bonds face value of CHF 300,000)

     (8,725     (2,786     (29,993                     (41,504

Fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap (U.S. dollar denominated bonds face value of USD 700,000)

     (22,903     (7,312     6,058                        (24,157

Fixed-to-fixed cross currency swap (Australia dollar denominated bonds face value of AUD 300,000)

     2,588        826        (65,496                     (62,082

Floating-to-fixed cross currency interest rate swap (U.S. dollar denominated bonds face value of USD 300,000)

     (4,369     (1,395     4,668                        (1,096

Fixed-to-fixed long-term borrowings (U.S. dollar denominated bonds face value of USD 86,338)

     (4,439     (1,417     3,806                        (2,050
              

 

 

 

Total liabilities

               (130,889
              

 

 

 

 

 

(*) Cash flow hedge accounting has been applied to the relevant contract from May 12, 2010. Others represent gain on valuation of currency swap incurred prior to the application of hedge accounting and was recognized through profit or loss prior to the year ended December 31, 2013.

 

F-68


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

24. Share Capital and Capital Surplus (Deficit) and Other Capital Adjustments

The Parent Company’s outstanding share capital consists entirely of common stock with a par value of ₩500. The number of authorized, issued and outstanding common shares and capital surplus and other capital adjustments as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won, except for share data)             
     December 31, 2014     December 31, 2013  

Authorized shares

     220,000,000        220,000,000   

Issued shares(*1)

     80,745,711        80,745,711   

Share capital

    

Common stock

   44,639        44,639   

Capital surplus and other capital adjustments:

    

Paid-in surplus

     2,915,887        2,915,887   

Treasury stock (Note 25)

     (2,139,683     (2,139,683

Loss on disposal of treasury stock

     (18,087     (18,087

Others(*2)

     (878,637     (839,127
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   (120,520     (81,010
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) For the years ended December 31, 2003, 2006 and 2009, the Parent Company retired 7,002,235 shares, 1,083,000 shares and 448,000 shares, respectively, of treasury stock which reduced its retained earnings before appropriation in accordance with the Korean Commercial Law. As a result, the Parent Company’s outstanding shares have decreased without change in the share capital.

There were no changes in share capital for years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013. Changes in number of shares outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are follows:

 

(In shares)    2014      2013  
     Issued
shares
     Treasury
stock
     Outstanding
shares
     Issued
shares
     Treasury
stock
    Outstanding
shares
 

Beginning issued shares

     80,745,711         9,809,375         70,936,336         80,745,711         11,050,712        69,694,999   

Disposal of treasury stock

                                     (1,241,337     1,241,337   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending issued shares

     80,745,711         9,809,375         70,936,336         80,745,711         9,809,375        70,936,336   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(*2) Others primarily consist of the excess of the consideration paid by the Group over the carrying values of net assets acquired from common control transactions with entities within the control of the Ultimate Controlling Entity (See Note 12).

 

25. Treasury Stock

The Parent Company acquired treasury stock to provide stock dividends, merge with Shinsegi Telecom, Inc. and SK IMT Co, Ltd., increase shareholder value and to stabilize its stock prices when needed.

Treasury stock as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won, shares)              
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  

Number of shares

     9,809,375         9,809,375   

Amount

   2,139,683         2,139,683   

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

26. Hybrid Bonds

Hybrid bonds classified as equity as of December 31, 2014 is as follows:

 

(In millions of won)  
    

Type

  

Issuance date

  

Maturity

   Annual
interest
rate(%)
   Amount  

Private hybrid bonds

   Blank coupon unguaranteed subordinated bond    June 7, 2013    June 7, 2073(*1)    4.21(*2)    400,000   

Issuance costs

                 (1,482
              

 

 

 
               398,518   
              

 

 

 

Hybrid bonds issued by the Parent Company are classified as equity as there is no contractual obligation for delivery of financial assets to the bond holders. These are subordinated bonds which rank before common shareholders in the event of a liquidation or reorganization of the Parent Company.

 

 

(*1) The Parent Company has a right to extend the maturity under the same issuance terms without any notice or announcement. The Parent Company also has the right to defer interest payment at its sole discretion.

 

(*2) Annual interest rate is adjusted after five years from the issuance date.

 

27. Retained Earnings

 

(1) Retained earnings as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  

Appropriated:

     

Legal reserve

   22,320         22,320   

Reserve for research & manpower development

     151,533         155,767   

Reserve for business expansion

     9,476,138         9,376,138   

Reserve for technology development

     2,416,300         2,271,300   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     12,066,291         11,825,525   

Unappropriated

     2,122,300         1,276,970   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   14,188,591         13,102,495   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(2) Legal reserve

The Korean Commercial Act requires the Parent Company to appropriate as a legal reserve at least 10% of cash dividends paid for each accounting period until the reserve equals 50% of outstanding share capital. The legal reserve may not be utilized for cash dividends, but may only be used to offset a future deficit, if any, or may be transferred to share capital.

 

(3) Reserve for research & manpower development

The reserve for research and manpower development was appropriated in order to recognize certain tax deductible benefits through the early recognition of future expenditures for tax purposes. These reserves will be reversed from appropriated and retained earnings in accordance with the relevant tax laws. Such reversal will be included in taxable income in the year of reversal.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

28. Reserves

 

(1) Details of reserves, net of taxes, as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)             
     December 31, 2014     December 31, 2013  

Unrealized fair value of available-for-sale financial assets

   235,385        208,529   

Other comprehensive loss of investments in associates

     (163,808     (172,117

Unrealized fair value of derivatives

     (77,531     (35,429

Foreign currency translation differences for foreign operations

     1,465        (13,253
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   (4,489     (12,270
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(2) Changes in reserves for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    2014  
     Unrealized fair
value of
available-for-
sale financial
assets
    Other compre-
hensive loss
of investments in
associates
    Unrealized
fair value of
derivatives
    Foreign currency
translation
differences for
foreign
operations
    Total  

Balance at January 1, 2014

   208,529        (172,117     (35,429     (13,253     (12,270

Changes

     30,945        8,381        (54,290     14,718        (246

Tax effect

     (4,089     (72     12,188               8,027   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2014

   235,385        (163,808     (77,531     1,465        (4,489
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(In millions of won)    2013  
     Unrealized fair
value of
available-for-
sale financial
assets
    Other compre-
hensive loss
of investments in
associates
    Unrealized
fair value of
derivatives
    Foreign currency
translation
differences for
foreign
operations
    Total  

Balance at January 1, 2013

   207,063        (175,044     (46,652     (11,003     (25,636

Changes

     2,747        1,254        14,488        (2,250     16,239   

Tax effect

     (1,281     1,673        (3,265            (2,873
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2013

   208,529        (172,117     (35,429     (13,253     (12,270
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(3) Details of changes in unrealized fair value of available-for-sale financial assets for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    2014  
     Before taxes     Income tax effect     After taxes  

Balance at January 1, 2014

   275,663        (67,134     208,529   

Amount recognized as other comprehensive loss during the year

     40,785        (6,470     34,315   

Amount reclassified to profit or loss

     (9,840     2,381        (7,459
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2014

   306,608        (71,223     235,385   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(In millions of won)    2013  
     Before taxes     Income tax effect     After taxes  

Balance at January 1, 2013

   272,917        (65,854     207,063   

Amount recognized as other comprehensive income during the year

     3,879        (1,529     2,350   

Amount reclassified to profit or loss

     (1,133     249        (884
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2013

   275,663        (67,134     208,529   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(4) Details of changes in unrealized fair value of derivatives for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    2014  
     Before taxes     Income tax effect      After taxes  

Balance at January 1, 2014

   (48,211     12,782         (35,429

Amount recognized as other comprehensive loss during the year

     (46,535     10,311         (36,224

Amount reclassified through profit or loss

     (7,755     1,877         (5,878
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2014

   (102,501     24,970         (77,531
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(In millions of won)    2013  
     Before taxes     Income tax effect     After taxes  

Balance at January 1, 2013

   (62,698     16,046        (46,652

Amount recognized as other comprehensive income during the year

     11,833        (3,001     8,832   

Amount reclassified through profit or loss

     2,654        (263     2,391   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2013

   (48,211     12,782        (35,429
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

29. Other Operating Income and Expenses

Details of other operating income and expenses for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                     
     2014      2013      2012  

Other Operating Income:

        

Reversal of allowance for doubtful accounts

           359         5,902   

Gain on disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets

     8,792         7,991         162,590   

Others(*1)

     47,679         66,604         33,352   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   56,471         74,954         201,844   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Other Operating Expenses:

        

Communication expenses

   58,622         62,193         69,585   

Utilities

     247,919         227,593         197,559   

Taxes and dues(*2)

     33,500         29,873         91,745   

Repair

     260,533         252,344         223,247   

Research and development

     390,943         352,385         304,557   

Training

     42,781         40,446         39,407   

Bad debt for accounts receivables — trade

     45,754         53,344         52,393   

Travel

     28,912         31,762         31,380   

Supplies and other

     209,933         189,224         143,882   

Loss on disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets

     32,950         267,468         15,117   

Impairment loss on other investment securities

     22,749         6,137         1,307   

Impairment loss on property and equipment and intangible assets

     47,489         13,770         37,007   

Donations

     67,823         82,057         81,330   

Bad debt for accounts receivable — other

     17,943         22,155         30,107   

Other(*2)

     84,796         115,532         23,402   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   1,592,647         1,746,283         1,342,025   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) Others for the year ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, primarily consist of ₩8.1 billion, ₩10.3 billion and ₩5.6 billion of VAT refund, respectively.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(*2) Penalties were included in taxes and dues until the year ended December 31, 2012 while penalties were included in other starting from the year ended December 31, 2013.

 

30. Finance Income and Costs

 

(1) Details of finance income and costs for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                     
     2014      2013      2012  

Finance Income:

        

Interest income

   60,006         65,560         97,318   

Dividends

     13,048         10,197         27,732   

Gain on foreign currency transactions

     16,301         11,041         6,735   

Gain on foreign currency translation

     6,277         4,401         4,065   

Gain on disposal of long-term investment securities

     13,994         9,300         282,605   

Gain on valuation of derivatives

     8,713                   

Gain on settlement of derivatives

     7,998         7,716         26,103   

Gain relating to financial asset at fair value through profit or loss

             5,177           
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   126,337         113,392         444,558   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Finance Costs:

        

Interest expense

   323,910         331,834         412,379   

Loss on foreign currency transactions

     18,053         16,430         7,204   

Loss on foreign currency translation

     5,079         2,634         4,608   

Loss on disposal of long-term investment securities

     2,694         31,909         10,802   

Loss on valuation of derivatives

     10         2,106         286   

Loss on settlement of derivatives

     672                 1,232   

Loss relating to financial asset at fair value through profit or loss

     1,352                 1,262   

Loss relating to financial liability at fair value through profit or loss(*1)

     10,370         134,232         7,793   

Loss on redemption of debentures

                     2,099   

Other finance costs(*2)

     24,533         52,058         190,620   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   386,673         571,203         638,285   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) Loss relating to financial liability at fair value through profit or loss for the year ended December 31, 2013 represents 1) valuation loss related to exchangeable bond (issue price of USD 326,397,463) as a result of increase in stock price of the Parent Company and increase in foreign exchange rate, and 2) loss on repayment of debentures upon the claim for exchange.

 

(*2) See Note 30-(5)

 

(2) Details of interest income included in finance income for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                     
     2014      2013      2012  

Interest income on cash equivalents and deposits

    33,417         41,907         57,029   

Interest income on installment receivables and others

     26,589         23,653         40,289   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   60,006         65,560         97,318   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(3) Details of interest expense included in finance costs for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                     
     2014      2013      2012  

Interest expense on bank overdrafts and borrowings

    26,360         28,600         147,741   

Interest expense on debentures

     247,972         258,962         209,545   

Interest on finance lease liabilities

     504         1,333         2,621   

Others

     49,074         42,939         52,472   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   323,910         331,834         412,379   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(4) Finance income and costs by categories of financial instruments for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows. Bad debt expenses (reversal of allowance for doubtful accounts) for accounts receivable – trade, loans and receivables are excluded and are explained in Note 7.

(i)    Finance income

 

(In millions of won)       
     2014      2013      2012  

Financial Assets:

        

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

   8,713         5,177           

Available-for-sale financial assets

     32,227         23,311         317,915   

Loans and receivables

     57,685         62,211         90,177   

Derivative financial instruments designated as hedged item

     7,998         7,716         26,103   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     106,623         98,415         434,195   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial Liabilities:

        

Financial liabilities measured at amortized cost

     19,714         14,977         10,363   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     19,714         14,977         10,363   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   126,337         113,392         444,558   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(ii)    Finance costs

 

(In millions of won)       
     2014      2013      2012  

Financial Assets:

        

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

   1,361         276         1,262   

Available-for-sale financial assets

     27,227         83,967         201,423   

Loans and receivables

     18,182         16,479         1,789   

Derivative financial instruments designated as hedged item

     672         1,830         1,516   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     47,442         102,552         205,990   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial Liabilities:

        

Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss

     10,370         134,232         7,793   

Financial liabilities measured at amortized cost

     328,861         334,419         424,502   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     339,231         468,651         432,295   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   386,673         571,203         638,285   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(iii)    Other comprehensive income

 

(In millions of won)                   
     2014     2013     2012  

Financial Assets:

      

Available-for-sale financial assets

   26,856        2,009        (149,082

Derivative financial instruments designated as hedged item

     (20,301     12,240        (23,527
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     6,555        14,249        (172,609
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Financial Liabilities:

      

Derivative financial instruments designated as hedged item

     (21,801     (1,018     166   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     (21,801     (1,018     166   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   (15,246     13,231        (172,443
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(5) Details of impairment losses for financial assets for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows.

 

(In millions of won)                     
     2014      2013      2012  

Available-for-sale financial assets(*)

   24,533         52,058         190,620   

Bad debt for accounts receivable — trade

     45,754         53,344         52,393   

Bad debt for accounts receivable — other

     17,943         22,167         30,107   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   88,230         127,569         273,120   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(*) This is included in other finance costs (See Note 30-(1)).

 

31. Income Tax Expense for Continuing Operations

 

(1) Income tax expenses for continuing operations for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 consist of the following:

 

(In millions of won)                   
     2014     2013     2012  

Current tax expense

      

Current tax payable

   181,273        145,457        200,836   

Adjustments recognized in the period for current tax of prior periods

     (19,938     (16,696     (69,634
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     161,335        128,761        131,202   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax expense

      

Changes in net deferred tax assets

     276,049        266,601        103,480   

Tax directly charged to equity

     16,929        (3,584     50,053   

Changes in scope of consolidation

            8,919        (3,611

Others

     195        100        7,083   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     293,173        272,036        157,005   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income tax for continuing operation

   454,508        400,797        288,207   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) The difference between income taxes computed using the statutory corporate income tax rates and the actual income tax expense from continuing operations for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 is attributable to the following:

 

(In millions of won)                   
     2014     2013     2012  

Income taxes at statutory income tax rate

   544,964        441,697        367,661   

Non-taxable income

     (32,277     (35,632     (5,039

Non-deductible expenses

     61,580        74,311        19,410   

Tax credit and tax reduction

     (33,581     (37,893     (72,947

Changes in unrealizable deferred taxes

     (43,820     (13,285     5,723   

Additional income tax refund for prior periods

     (44,459     (23,162     (32,071

Deferred tax effect from statutory tax rate change for future periods

     2,101        (5,239     5,470   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income tax for continuing operation

   454,508        400,797        288,207   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(3) Deferred taxes directly charged to (credited to) equity for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                   
     2014     2013     2012  

Net change in fair value of available-for-sale financial assets

   (4,089     (1,281     47,041   

Share of other comprehensive income of associates

     (72     1,673        (5,997

Gain or loss on valuation of derivatives

     12,188        (3,265     4,562   

Remeasurement of defined benefit liabilities

     8,902        (466     4,447   

Loss on disposal of treasury stock

            (245       
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   16,929        (3,584     50,053   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-76


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(4) Details of changes in deferred tax assets (liabilities) for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    2014  
     Beginning     Deferred tax
expense
(benefit)
    Directly added
to (deducted
from) equity
    Other     Ending  

Deferred tax assets (liabilities) related to temporary differences

          

Allowance for doubtful accounts

   56,427        (2,700            (149     53,578   

Accrued interest income

     (2,831     381                      (2,450

Available-for-sale financial assets

     (589     (146     (4,089            (4,824

Investments in subsidiaries and associates

     (44,844     (165,663     (72     (464     (211,043

Property and equipment (depreciation)

     (333,633     (38,690            (9     (372,332

Provisions

     14,303        (6,699            (17     7,587   

Retirement benefit obligation

     16,089        2,390        8,902        (20     27,361   

Gain or loss on valuation of derivatives

     12,779        2        12,188               24,969   

Gain or loss on foreign currency translation

     19,572        (248                   19,324   

Tax free reserve for research and manpower development

     (40,011     32,849                      (7,162

Goodwill relevant to leased line

     31,025        (26,592                   4,433   

Unearned revenue (activation fees)

     53,412        (27,435                   25,977   

Others

     44,738        (61,274            854        (15,682
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     (173,563     (293,825     16,929        195        (450,264
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax assets related to unused tax loss carryforwards and unused tax credit carryforwards

          

Tax loss carryforwards

     31,060        652                      31,712   

Tax credit carryforwards

                                   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     31,060        652                      31,712   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   (142,503     (293,173     16,929        195        (418,552
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-77


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)    2013  
     Beginning     Changes in
scope of
consolidation
    Deferred tax
expense
(benefit)
    Directly added
to (deducted
from) equity
    Other      Ending  

Deferred tax assets (liabilities) related to temporary differences

             

Allowance for doubtful accounts

   51,972        (2,323     6,773               5         56,427   

Accrued interest income

     (1,782     (756     (293                    (2,831

Available-for-sale financial assets

     13,419        (45     (12,682     (1,281             (589

Investments in subsidiaries and associates

     66,969        51        (113,541     1,673        4         (44,844

Property and equipment (depreciation)

     (272,940     4,940        (65,633                    (333,633

Provisions

     86,567        206        (72,470                    14,303   

Retirement benefit obligation

     16,849        151        (445     (466             16,089   

Gain or loss on valuation of derivatives

     15,894               150        (3,265             12,779   

Gain or loss on foreign currency translation

     19,652               (80                    19,572   

Tax free reserve for research and manpower development

     (31,093            (8,918                    (40,011

Goodwill relevant to leased line

     68,675               (37,650                    31,025   

Unearned revenue (activation fees)

     97,110               (43,698                    53,412   

Others

     (23,804     (11,654     80,350        (245     91         44,738   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
     107,488        (9,430     (268,137     (3,584     100         (173,563
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Deferred tax assets related to unused tax loss carryforwards and unused tax credit carryforwards

             

Tax loss carryforwards

     16,609        18,350        (3,899                    31,060   

Tax credit carryforwards

     1        (1                             
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
     16,610        18,349        (3,899                    31,060   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
   124,098        8,919        (272,036     (3,584     100         (142,503
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(5) Details of temporary differences, unused tax loss carryforwards and unused tax credits carryforwards for which no deferred tax assets were recognized, as the Group does not believe it is probable that the deferred tax assets will be realizable in the future, in the consolidated statements of financial position as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31, 2014      December 31, 2013  

Allowance for doubtful accounts

   155,634         152,341   

Investments in subsidiaries and associates

     422,033         719,974   

Other temporary differences

     314,188         221,264   

Unused tax loss carryforwards

     729,570         669,890   

Unused tax credit carryforwards

     2,438           
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   1,623,863         1,763,469   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-78


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(6) The expirations of unused tax loss carryforwards and unused tax credit carryforwards which are not recognized as deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     Unused tax loss carryforwards      Unused tax credit carryforwards  

Less than 1 year

   1,087         270   

1 ~ 2 years

     4,894         1,041   

2 ~ 3 years

             155   

More than 3 years

     723,589         972   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   729,570         2,438   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

32. Earnings per Share

(1)    Basic earnings per share

 

1) Basic earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are calculated as follows:

 

(In millions of won, shares)                   
     2014     2013     2012  

Basic earnings per share attributable to owners of the Parent Company from continuing operation:

      

Profit attributable to owners of the Parent Company from continuing operations

   1,801,178        1,463,097        1,255,526   

Interest on hybrid bonds

     (16,840     (8,420       
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Profit attributable to owners of the Parent Company from continuing operations on common shares

     1,784,338        1,454,677        1,255,526   

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

     70,936,336        70,247,592        69,694,999   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic earnings per share from continuing operations (In won)

   25,154        20,708        18,015   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic earnings per share attributable to owners of the Parent Company:

      

Profit attributable to owners of the Parent Company

   1,801,178        1,638,964        1,151,705   

Interest on hybrid bond

     (16,840     (8,420       
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Profit attributable to owners of the Parent Company on common shares

     1,784,338        1,630,544        1,151,705   

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

     70,936,336        70,247,592        69,694,999   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic earnings per share (In won)

   25,154        23,211        16,525   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

2) Profit attributable to owners of the Parent Company from continuing operation for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are calculated as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                    
     2014      2013     2012  

Profit attributable to owners of the Parent Company

   1,801,178         1,638,964        1,151,705   

Results of discontinued operation attributable to owners of the Parent Company

             (175,867     103,821   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Profit attributable to owners of the Parent Company from continuing operation

   1,801,178         1,463,097        1,255,526   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-79


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

3) The weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are calculated as follows:

 

(In shares)                   
     2014     2013     2012  

Outstanding common shares

     80,745,711        80,745,711        80,745,711   

Weighted number of treasury stocks

     (9,809,375     (10,498,119     (11,050,712
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

     70,936,336        70,247,592        69,694,999   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(2)     Diluted earnings per share

 

1) Diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are calculated as follows:

 

(In millions of won, shares)                     
     2014      2013      2012  

Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations:

  

Profit attributable to owners of the Parent Company from continuing operations on common shares

   1,801,178         1,454,677         1,255,526   

Gain relating to exchangeable bonds(*)

                     10,799   

Diluted profit attributable to owners of the Parent Company from continuing operations on common shares

             1,454,677         1,266,325   

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

     70,936,336         70,247,592         72,021,148   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations (In won)

   25,154         20,708         17,583   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per share:

        

Diluted profit attributable to owners of the Parent Company

   1,784,338         1,630,544         1,151,705   

Gain relating to exchangeable bonds(*)

                     10,799   

Diluted profit attributable to owners of the Parent Company on common shares

     1,784,338         1,630,544         1,162,504   

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

     70,936,336         70,247,592         72,021,148   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Diluted earnings per share (In won)

   25,154         23,211         16,141   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(*) For the year ended December 31, 2014, there were no potentially dilutive shares. The number of common shares outstanding in respect of the exchangeable common shares of exchangeable bonds is excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation for the year ended December 31, 2013 as effect would have been anti-dilutive (diluted shares of 688,744). Therefore, diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are the same as basic earnings per share.

 

2) Adjusted weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are calculated as follows:

 

(In shares)                     
     2014      2013      2012  

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

     70,247,592         70,247,592         69,694,999   

Effect of exchangeable bonds(*)

                     2,326,149   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Adjusted weighted average number of common shares outstanding

     70,247,592         70,247,592         72,021,148   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(*) Effect of exchangeable bonds represents weighted average number of common shares outstanding in respect of the exchangeable common shares of exchangeable bonds, which could be exchanged to treasury stock.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(3) Basic earnings (loss) per share from discontinued operation

 

(In millions of won, shares)                  
    2014     2013     2012  

Results of discontinued operation attributable to owners of the Parent Company

         175,867        (103,821

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

    70,936,336        70,247,592        69,694,999   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Basic earnings (loss) per share (In won)

         2,503        (1,490
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Diluted earnings (loss) per share from discontinued operation is the same as basic loss per share from discontinued operation.

 

33. Dividends

(1)    Details of dividends declared

Details of dividend declared for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won, except for face value and share data)  

  Year  

  

Dividend type

   Number of
shares
outstanding
     Face value
(In won)
     Dividend
ratio
    Dividends  
2014    Cash dividends (Interim)      70,936,336         500         200   70,937   
   Cash dividends (Year-end)      70,936,336         500         1,680     595,865   
             

 

 

 
              666,802   
             

 

 

 
2013    Cash dividends (Interim)      70,508,482         500         200   70,508   
   Cash dividends (Year-end)      70,936,336         500         1,680     595,865   
             

 

 

 
              666,373   
             

 

 

 
2012    Cash dividends (Interim)      69,694,999         500         200   69,695   
   Cash dividends (Year-end)      69,694,999         500         1,680     585,438   
             

 

 

 
              655,133   
             

 

 

 

(2)    Dividends payout ratio

Dividends payout ratios for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)  

Year

   Dividends
calculated
     Profit      Dividends payout ratio  

2014

   666,802         1,801,178         37.02

2013

   666,373         1,638,964         40.66

2012

   655,133         1,151,705         56.88

(3) Dividends yield ratio

Dividends yield ratios for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In won)

Year

   Dividend type    Dividend per share    Closing price at
settlement
   Dividend yield ratio

2014

   Cash dividend    9,400    268,000    3.51%

2013

   Cash dividend    9,400    230,000    4.09%

2012

   Cash dividend    9,400    152,500    6.16%

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

34. Categories of Financial Instruments

 

(1) Financial assets by categories as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)  
     December 31, 2014  
     Financial
assets at
fair value
through
profit or
loss
     Available-
for-sale
financial
assets
     Loans and
receivables
     Derivative
financial
instruments
designated
as hedged
item
     Total  

Cash and cash equivalents

                   834,429                 834,429   

Financial instruments

                     313,699                 313,699   

Short-term investment securities

             280,161                         280,161   

Long-term investment securities(*1)

     7,817         948,463                         956,280   

Accounts receivable — trade

                     2,460,686                 2,460,686   

Loans and other receivables(*2)

                     1,123,507                 1,123,507   

Derivative financial assets

     8,713                         61,322         70,035   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   16,530         1,228,624         4,732,321         61,322         6,038,797   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(In millions of won)  
     December 31, 2013  
     Financial
assets at
fair value
through
profit or
loss
     Available-
for-sale
financial
assets
     Loans and
receivables
     Derivative
financial
instruments
designated
as hedged
item
     Total  

Cash and cash equivalents

                   1,398,639                 1,398,639   

Financial instruments

                     319,616                 319,616   

Short-term investment securities

             106,068                         106,068   

Long-term investment securities(*1)

     20,532         947,995                         968,527   

Accounts receivable — trade

                     2,270,471                 2,270,471   

Loans and other receivables(*2)

                     1,044,529                 1,044,529   

Derivative financial assets(*3)

     10                         41,712         41,722   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   20,542         1,054,063         5,033,255         41,712         6,149,572   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) Long-term investment securities were designated as financial assets at fair value through profit or loss since the embedded derivative (conversion right option), which should be separated from the host contract, could not be separately measured.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(*2) Details of loans and other receivables as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
      December 31,
2014
     December 31,
2013
 

Short-term loans

   74,512         79,395   

Accounts receivable — other

     690,527         643,603   

Accrued income

     10,134         11,941   

Other current assets

     3,866         2,548   

Long-term loans

     55,728         57,442   

Long-term accounts receivable — other

     3,596           

Guarantee deposits

     285,144         249,600   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   1,123,507         1,044,529   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
(*3) Derivative financial assets classified as financial assets at fair value through profit or loss is the fair value of conversion right of convertible bonds held by SK Communications Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Parent Company.

 

(2) Financial liabilities by categories as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    December 31, 2014  
     Financial
liabilities

at fair
value
through
profit or
loss
     Financial
liabilities
measured at
amortized
cost
     Derivative
financial
instruments
designated
as hedged
item
     Total  

Accounts payable — trade

           275,495                 275,495   

Derivative financial liabilities

                     130,889         130,889   

Borrowings

             537,562                 537,562   

Debentures(*1)

     110,365         6,108,265                 6,218,630   

Accounts payable — other and others(*3)

             3,241,615                 3,241,615   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   110,365         10,162,937         130,889         10,404,191   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(In millions of won)    December 31, 2013  
     Financial
liabilities at
fair value
through
profit or
loss
     Financial
liabilities
measured at
amortized
cost
     Derivative
financial
instruments
designated
as hedged
item
     Total  

Accounts payable — trade

           214,716                 214,716   

Derivative financial liabilities

                     124,339         124,339   

Borrowings

             386,192                 386,192   

Debentures(*2)

     96,147         5,830,324                 5,927,471   

Accounts payable — other and others(*3)

             3,949,794                 3,949,794   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   96,147         10,381,026         124,339         10,601,512   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(*1) Bonds classified as financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss as of December 31, 2014 are structured bonds and they were designated as financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss in order to settle the difference of the measurement bases of accounting profit or loss between the related derivatives and bonds.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(*2) The entire amount of debentures as of December 31, 2013 was designated as financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss as the fair value of the embedded derivative (conversion right option), which should be separated from the main contract, could not be separately measured.

 

(*3) Details of accounts payable – other and other payables as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     December 31,
2014
     December 31,
2013
 

Accounts payable — other

   1,381,850         1,864,024   

Withholdings

     1,760         1,549   

Accrued expenses

     952,418         988,193   

Current installments of long-term payables — other

     193,193         226,151   

Long-term payables — other

     684,567         838,585   

Finance lease liabilities

     26         3,867   

Other non-current liabilities

     27,801         27,425   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   3,241,615         3,949,794   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

35. Financial Risk Management

 

(1) Financial risk management

The Group is exposed to credit risk, liquidity risk and market risk. Market risk is the risk related to the changes in market prices, such as foreign exchange rates, interest rates and equity prices. The Group implements a risk management system to monitor and manage these specific risks.

The Group’s financial assets under financial risk management consist of cash and cash equivalents, financial instruments, available-for-sale financial assets, trade and other receivables. Financial liabilities consist of trade and other payables, borrowings, and debentures.

 

1) Market risk

(i)     Currency risk

The Group is exposed to currency risk mainly on exchange fluctuations on recognized assets and liabilities. The Group manages currency risk by currency forward, etc. if needed to hedge currency risk on business transactions. Currency risk occurs on forecasted transaction and recognized assets and liabilities which are denominated in a currency other than the functional currency of the Group.

Monetary foreign currency assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won, thousands of U.S. dollars, thousands of Euros, thousands of Japanese Yen, thousands of other currencies)  
     Assets      Liabilities  
     Foreign
currencies
     Won
translation
     Foreign
currencies
     Won
translation
 

USD

     162,382       178,323         1,877,566       2,063,802   

EUR

     5,259         7,059         2,352         3,143   

JPY

     29,184         268         5,174         48   

AUD

     79         66                   

CHF

                     298,536         268,411   

SGD

                     298,956         332,269   

Others

     161,777         11,656         43,656         1,227   
     

 

 

       

 

 

 
      197,372          2,668,900   
     

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

In addition, the Group has entered into cross currency swaps to hedge against currency risk related to foreign currency borrowings and debentures. (See Note 23)

As of December 31, 2014, effects on income (loss) before income tax as a result of change in exchange rate by 10% are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     If increased by 10%      If decreased by 10%  

USD

   5,913         (5,913

EUR

     356         (356

JPY

     22         (22

Others

     1,050         (1,050
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   7,341         (7,341
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

(ii)    Equity price risk

The Group has equity securities which include listed and non-listed securities for its liquidity and operating purpose. As of December 31, 2014, available-for-sale equity instruments measured at fair value amount to ₩846,614 million.

(iii)    Interest rate risk

Since the Group’s interest bearing assets are mostly fixed-interest bearing assets, as such, the Group’s revenue and operating cash flow are not influenced by the changes in market interest rates. However, the Group still has interest rate risk arising from borrowings and debentures.

Accordingly, the Group performs various analysis of interest rate risk, which includes refinancing, renewal, alternative financing and hedging instrument option, to reduce interest rate risk and to optimize its financing.

The interest rate risk arises from the Group’s floating-rate borrowings and bonds agreements. As of the year ended December 31, 2014, the floating-rate borrowings and bonds are ₩49,800 million and ₩329,760 million, respectively, and the Group has entered into interest rate swap agreements, as described in Note 23, for all floating-rate bonds to hedge the interest rate risk of floating-rate bonds. On the other hand, if the interest rate increases (decreases) 1% with all other variables held constant, income before income taxes as of the end of December 31, 2014, fluctuates as much as ₩498 million due to the interest expense on floating-rate borrowings that have not entered into an interest rate swap agreement.

 

2) Credit risk

Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group if a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet his/her contractual obligations. The maximum credit exposure as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)              
     2014      2013  

Cash and cash equivalents

   833,129         1,398,548   

Financial instruments

     313,699         319,616   

Available-for-sale financial assets

     15,498         35,174   

Accounts receivable — trade

     2,460,686         2,270,471   

Loans and receivables

     1,123,507         1,044,529   

Derivative financial assets

     70,035         41,712   

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

     7,817         20,532   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   4,824,371         5,130,582   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

To manage credit risk, the Group evaluates the credit worthiness of each customer or counterparty considering the party’s financial information, its own trading records and other factors; based on such information, the Group establishes credit limits for each customer or counterparty.

For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Group has no trade and other receivables or loans which have indications of significant impairment loss or are overdue for a prolonged period. As a result, the Group believes that the possibility of default is remote. Also, the Group’s credit risk can rise due to transactions with financial institutions related to its cash and cash equivalents, financial instruments and derivatives. To minimize such risk, the Group has a policy to deal with high credit worthy financial institutions. The amount of maximum exposure to credit risk of the Group is the carrying amount of financial assets as of December 31, 2014.

In addition, the aging of trade and other receivables that are overdue at the end of the reporting period but not impaired is stated in Note 7 and the analysis of financial assets that are individually determined to be impaired at the end of the reporting period is stated in Note 30.

 

3) Liquidity risk

The Group’s approach to managing liquidity is to ensure that it will always maintain sufficient cash and cash equivalents balances and have enough liquidity through various committed credit lines. The Group manages liquidity risks by maintaining credit lines in case of insufficient liquidity generated by operating activities.

Contractual maturities of financial liabilities as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)  
     Carrying
amount
     Contractual
cash flows
     Less than
1 year
     1 - 5 years      More than
5 years
 

Accounts payable — trade

   275,495         275,495         275,494                   

Borrowings(*1)

     537,562         555,407         386,814         129,047         39,546   

Debentures(*1)

     6,218,630         7,516,339         770,663         4,082,384         2,663,292   

Accounts payable — other and others(*2)

     3,241,615         3,271,633         2,421,297         598,447         251,889   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   10,273,302         11,618,874         3,854,268         4,809,878         2,954,727   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The Group does not expect that the cash flows included in the maturity analysis could occur significantly earlier or at different amounts.

 

 

(*1) Includes estimated interest to be paid and excludes discounts on borrowings and debentures.

 

(*2) Excludes discounts on accounts payable-other and others.

As of December 31, 2014, periods which cash flows from cash flow hedge derivatives is expected to be incurred are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)  
     Carrying
amount
    Contractual
cash flows
    Less than
1 year
    1 - 5 years     More than
5 years
 

Assets

   61,322        64,440        6,288        42,448        15,704   

Liabilities

     (130,889     (137,344     (15,145     (121,463     (736
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   (69,567     (72,904     (8,857     (79,015     14,968   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(2) Capital management

The Group manages its capital to ensure that it will be able to continue as a business while maximizing the return to shareholders through the optimization of its debt and equity balance. The overall strategy of the Group is the same as that of the Group as of and for the year ended December 31, 2013.

 

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SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

The Group monitors its debt-equity ratio as a capital management indicator. This ratio is calculated as total amount of liabilities divided by total amount of equity which are extracted from the financial statements.

Debt-equity ratio as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)             
     December 31,
2014
    December 31,
2013
 

Liabilities

   12,692,963        12,409,958   

Equity

     15,248,270        14,166,557   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Debt-equity ratio

     83.24     87.60
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

(3)     Fair value

 

1) Fair value and carrying amount of financial assets and liabilities including fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)       
     Carrying
amount
     Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  

Financial assets that can be measured at fair value

              

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

   16,530                 8,713         7,817         16,530   

Derivative financial assets

     61,322                 61,322                 61,322   

Available-for-sale financial assets

     846,614         657,286         47,002         142,326         846,614   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   924,466         657,286         117,037         150,143         924,466   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial assets that cannot be measured at fair value

              

Cash and cash equivalents(*1)

   834,429                                   

Available-for-sale financial assets(*1,2)

     382,010                                   

Accounts receivable — trade and others(*1)

     3,584,193                                   

Financial instruments(*1)

     313,699                                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   5,114,331                                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial liabilities that can be measured at fair value

              

Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss

   110,365                 110,365                 110,365   

Derivative financial liabilities

     130,889                 130,889                 130,889   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   241,254                 241,254                 241,254   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial liabilities that cannot be measured at fair value

              

Accounts payable — trade(*1)

   275,495                                   

Borrowings

     537,562                 549,083                 540,083   

Debentures

     6,108,265                 6,514,832                 6,514,832   

Accounts payable — other and others(*1)

     3,241,615                                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   10,162,937                 7,063,915                 7,063,915   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

2) Fair value and carrying amount of financial assets and liabilities including fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)      
    Carrying
amount
    Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  

Financial assets that can be measured at fair value

         

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

  20,542               20,532        10        20,542   

Derivative financial assets

    41,712               41,712               41,712   

Available-for-sale financial assets

    839,647        638,445        46,414        154,788        839,647   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  901,901        638,445        108,658        154,798        901,901   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Financial assets that cannot be measured at fair value

         

Cash and cash equivalents(*1)

  1,398,639                               

Available-for-sale financial assets(*1,2)

    214,416                               

Accounts receivable — trade and others(*1)

    3,314,999                               

Financial instruments(*1)

    319,616                               
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  5,247,670                               
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Financial liabilities that can be measured at fair value

         

Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss

  96,147        96,147                      96,147   

Derivative financial liabilities

    124,339               124,339               124,339   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  220,486        96,147        124,339               220,486   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Financial liabilities that cannot be measured at fair value

         

Accounts payable — trade(*1)

  214,716                               

Borrowings

    386,192               399,247               399,247   

Debentures

    5,830,324               5,946,586               5,946,586   

Accounts payable — other and others(*1)

    3,949,794                               
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  10,381,026               6,345,833               6,345,833   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) Does not include fair values of financial assets and liabilities of which fair values have not been measured as carrying amounts are closed to the reasonable approximate fair values.

 

(*2) Equity instruments which do not have quoted price in an active market for the identical instruments (inputs for level 1) are measured at cost in accordance with IAS 39 as such equity instruments cannot be reliably measured using other methods.

Fair value of the financial instruments that are traded in an active market (available-for-sale financial assets, financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss, etc.) is measured based on the bid price at the end of the reporting date.

The management uses various valuation methods for valuation of fair value of financial instruments that are not traded in an active market. Fair value of available-for-sale securities is determined using the market approach methods and financial assets through profit or loss are measured using the option pricing model. In addition, derivative financial contracts and long-term liabilities are measured using the present value methods. Inputs used to such valuation methods include swap rate, interest rate, and risk premium, and the Group performs valuation using the inputs which are consistent with natures of assets and liabilities being evaluated.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

Fair values of accounts receivable — trade, and accounts payable — trade are considered to be carrying amount less impairment and fair value of financial liabilities for the disclosure purpose is estimated by discounting contractual future cash flows using the current market interest rate used for the similar financial instruments by the Group.

Interest rates used by the Group for the fair value measurement as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

     Interest rate

Derivative instruments

   1.90% ~ 2.40%

Borrowings and debentures

   2.55% ~ 2.68%

 

3) There have been no transfers from Level 2 to Level 1 in 2014 and changes of financial assets classified as Level 3 for the year ended December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                                        
     Balance at
Jan. 1
     Acquisition      Gain for
the period
     Other
comprehensive
loss
    Disposal     Balance at
Dec. 31
 

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

   9         5,000         2,817                (10     7,817   

Available-for-sale financial assets

     154,789         34,611                 (2,339     (44,734     142,326   

 

(4) Enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement

Carrying amount of financial instruments recognized of which offset agreements are applicable as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                                        
     Gross financial
instruments
recognized
     Gross offset
financial
instruments
recognized
    Net financial
instruments
presented on the
statements of
financial position
     Relevant amount not offset
on the statements of
financial position
     Net
amount
 
           Financial
instruments
    Cash
collaterals
received
    

Financial assets:

               

Derivatives(*)

   48,057                48,057         (45,892             2,165   

Accounts receivable — trade and other

     128,794         (117,568     11,226                        11,226   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
     176,851         (117,568     59,283         (45,892             13,391   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial liabilities:

               

Derivatives(*)

     45,892                45,892         (45,892               

Accounts payable — trade and other

     117,568         (117,568                              
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
   163,460         (117,568     45,892         (45,892               
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

Carrying amount of financial instruments recognized of which offset agreements are applicable as of December 31, 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                                        
     Gross financial
instruments
recognized
     Gross offset
financial
instruments
recognized
    Net financial
instruments
presented on the
statements of
financial position
     Relevant amount not offset
on the statements of
financial position
     Net
amount
 
           Financial
instruments
    Cash
collaterals
received
    

Financial assets:

               

Derivatives(*)

   28,870                28,870         (28,870               

Accounts receivable — trade and others

     138,897         (127,055     11,842                        11,842   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
   167,767         (127,055     40,712         (28,870             11,842   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial liabilities:

               

Derivatives(*)

   43,536                43,536         (28,870             14,666   

Accounts payable — others

     127,055         (127,055                              
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
   170,591         (127,055     43,536         (28,870             14,666   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

  

 

 

(*) The Group entered into derivative contracts which include enforceable master netting arrangement in accordance with International Swap and Derivatives Association (ISDA). Generally, all contracts made with the identical currencies are settled from one party to another by combining one net amount. In this case, all contracts are liquidated and paid off at net amount by evaluating liquidation value if credit events such as bankruptcy occur.

ISDA agreements do not allow the Group to exercise rights of set-off unless credit events such as bankruptcy occur. Therefore, assets and liabilities recognized in accordance with the agreements cannot be offset as the Group does not have enforceable rights of set-off.

 

36. Transactions with Related Parties

(1) List of related parties

 

Relationship

  

Company

Ultimate Controlling Entity    SK Holding Co., Ltd.
Subsidiaries    SK Planet Co., Ltd. and 39 others (See Note 1)
Joint venture    Dogus Planet, Inc. and 4 others
Associates    SK hynix Inc. and 59 others
Affiliates    The Ultimate Controlling Entity’s investee under equity method, the Ultimate Controlling Entity’s subsidiaries and associates, etc.

 

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Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) Compensation for the key management

The Parent Company considers registered directors who have substantial role and responsibility in planning, operating, and controlling of the business as key management. The compensation given to such key management for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)       
     2014      2013      2012  

Salaries

   2,600         2,263         8,893   

Provision for retirement benefits

     907         1,012         799   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     3,507         3,275         9,692   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Compensation for the key management includes salaries, non-monetary salaries and contributions made in relation to the pension plan.

 

(3) Transactions with related parties for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                                   
          2014  

Scope

  

Company

  Operating
revenue and
others
    Operating
expense and
others
    Acquisition of
property and
equipment
    Loans     Loans
collection
 

Ultimate Controlling Entity

  

SK Holding Co., Ltd.(*1)

  530        226,772                        

Associates

  

F&U Credit information Co., Ltd.

    2,395        45,417                        
  

HappyNarae Co., Ltd.

    253        6,492        10,418                 
  

SK hynix Inc.

    12,964        3,391                        
  

SK USA, Inc.

           2,153                        
  

SK Wyverns Baseball Club., Ltd.

    901        22,402                      204   
  

KEB HanaCard Co., Ltd.(*2)

    39,828        5,416                        
  

Others

    5,852        15,150               45          
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
       62,193        100,421        10,418        45        204   
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other

  

SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.

    3,385        42,964        460,783                 
  

SK C&C Co., Ltd.

    18,309        360,842        168,778                 
  

SK Networks Co., Ltd.

    16,230        1,509,017        5,388                 
  

SK Networks Services Co., Ltd.

    13,017        106,273        2,583                 
  

SK Telesys Co., Ltd.

    494        64,038        205,538                 
  

SK Energy Co., Ltd.

    22,650        944                        
  

SK Gas Co., Ltd.

    10,115                               
  

Others

    25,537        38,868        12,628                 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
       109,737        2,122,946        855,698                 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

     172,460        2,450,139        866,116        45        204   
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*1) Operating expense and others include ₩191,416 million of dividends paid by the Parent Company.

 

(*2) During the year ended December 31, 2014, due to merger between Hana SK Card Co., Ltd., the Parent Company’s associate and KEB Card Co., Ltd., the Group exchanged 57,647,058 shares of Hana SK Card Co., Ltd., with 67,627,587 shares of the surviving company, KEB HanaCard Co., Ltd. (See Note 13-(1)).

 

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)                                   
          2013  

Scope

  

Company

  Operating
revenue and
others
    Operating
expense and
others
    Acquisition of
property and
equipment
    Loans     Loans
collection
 

Ultimate Controlling Entity

  

SK Holding Co., Ltd.(*)

  1,912        226,023                        

Associates

  

F&U Credit information Co., Ltd.

    1,753        43,931                        
  

HappyNarae Co., Ltd.

    281        6,217        10,542                 
  

SK hynix Inc.

    3,178        1,160                        
  

SK USA, Inc.

           2,086                        
  

SK Wyverns Baseball Club., Ltd.

    363                             204   
  

HanaSK Card Co., Ltd.

    11,129        14,342                        
  

Others

    3,171        3,734        125        1,200          
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
       19,875        71,470        10,667        1,200        204   
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other

  

SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.

    5,564        37,978        484,006                 
  

SK C&C Co., Ltd.

    4,041        357,945        206,298                 
  

SK Networks Co., Ltd.

    51,996        1,463,341        6,241                 
  

SK Networks Services Co., Ltd.

    6,165        108,972        3,057                 
  

SK Telesys Co., Ltd.

    1,554        99,381        234,319                 
  

SK Energy Co., Ltd.

    20,831        2,422                        
  

SK Gas Co., Ltd.

    6,656                               
  

Others

    30,905        43,759        11,724                 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
       127,712        2,113,798        945,645                 
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

     149,499        2,411,291        956,312        1,200        204   
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(*) Operating expense and others include ₩191,416 million of dividends paid by the Parent Company.

 

(In millions of won)         2012  

Scope

  

Company

   Operating revenue
and others
     Operating expense
and others
     Acquisition of
property and
equipment
 

Controlling Entity

   SK Holding Co., Ltd.(*1)    1,339         224,667           

Associates

  

F&U Credit information Co., Ltd.

     1,516         49,518           
  

SK M&C

     11,874         155,397         9,051   
  

HanaSK Card Co., Ltd.(*2)

     672,202         201,533         66   
  

Others

     743         96,971         11,374   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
        686,335         503,419         20,491   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Other

   SK C&C Co., Ltd.      4,441         324,171         304,102   
  

SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.

     5,384         55,007         687,059   
  

SK Networks Co., Ltd.

     20,477         1,747,130         8,048   
  

Others

     40,251         246,218         300,410   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
        70,553         2,372,526         1,299,619   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

      758,227         3,100,612         1,320,110   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

 

 

(*1) Operating expense and others include ₩171,053 million of dividends paid by the Group.

 

(*2) Operating revenue include discounts on accounts receivable related to sales of handsets on installment payment plans of PS&Marketing Corporation.

 

(4) Account balances as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                          
           2014  
          Accounts receivable      Accounts payable  

Scope

  

Company

   Loans      Accounts
receivable-trade,
and others
     Accounts
payable-trade,
and others
 

Ultimate Controlling Entity

  

SK Holding Co., Ltd.

           90           

Associates

  

HappyNarae Co., Ltd.

             13         2,650   
  

F&U Credit information Co., Ltd.

             148         797   
  

SK hynix Inc.

             2,800         2,840   
  

SK Wyverns Baseball Club Co., Ltd.

     1,221                   
  

Wave City Development Co., Ltd.

     1,200         38,412           
  

Daehan Kanggun BcN Co., Ltd.

     22,148                   
  

KEB HanaCard Co., Ltd.

             1,998         59   
  

Others

             543         1,285   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
        24,569         43,914         7,631   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Other

  

SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.

             897         27,282   
  

SK C&C Co., Ltd.

             1,393         121,145   
  

SK Networks. Co., Ltd.

             2,608         238,351   
  

SK Networks Services Co., Ltd.

             16         2,922   
  

SK Telesys Co., Ltd.

             321         3,037   
  

SK innovation co., ltd.

             1,641         271   
  

SK Energy Co., Ltd.

             4,781         79   
  

SK Gas Co., Ltd.

             2,143         47   
  

Others

             2,813         9,342   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
                16,613         402,476   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

      24,569         60,617         410,107   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(In millions of won)         2013  
          Accounts receivable      Accounts
payable
 

Scope

  

Company

   Loans      Accounts
receivable-trade,
and others
     Accounts
payable -trade,
and others
 

Ultimate Controlling Entity

   SK Holding Co., Ltd.            334           

Associates

   HappyNarae Co., Ltd.              27         16,317   
  

F&U Credit information Co., Ltd.

             258         585   
   SK hynix Inc.              392           
  

SK Wyverns Baseball Club Co., Ltd.

     1,425                   
  

Wave City Development Co., Ltd.

     1,200         38,412           
  

Daehan Kanggun BcN Co., Ltd.

     22,102                   
   SK USA, Inc.                      436   
   HanaSK Card Co., Ltd.              3,723         468   
   Others              10         947   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
        24,727         42,822         18,753   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Other

  

SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.

             988         92,058   
   SK C&C Co., Ltd.              182         127,571   
   SK Networks. Co., Ltd.              5,930         118,759   
  

SK Networks Services Co., Ltd.

             3         5,048   
   SK Telesys Co., Ltd.              412         70,467   
   SK innovation co., ltd.              1,480         286   
   SK Energy Co., Ltd.              5,457         7,438   
   SK Gas Co., Ltd.              1,469         47   
   Others              3,223         31,592   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
                19,144         453,266   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

      24,727         62,300         472,019   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(5) As of December 31, 2014, there are no collateral and guarantee provided by the Group to related parties nor by related parties to the Group.

 

(6) M&Service Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Parent Company, entered into performance agreement with SK Energy Co., Ltd. and provides a blank note to SK Energy Co., Ltd., with regard to this transaction.

 

(7) There were additional investments in associates and joint ventures during the year ended December 31, 2014 (See Note 13).

 

(8) For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Group acquired convertible bonds with a face value of ₩6,000 million from Health Connect Co., Ltd. at the face value. The convertible bonds are included in long-term investment securities.

 

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

37. Commitments and Legal Claims and Litigations

(1) Collateral assets and commitments

SK Broadband Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Parent Company, has pledged its properties as collateral for leases on buildings in the amount of ₩14,230 million as of December 31, 2014.

SK Broadband Co., Ltd., has guaranteed for employees’ borrowings relating to employee stock ownership and provided short-term financial instruments amounting to ₩2,071 million as collateral as of December 31, 2014.

In addition, Neosnetworks Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Parent Company, has pledged its properties as collateral for facility funds borrowings in the amount of ₩2,071 million as of December 31, 2014.

(2) Legal claims and litigations

As of December 31, 2014, the Group is involved in various legal claims and litigation. Provision recognized in relation to these claims and litigation is immaterial. For those legal claims and litigation for which no provision was recognized, management does not believe the Group has a present obligation for these matters, nor is it expected any of these claims or litigation will have a significant impact on the Group’s financial position or operating results in the event an outflow of resources is ultimately necessary.

(3) Guarantee provided

PS&Marketing Corporation, a subsidiary of the Parent Company, obtained ₩3,000 million of payment guarantees related to handsets purchased from the Apple Computer Korea Ltd.

 

38. Discontinued Operations

(1) Discontinued operations

During the year ended December 31, 2013, SK Planet Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Parent Company, sold 52.6% of its ownership interests (13,294,369 shares) in Loen Entertainment, Inc., to Star Invest Holdings Limited. Consideration for the sale amounted to ₩265,887 million. Loen Entertainment was a subsidiary of SK Planet Co., Ltd. and is engaged in the release of music discs as its primary business, The Group’s ownership interests after the disposition is 15.0% and Loen Entertainment, Inc. was excluded from the Group’s consolidated financial statements as of the date of the sale. The results of operations of Loen Entertainment, Inc. prior to the date of disposal of the Group’s controlling interest is presented as a discontinued operation. The comparative information in the consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2012 has been restated to present Loen Entertainment, Inc. as a discontinued operation.

 

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Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) Results of discontinued operations

Results of discontinued operations included in the consolidated statements of income for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 are as follows. The consolidated statements of income presented for comparative purposes was restated in order to present discontinued operation segregated from the continuing operations.

 

(In millions of won)             
     2013     2012  

Results of discontinued operations:

    

Operating revenue and other income

   167,448        162,400   

Operating expense

     (140,203     (291,809
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating income (loss) generated by discontinued operations

     27,245        (129,409

Finance income and costs

     1,773        2,640   

Gain related to investments in associates, net

     1,000        281   

Gain on disposal relating to discontinued operations

     214,352          

Income tax benefit (expense)

     (61,125     10,990   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Profit (loss) generated by discontinued operations

   183,245        (115,498
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Attributable to :

    

Owners of the Parent Company

     175,867        (103,821

Non-controlling interests

     7,378        (11,677

(3) Cash flows from (used in) discontinued operations

Cash flows from (used in) discontinued operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    2013     2012  

Cash flow from discontinued operations:

    

Net cash provided by operating activities

   40,884        22,937   

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

     179,490        (19,931

Net cash used in financing activities

     (4,780     (13,774
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   215,594        (10,768
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-96


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(4) Changes in financial condition relating to discontinued operations due to the disposal of ownership interests in Loen Entertainment, Inc. at the date of disposal is as follows:

 

(In millions of won)       
      Date of disposal  

Cash and cash equivalents

   55,527   

Long-term and short-term financial instruments

     42,404   

Accounts receivable – trade

     49,700   

Property and equipment, and intangible assets

     26,334   

Other assets

     39,526   

Accounts payable – trade

     (33,154

Defined benefit liabilities

     (737

Other liabilities

     (87,022
  

 

 

 

Decrease in net assets

     92,578   
  

 

 

 

Consideration received for disposal

     264,245   

Cash and cash equivalents disposed

     (55,527
  

 

 

 

Net cash inflow

   208,718   
  

 

 

 

 

F-97


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

39. Statements of Cash Flows

 

(1) Adjustments for income and expenses from operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)                   
     2014     2013     2012  

Interest income

   (60,006     (67,359     (99,967

Dividend

     (13,048     (10,197     (27,732

Gain on foreign currency translation

     (6,277     (4,401     (4,065

Gain on disposal of long-term investment securities

     (13,994     (9,300     (282,605

Gain on valuation of derivatives

     (8,713              

Gain on settlement of derivatives

     (7,998     (7,716     (26,103

Loss (gain) related to investments in subsidiaries and associates, net

     (906,338     (921,861     24,279   

Gain on disposal of property, equipment and intangible assets

     (8,792     (7,991     (162,590

Reversal of allowance for doubtful accounts

            (359     (5,902

Gain on valuation of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

            (5,177       

Other income

     (608     (3,951     (2,558

Interest expenses

     323,910        331,834        412,379   

Loss on foreign currency translation

     5,079        2,634        4,608   

Loss on disposal of long-term investment securities

     2,694        31,909        10,802   

Impairment loss on long-term investment securities

     24,533        52,058        190,621   

Loss on valuation of derivatives

     10        2,106        286   

Loss on settlement of derivatives

     672               1,232   

Income tax expense

     454,508        461,922        277,217   

Expense related to defined benefit plan

     112,717        92,840        80,865   

Depreciation and amortization

     2,891,870        2,829,784        2,613,018   

Bad debt expenses

     45,754        57,163        52,393   

Loss on disposal of property and equipment and intangible assets

     32,950        267,702        15,117   

Impairment loss on property and equipment and intangible assets

     47,489        14,399        160,210   

Loss relating to financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

     1,352               1,262   

Loss relating to financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss

     10,370        134,232        7,793   

Loss on redemption of debentures

                   2,099   

Bad debt for accounts receivable—other

     17,943        22,167        30,107   

Impairment loss on other investment securities

     22,749        6,136        1,307   

Other expenses

     10,169        6,802        15,788   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   2,978,995        3,275,376        3,289,861   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

F-98


Table of Contents

SK TELECOM CO., LTD. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements — (Continued)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

(2) Changes in assets and liabilities from operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    2014     2013     2012  

Accounts receivable—trade

   (168,839     (267,754     (183,238

Accounts receivable—other

     (52,137     (41,243     288,739   

Accrued income

     14        (502     9,530   

Advance payments

     (62,873     (26,064     40,664   

Prepaid expenses

     (36,808     (1,583     18,525   

V.A.T. refund receivable

     7,200        (5,442     (963

Inventories

     (171     (39,610     (108,904

Long-term accounts receivables—other

     80               5,393   

Guarantee deposits

     (12,699     59,431        19,460   

Accounts payable—trade

     (37,790     (4,708     74,923   

Accounts payable—other

     (296,875     (131,142     260,158   

Advanced receipts

     20,701        (2,916     (7,977

Withholdings

     306,515        22,025        234,048   

Deposits received

     (4,395     (1,745     (6,089

Accrued expenses

     (79,831     98,081        153,641   

V.A.T. payable

     2,711        (3,901     (3,955

Unearned revenue

     (140,295     (188,589     (83,436

Provisions

     (38,469     (226,644     (373,213

Long-term provisions

     29,532        (72,398     (33,254

Plan assets

     (96,847     (61,856     (51,422

Retirement benefit payment

     (46,531     (42,948     (46,066

Others

     474        (30,362     (2,256
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   (707,333     (969,870     204,308   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(3) Significant non-cash transactions for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    2014     2013      2012  

Transfer of construction in progress to property and equipment, and intangible assets

   2,238,620        2,320,528         2,700,054   

Transfer of other property and equipment and others to construction in progress

     1,090,954        1,188,826         1,437,476   

Increase(decrease) of accounts payable—other related to acquisition of property and equipment and intangible assets

     (184,614     350,735         8,010   

Return of the existing 1.8GHz frequency use rights

            614,600           

 

40. Cash Dividends paid to the Parent Company

Cash dividends paid to the Parent Company for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

(In millions of won)    2014      2013      2012  

Cash dividends received from consolidated subsidiaries

           13,657         5,739   

Cash dividends received from associates

     939                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     ₩ 939         13,657         5,739   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

F-99


Table of Contents

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Shareholders

SK hynix, Inc.:

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of SK hynix, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss), changes in equity and cash flows for the years then ended. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of SK hynix, Inc.’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of SK hynix, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

/s/  KPMG Samjong Accounting Corp.

Seoul, Korea

April 23, 2015

 

G-1


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

As of December 31, 2014 and 2013

 

     Note      2014      2013  
            (In millions of won)  

Assets

        

Current assets

        

Cash and cash equivalents

     6,7       436,761         631,867   

Short-term financial instruments

     6,7,8         3,618,014         2,154,532   

Trade receivables, net

     6,7,9,33         3,732,926         1,941,675   

Loans and other receivables, net

     6,7,9,33         881,885         323,759   

Other financial assets

     6,7,23                 245,808   

Inventories, net

     10         1,497,563         1,178,300   

Current tax assets

        1,629         9,242   

Assets held for sale

     11         27,661         26,557   

Other current assets

     12         167,075         141,384   
     

 

 

    

 

 

 
        10,363,514         6,653,124   
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-current assets

        

Equity-accounted investees

     13         97,090         107,097   

Available-for-sale financial assets

     14         127,314         158,770   

Loans and other receivables, net

     6,7,9,33         58,989         43,090   

Other financial assets

     6,7,8,23         323         2,017   

Property, plant and equipment, net

     15,34         14,090,334         12,129,797   

Intangible assets, net

     16         1,336,680         1,110,403   

Investment property, net

     17         28,456         28,609   

Deferred tax assets

     23         272,102         198,570   

Other non-current assets

     12         508,476         365,821   
     

 

 

    

 

 

 
        16,519,764         14,144,174   
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets

      26,883,278         20,797,298   
     

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

G-2


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position,  continued

As of December 31, 2014 and 2013

 

     Note      2014     2013  
            (In millions of won)  

Liabilities

       

Current liabilities

       

Trade payables

     6,7,33       787,822        648,793   

Other payables

     6,7,33         1,358,816        788,304   

Other non-trade payables

     6,7,33         1,182,956        677,120   

Borrowings

     6,7,18,33         1,755,020        870,320   

Other financial liabilities

     6,7,23         30        2,194   

Provisions

     20,34         25,932        52,584   

Current tax liabilities

        583,529        12,084   

Other current liabilities

     19         71,199        26,840   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        5,765,304        3,078,239   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Non-current liabilities

       

Other non-trade payables

     6,7,33         132,947        177,101   

Borrowings

     6,7,18,33         2,419,739        3,679,895   

Other financial liabilities

     6,7,23         708        107,094   

Defined benefit liabilities, net

     21         465,350        635,740   

Deferred tax liabilities

     22         3,463          

Other non-current liabilities

     19         59,464        52,370   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        3,081,671        4,652,200   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

        8,846,975        7,730,439   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Equity

       

Equity attributable to owners of the Parent Company

       

Capital stock

     1,24         3,657,652        3,568,645   

Capital surplus

     24         4,143,736        3,406,083   

Other equity

     24         (24       

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

     25         (41,815     (108,807

Retained earnings

     26         10,276,904        6,201,322   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total equity attributable to owners of the Parent Company

        18,036,453        13,067,243   

Non-controlling interests

        (150     (384
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total equity

        18,036,303        13,066,859   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity

      26,883,278        20,797,298   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

G-3


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

     Note      2014     2013     2012
(Unaudited)
 
            (In millions of won, except per
share information)
 

Revenue

     5,33       17,125,566        14,165,102        10,162,210   

Cost of sales

     28,33         9,461,725        8,864,587        (8,550,989
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross profit

        7,663,841        5,300,515        1,611,221   

Selling and administrative expense

     27,28         (2,554,375     (1,920,730     (1,838,570

Finance income

     29         678,570        560,570        689,709   

Finance expenses

     29         (799,771     (747,329     (682,594

Share of profit of equity-accounted investees

     13         23,145        19,256        16,713   

Other income

     30         618,684        368,513        67,130   

Other expenses

     30         (582,424     (505,870     (62,910
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Profit (loss) before income tax

        5,047,670        3,074,925        (199,301

Income tax expense (benefit)

     31         852,501        202,068        (40,506
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Profit (loss) for the year

        4,195,169        2,872,857        (158,795

Other comprehensive income (loss)

         

Item that will never be reclassified to profit or loss:

         

Remeasurements of defined benefit liability, net of tax

     21         (119,874     15,587        (82,872

Items that are or may be reclassified to profit or loss:

         

Available-for-sale financial assets — unrealized net change in fair value, net of tax

     14,25         (7,824     (655     (1,896

Foreign operations — foreign currency translation differences, net of tax

     25         71,631        8,419        (216,490

Equity-accounted investees — share of other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax

     13,25         3,706        (1,226     (4,343
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Other comprehensive income (loss) for the year, net of tax

        (52,361     22,125        (305,601
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income (loss) for the year

      4,142,808        2,894,982        (464,396
     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Profit (loss) attributable to:

         

Owners of the Parent Company

      4,195,456        2,872,470        (158,886

Non-controlling interests

        (287     387        91   

Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to:

         

Owners of the Parent Company

        4,142,574        2,894,652        (464,267

Non-controlling interests

        234        330        (129

Earnings (loss) per share

         

Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share (in won)

     32         5,842        4,045        (233

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

G-4


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity (Unaudited)

For the year ended December 31, 2012

 

     Attributable to owners of the Parent Company              
     Capital stock      Capital
surplus
    Other
components
of equity
    Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income (loss)
    Retained
earnings
    Total     Non-
controlling
interests
    Total equity  
     (In millions of won)  

Balance at January 1, 2012

   2,978,498         1,229,052        5,762        107,107        3,555,323        7,875,742        (471     7,875,271   

Total comprehensive loss

                 

Income (loss) for the year

                                  (158,886     (158,886     91        (158,795

Other comprehensive loss

                           (222,509     (82,872     (305,381     (220     (305,601
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive loss

                           (222,509     (241,758     (464,267     (129     (464,396
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Transactions with owners of the Parent Company

                 

Issuance of common stock

     509,250         1,816,726                             2,325,976               2,325,976   

Exercise of conversion rights

     52         210                             262               262   

Exercise of stock options

     619         4,400        (2,200                   2,819               2,819   

Expiration of stock options

             3,562        (3,562                                   

Changes in the Parent Company’s ownership interest in subsidiaries

             (76                          (76     (105     (181

Others

                                  (300     (300     (9     (309
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total transactions with owners of the Parent Company

     509,921         1,824,822        (5,762            (300     2,328,681        (114     2,328,567   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2012

   3,488,419         3,053,874               (115,402     3,313,265        9,740,156        (714     9,739,442   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

G-5


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity

For the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013

 

     Attributable to owners of the Parent Company              
     Capital stock      Capital
surplus
     Other
components
of equity
    Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income (loss)
    Retained
earnings
    Total     Non-
controlling
interests
    Total equity  
     (In millions of won)  

Balance at January 1, 2013

   3,488,419         3,053,874                (115,402     3,313,265        9,740,156        (714     9,739,442   

Total comprehensive income

                  

Profit for the year

                                   2,872,470        2,872,470        387        2,872,857   

Other comprehensive income (loss)

                            6,595        15,587        22,182        (57     22,125   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income

                            6,595        2,888,057        2,894,652        330        2,894,982   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Transactions with owners of the Parent Company

                  

Exercise of conversion rights

     80,226         352,209                              432,435               432,435   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total transactions with owners of the Parent Company

     80,226         352,209                              432,435               432,435   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2013

   3,568,645         3,406,083                (108,807     6,201,322        13,067,243        (384     13,066,859   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at January 1, 2014

   3,568,645         3,406,083                (108,807     6,201,322        13,067,243        (384     13,066,859   

Total comprehensive income

                  

Profit for the year

                                   4,195,456        4,195,456        (287     4,195,169   

Other comprehensive income (loss)

                            66,992        (119,874     (52,882     521        (52,361
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total comprehensive income

                            66,992        4,075,582        4,142,574        234        4,142,808   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Transactions with owners of the Parent Company

                  

Issue of ordinary shares related to acquisition of a subsidiary

     6,793         47,277                              54,070               54,070   

Exercise of conversion rights

     82,214         690,376                              772,590               772,590   

Acquisition of treasury shares

                     (24                   (24            (24
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total transactions with owners of the Parent Company

     89,007         737,653         (24                   826,636               826,636   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2014

   3,657,652         4,143,736         (24     (41,815     10,276,904        18,036,453        (150     18,036,303   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

G-6


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

      Note     2014     2013     2012
(Unaudited)
 
           (In millions of won)  

Cash flows from operating activities

        

Cash generated from operating activities

     35      6,305,229        6,521,553        2,420,894   

Interest received

       35,658        58,888        81,931   

Interest paid

       (151,551     (199,553     (275,169

Dividends received

       17,134        17,414        12,098   

Income tax paid

       (339,779     (26,246     (28,103
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

       5,866,691        6,372,056        2,211,651   
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash flows from investing activities

        

Decrease in short-term financial instruments

       21,059,587        3,927,831        2,754,789   

Increase in short-term financial instruments

       (22,467,339     (4,956,446     (3,252,006

Collection of loans and other receivables

       3,501        2,728        11,640   

Increase in loans and other receivables

       (15,735     (5,969     (8,661

Proceeds from disposal of available-for-sale financial assets

       28,602        331        11,190   

Acquisition of available-for-sale financial assets

       (1,415     (115,564     (3,618

Decrease in other financial assets

       275,422        29,681          

Increase in other financial assets

       (29,611     (276,591       

Cash inflows from derivative transactions

       2,371        3,656        2,419   

Cash outflows from derivative transactions

       (4,534     (6,550     (44,507

Proceeds from disposal of assets classified as held for sale

                     23   

Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment

       198,959        15,509        35,809   

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

       (4,800,722     (3,205,797     (3,772,879

Proceeds from disposal of intangible assets

       286        200        1,226   

Acquisition of intangible assets

       (336,291     (301,496     (159,072

Receipt of government grants

       20,241                 

Cash outflows from business combinations

       (19,682     (3,648     (274,732

Cash outflows from disposal of investments in a subsidiary

       (1,467              
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

     (6,087,827     (4,892,125     (4,698,379
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash flows from financing activities

        

Proceeds from borrowings

     3,848,816        3,528,687        6,966,003   

Repayments of borrowings

       (3,820,449     (5,028,676     (7,377,491

Acquisition of treasury shares

       (24              

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

                     2,328,791   

Acquisition of investments in subsidiaries

                     (181
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

       28,343        (1,499,989     1,917,122   
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Effect of movements in exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents

       (2,313     (6,462     (15,795
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

       (195,106     (26,520     (585,401

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year

       631,867        658,387        1,243,788   
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year

     436,761        631,867        658,387   
    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

G-7


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

1.    Reporting Entity

(1) General information about SK hynix, Inc. (the “Parent Company” or the “Company”) and its subsidiaries (collectively the “Group”) is as follows:

The Parent Company is engaged in the manufacture, distribution and sales of semiconductor products and its shares have been listed on the Korea Exchange since 1996. The Parent Company’s headquarters is located at 2091 Gyeongchung-daero, Bubal-eup, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, and the Group has manufacturing facilities in Icheon-si and Cheongju-si, South Korea, and Wuxi and Chongqing, China.

As of December 31, 2014, the shareholders of the Parent Company are as follows:

 

Shareholder

   Number of
shares
     Percentage of
ownership (%)
 

SK Telecom Co., Ltd.

     146,100,000         20.07   

National Pension Service

     70,243,518         9.65   

Share Management Council1

     7,452,667         1.02   

Other investors

     504,206,180         69.26   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     728,002,365         100.00   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1

As of December 31, 2014, the number of shares held by each member of Share Management Council is as follows:

 

Shareholder

   Number of
shares
     Percentage of
ownership (%)
 

Korea Exchange Bank

     7,092,500         0.97   

Shinhan Bank

     355,000         0.05   

Other financial institutions

     5,167         0.00   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     7,452,667         1.02   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

According to the share purchase agreement dated November 14, 2011, between SK Telecom Co., Ltd. and the Share Management Council, the Share Management Council should exercise its voting right on its shares following SK Telecom Co., Ltd.’s decision in designating officers of the Company or other matters unless this conflicts with the Share Management Council’s interest.

Accordingly, in substance, SK Telecom Co., Ltd. has the voting rights over the Share Management Council’s shares as of December 31, 2014.

 

G-8


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

1.    Reporting Entity,  continued

 

(2) Details of the Group’s consolidated subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

             Ownership (%)  

Company

  Location  

Business

  2014     2013  

SK hyeng Inc.1

  Korea   Domestic subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hystec Inc.

  Korea   Domestic subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

Siliconfile Technologies Inc.2

  Korea   Development and manufacturing of electronic component     100.00          

SK hynix America Inc. (SKHYA)

  U.S.A.   Overseas sales subsidiary     97.74        97.74   

Hynix Semiconductor Manufacturing America Inc. (HSMA)3

  U.S.A.   Discontinued subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Deutschland GmbH (SKHYD)

  Germany   Overseas sales subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Europe Holding Ltd. (SKHYE)4

  U.K.   Holding company            100.00   

SK hynix U.K. Ltd. (SKHYU)

  U.K.   Overseas sales subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Asia Pte. Ltd. (SKHYS)

  Singapore   Overseas sales subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Semiconductor India Pvt. Ltd. (SKHYIS)5

  India   Overseas sales subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Semiconductor Hong Kong Ltd. (SKHYH)

  Hong Kong   Overseas sales subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Semiconductor (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (SKHYCS)

  China   Overseas sales subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Japan Inc. (SKHYJ)

  Japan   Overseas sales subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Semiconductor Taiwan Inc. (SKHYT)

  Taiwan   Overseas sales subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Semiconductor (China) Ltd. (SKHYCL)6

  China   Overseas manufacturing subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Semiconductor (Wuxi) Ltd. (SKHYMC)

  China   Overseas manufacturing subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix (Wuxi) Semiconductor Sales Ltd. (SKHYCW)

  China   Overseas sales subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Italy S.r.l (SKHYIT)

  Italy   Overseas R&D center     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix memory solutions Inc. (SKHMS)7

  U.S.A.   Overseas R&D center     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Flash Solution Taiwan (SKHYFST)

  Taiwan   Overseas R&D center     100.00        100.00   

SK APTECH Ltd. (SKAPTECH)8

  Hong Kong   Holding company     100.00        100.00   

SK hynix Semiconductor (Chongqing) Ltd. (SKHYCQL)9

  China   Overseas manufacturing subsidiary     100.00        100.00   

Softeq Flash Solutions LLC. (SOFTEQ)10

  Belarus   Overseas R&D center     100.00          

MMT (Money Market Trust)11

  Korea   Money Market Trust     100.00          

 

1 

QRT Inc., that was established by spin-off from SK hyeng Inc.’s technical service division, has been sold during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

2 

The Company acquired entire shares held by Siliconfile Technologies Inc.’s existing shareholders in exchange for the Company’s newly issued ordinary shares during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

3 

Subsidiary of SK hynix America Inc. (SKHYA)

 

4 

The liquidation process of SK hynix Europe Holding Ltd. has been completed during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

G-9


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

1.    Reporting Entity,  continued

 

5 

Subsidiary of SK hynix Asia Pte. Ltd. (SKHYS)

 

6 

The Company invested ₩109,960 million in SK hynix Semiconductor (China) Ltd. (SKHYCL) during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

7 

The Company invested ₩23,681 million in SK hynix memory solutions Inc. (SKHMS) during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

8 

The Company invested ₩103,699 million in SK APTECH Ltd. during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

9 

Subsidiary of SK APTECH Ltd. (SKAPTECH)

 

10 

The Company acquired Softeq Flash Solutions LLC. (SOFTEQ) during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

11

The Company acquired MMT (Money Market Trust) during the year ended December 31, 2014.

(3) Changes in subsidiaries for the year ended December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

    

Company

  

Reason

Newly included

   Siliconfile Technologies Inc.    Included in consolidation as subsidiaries through the additional acquisition of the remaining interests
   Softeq Flash Solutions LLC. (SOFTEQ)    Included in consolidation as subsidiaries due to the acquisition of interests
   QRT Inc.    Included in consolidation as subsidiaries through the spin-off from SK hyeng Inc.

Excluded

  

SK hynix Europe Holding Ltd.

(SKHYE)

   Excluded from consolidation due to liquidation
   QRT Inc.    Excluded from consolidation due to disposal

(4) Major subsidiaries’ summarized statements of financial position as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     Assets      Liabilities      Equity      Assets      Liabilities      Equity  
     (In millions of won)  

SK hynix America Inc. (SKHYA)

   1,711,746         1,634,047         77,699         964,682         911,513         53,169   

SK hynix Asia Pte. Ltd. (SKHYS)

     386,135         313,152         72,983         231,649         164,390         67,259   

SK hynix Semiconductor Hong Kong Ltd. (SKHYH)

     563,598         478,449         85,149         353,248         284,438         68,810   

SK hynix Japan Inc.(SKHYJ)

     285,122         227,860         57,262         302,971         250,962         52,009   

SK hynix Semiconductor Taiwan Inc. (SKHYT)

     628,791         605,861         22,930         240,489         197,975         42,514   

SK hynix Semiconductor (China) Ltd. (SKHYCL)

     4,179,186         1,197,588         2,981,598         3,652,044         1,212,007         2,440,037   

SK hynix Deutschland GmbH (SKHYD)

     135,384         98,477         36,907         98,150         63,706         34,444   

SK hynix U.K. Ltd. (SKHYU)

     194,318         179,990         14,328         78,020         66,080         11,940   

SK hynix Semiconductor (Chongqing) Ltd. (SKHYCQL)

     341,984         174,936         167,048         52,857         2,287         50,570   

 

G-10


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

1.    Reporting Entity,  continued

 

(5) Major subsidiaries’ summarized statements of comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014  
     Revenue      Profit      Total
comprehensive
income
 
     (In millions of won)  

SK hynix America Inc. (SKHYA)

   6,360,992         21,385         21,385   

SK hynix Asia Pte. Ltd. (SKHYS)

     1,638,396         2,773         2,773   

SK hynix Semiconductor Hong Kong Ltd. (SKHYH)

     3,714,085         12,941         12,941   

SK hynix Japan Inc. (SKHYJ)

     843,383         9,890         10,478   

SK hynix Semiconductor Taiwan Inc. (SKHYT)

     2,176,739         7,599         7,599   

SK hynix Semiconductor (China) Ltd. (SKHYCL)

     1,914,452         381,729         381,729   

SK hynix Deutschland GmbH (SKHYD)

     551,528         6,197         6,197   

SK hynix U.K. Ltd. (SKHYU)

     575,959         1,813         1,813   

SK hynix Semiconductor (Chongqing) Ltd. (SKHYCQL)

     109,769         6,813         6,813   

 

     2013  
     Revenue      Profit      Total
comprehensive
income
 
     (In millions of won)  

SK hynix America Inc. (SKHYA)

   5,187,848         23,547         23,547   

SK hynix Asia Pte. Ltd. (SKHYS)

     1,203,290         2,385         2,385   

SK hynix Semiconductor Hong Kong Ltd. (SKHYH)

     3,022,397         19,471         19,471   

SK hynix Japan Inc. (SKHYJ)

     790,736         10,335         10,447   

SK hynix Semiconductor Taiwan Inc. (SKHYT)

     1,769,055         6,680         6,680   

SK hynix Semiconductor (China) Ltd. (SKHYCL)

     1,718,074         23,611         23,611   

SK hynix Deutschland GmbH (SKHYD)

     594,166         2,440         2,440   

SK hynix U.K. Ltd. (SKHYU)

     494,305         1,743         1,743   

 

     2012 (Unaudited)  
     Revenue      Profit      Total
comprehensive
income
 
     (In millions of won)  

SK hynix America Inc. (SKHYA)

   3,848,368         10,498         10,498   

SK hynix Asia Pte. Ltd. (SKHYS)

     693,598         4,619         4,619   

SK hynix Semiconductor Hong Kong Ltd. (SKHYH)

     1,889,126         3,548         3,548   

SK hynix Japan Inc. (SKHYJ)

     736,702         13,410         13,416   

SK hynix Semiconductor Taiwan Inc. (SKHYT)

     1,428,484         3,815         3,815   

SK hynix Semiconductor (China) Ltd. (SKHYCL)

     2,400,043         244,995         244,995   

SK hynix Deutschland GmbH (SKHYD)

     415,572         2,534         2,534   

SK hynix U.K. Ltd. (SKHYU)

     399,810         3,260         3,260   

(6) There are no significant non-controlling interests to the Group as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

 

G-11


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

2.    Basis of Preparation

(1)    Statement of compliance

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”), as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

The consolidated financial statements were authorized for issuance by the board of directors on January 28, 2015.

(2)    Basis of measurement

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, except for the following material items in the consolidated statements of financial position:

 

   

derivative financial instruments are measured at fair value

 

   

financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss are measured at fair value

 

   

available-for-sale financial assets are measured at fair value

 

   

liabilities for defined benefit plans are recognized at the net of the total present value of defined benefit obligations less the fair value of plan assets

(3)    Functional and presentation currency

Financial statements of entities within the Group are presented in functional currency and the currency of the primary economic environment in which each entity operates. Consolidated financial statements of the Group are presented in Korean won, which is the Parent Company’s functional and presentation currency.

(4)    Use of estimates and judgments

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimates are revised and in any future periods affected.

(a)    Critical judgments

Information about judgments made in applying accounting policies that have the most significant effects on the amounts recognized in the consolidated financial statements is included in the following notes:

 

   

Note 4: estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets

 

   

Note 6: classification of financial instruments

(b)    Assumptions and estimation uncertainties

Information about assumptions and estimation uncertainties that have a significant risk of resulting in a material adjustment within the next financial year is included in the following notes:

 

   

Note 10: net realizable value of inventories

 

   

Note 16: impairment of goodwill

 

G-12


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

2.    Basis of Preparation,  continued

 

   

Note 20: recognition and measurement of provisions

 

   

Note 21: measurement of defined benefit obligations

 

   

Note 22: recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities

(c)    Fair value measurement

The Group establishes fair value measurement policies and procedures as its accounting policies and disclosures require fair value measurements for various financial and non-financial assets and liabilities. Such policies and procedures are executed by the valuation department, which is responsible for the review of significant fair value measurements including fair values classified as level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

The valuation department regularly reviews unobservable significant inputs and valuation adjustments. If third party information such as prices available from an exchange, dealer, broker, industry group, pricing service or regulatory agency is used for fair value measurements, the valuation department reviews whether the valuation based on third party information includes classifications by levels within the fair value hierarchy and meets the requirements for the relevant standards.

The Group uses the best observable inputs in market when measuring fair values of assets or liabilities. Fair values are classified within the fair value hierarchy based on inputs used in valuation methods as follows:

Level 1: quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities

Level 2: inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices)

Level 3: inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs)

If various inputs used to measure fair value of assets or liabilities fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy, the Group classifies the assets and liabilities at the lowest level of inputs among the fair value hierarchy which is significant to the entire measured value. The Group recognizes transfers between levels at the end of the reporting period of which such transfers occurred.

Information about assumptions used for fair value measurements are included in note 7.

3.    Changes in Accounting Policies

Except as described below, the accounting policies applied by the Group in these consolidated financial statements are the same as those applied by the Group in its consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2013.

(1)    Amendment to IAS 32, ‘Financial Instruments: Presentation’

The Group has applied the amendment to IAS 32, ‘Financial Instruments: Presentation’, since January 1, 2014. The amendment provides that a financial asset and a financial liability shall be offset and the net amount presented in the statement of financial position only when an entity currently has a legally enforceable right to set off the recognized amounts; and intends either to settle on a net basis, or to realize the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

The legally enforceable right to offset must not be contingent on a future event and must be legally enforceable in all of circumstances including the normal course of business; the event of default; and the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the entity and all of the counterparties.

 

G-13


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

3.    Changes in Accounting Policies,  continued

 

The net settlement criteria can be met when the amounts are settled in a manner such that the outcome is, in effect, equivalent to net settlement, which includes case that the gross settlement mechanism has features that eliminate or result in insignificant credit and liquidity risk, and that will process receivables and payables in a single settlement process or cycle.

The amendment has no impact on the Group’s financial statements.

(2)    Amendment to IAS 36, ‘Impairment of Assets’

The Group has applied the amendment to IAS 36, ‘Impairment of Assets’ since January 1, 2014. The amendment provides that the recoverable amount is required to be disclosed only when an impairment loss has been recognized or reversed.

The amendment has no impact on the Group’s financial statements.

(3)    IFRIC 21, ‘Levies’

The Group adopted IFRIC 21, ‘Levies’ since January 1, 2014. The interpretation defines that an obligating event that gives rise to the recognition of a liability to pay a levy is the activity that triggers the payment of the levy, as identified by the legislation. If the obligating event occurs over a year of time, the liability to pay a levy is recognized progressively and if the obligating event is the reaching of a minimum activity threshold, the liability to pay a levy is recognized when that minimum activity threshold is reached. An entity shall recognize an asset if it has prepaid a levy but does not yet have a present obligation to pay that levy.

The interpretation clarifies that a levy is not recognized until the obligating event specified in the legislation occurs, even if there is no realistic opportunity to avoid the obligation.

The interpretation has no significant impact on the Group’s financial statements.

4.    Significant Accounting Policies

The significant accounting policies applied by the Group in preparation of its consolidated financial statements are explained below. The accounting policies set out below have been applied consistently to all periods presented in these consolidated financial statements.

(1)    Operating Segments

An operating segment is a component of the Group that: 1) engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses, including revenues and expenses that relate to transactions with other components of the Group, 2) whose operating results are reviewed regularly by the Group’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) in order to allocate resources and assess its performance, and 3) for which discrete financial information is available. The Group’s CODM is the board of directors, who do not receive and therefore do not review discrete financial information for any component of the Group. Consequently, no operating segment information is included in these consolidated financial statements. Entity wide disclosures of geographic, product and customer information are provided in note 5.

(2)    Basis of consolidation

(a)    Business combination

A business combination is accounted for by applying the acquisition method, unless it is a combination involving entities or businesses under common control.

 

G-14


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

The consideration transferred in the acquisition is generally measured at fair value, as are the identifiable net assets acquired. Any goodwill that arises is tested annually for impairment. Any gain on a bargain purchase is recognized in profit or loss immediately. Transaction costs are expensed as incurred, except if related to the issue of debt or equity securities.

The consideration transferred does not include amounts related to the settlement of pre-existing relationships. Such amounts are generally recognized in profit or loss.

Any contingent consideration is measured at fair value at the date of acquisition. If an obligation to pay contingent consideration that meets the definition of a financial instrument is classified as equity, then it is not remeasured and settlement is accounted for within equity. Otherwise, subsequent changes in the fair value of the contingent consideration are recognized in profit or loss.

If share-based payment awards (replacement awards) are required to be exchanged for awards held by the acquiree’s employees (acquiree’s awards), then all or a portion of the amount of the acquirer’s replacement awards is included in measuring the consideration transferred in the business combination. This determination is based on the market-based measure of the replacement awards compared with the market-based measure of the acquiree’s awards and the extent to which the replacement awards relate to pre-combination service.

(b)    Non-controlling interests

Non-controlling interests are measured at their proportionate share of the acquiree’s identifiable net assets at the date of acquisition.

Changes in the Group’s interest in a subsidiary that do not result in a loss of control are accounted for as equity transactions.

(c)    Subsidiaries

Subsidiaries are entities controlled by the Group. The Group controls an investee when it is exposed, or has rights, to variable returns from its involvement with the investee and has the ability to affect those returns through its power over the investee. Consolidation of an investee begins from the date the Group obtains control of the investee and cease when the Group loses control of the investee.

(d)    Loss of control

If the Group loses control of a subsidiary, the Group derecognizes the assets and liabilities of the former subsidiary from the consolidated statement of financial position and recognizes gain or loss associated with the loss of control attributable to the former controlling interest. Any investment retained in the former subsidiary is recognized at its fair value when control is lost.

(e)    Interests in equity-accounted investees

The Group’s interest in equity-accounted investees comprise interests in an associate and a joint venture. An associate is an entity in which the Group has significant influence, but not control or joint control, over the entity’s financial and operating policies. A joint venture is an arrangement in which the Group has joint control, whereby the Group has rights to the net assets of the arrangement, rather than rights to its assets and obligations for its liabilities.

Interests in an associate and a joint venture are initially recognized at cost including transaction costs. Subsequent to initial recognition, their carrying amounts are increased or decreased to recognize the Group’s share of the profit or loss and changes in equity of the associate or the joint venture. Distributions from equity-accounted investees are accounted for as deduction from the carrying amounts.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

(f)    Transactions eliminated on consolidation

Intra-group balances and transactions, and any unrealized income and expenses arising from intra-group transactions, are eliminated in preparing the consolidated financial statements. The Group’s share of unrealized gain incurred from transactions with equity-accounted investees are eliminated and unrealized loss are eliminated using the same basis if there are no evidence of asset impairments.

(g)    Business combinations under common control

The assets and liabilities acquired in the combination of entities or business under common control are recognized at the carrying amounts recognized previously in the consolidated financial statements of the ultimate parent. The difference between consideration transferred and carrying amounts of net assets acquired is added to or deducted from other capital adjustments.

(3)    Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash balances and call deposits with maturities of three months or less from the acquisition date that are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in their fair value, and are used by the Group in the management of its short-term commitments.

(4)    Inventories

Inventories are measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The cost of inventories is based on the weighted average method (except for goods in-transit that is based on the specific identification method), and includes expenditures incurred in acquiring the inventories, production or conversion costs and other costs incurred in bringing inventories to their existing location and condition. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business less the estimated costs of completion and selling expenses. In the case of manufactured inventories and work-in-process, cost includes an appropriate share of production overheads based on the actual capacity of production facilities. However, the normal capacity is used for the allocation of fixed production overheads if the actual level of production is lower than the normal capacity.

(5)    Non-derivative financial assets

The Group recognizes and measures non-derivative financial assets by the following four categories: financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, held-to-maturity investments, loans and receivables and available-for-sale financial assets. The Group recognizes financial assets in the consolidated statement of financial position when the Group becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Upon initial recognition, non-derivative financial assets not at fair value through profit or loss are measured at their fair value plus transaction costs that are directly attributable to the asset’s acquisition.

(a)    Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

A financial asset is classified as financial assets at fair value through profit or loss if it is held for trading or designated as such upon initial recognition. Upon initial recognition, transaction costs are recognized in profit or loss when incurred. Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss are measured at fair value, and changes therein are recognized in profit or loss.

(b)    Held-to-maturity investments

A non-derivative financial asset with a fixed or determinable payment and fixed maturity, for which the Group has the positive intention and ability to hold to maturity, is classified as held-to-maturity investments. Subsequent to initial recognition, held-to-maturity investments are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest rate method.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

(c)    Loans and receivables

Loans and receivables are financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market. Subsequent to initial recognition, loans and receivables are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest rate method.

(d)    Available-for-sale financial assets

Available-for-sale financial assets are those non-derivative financial assets that are designated as available-for-sale or are not classified as financial assets at fair value through profit or loss, held-to-maturity investments or loans and receivables. Subsequent to initial recognition, they are measured at fair value, and changes in their fair value, net of any tax effect, are recorded in other comprehensive income. Investments in equity instruments that do not have a quoted market price in an active market and whose fair value cannot be reliably measured are measured at cost.

(e)    De-recognition of financial assets

The Group derecognizes a financial asset when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire, or it transfers the rights to receive the contractual cash flows on the financial asset in a transaction in which substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the financial asset are transferred. If the Group neither transfers nor retains substantially all of the risks and rewards of ownership of the financial assets, it derecognizes the financial assets when it does not retain control over the transferred financial assets. If the Group has retained control over the transferred financial assets, it continues to recognize the assets to the extent of its continuing involvement. If the Group retains substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the transferred financial assets, the Group continues to recognize the transferred financial assets and recognizes financial liabilities for the consideration received.

(f)    Offsetting between financial assets and financial liabilities

Financial assets and financial liabilities are offset and the net amount is presented in the consolidated statement of financial position only when the Group currently has a legally enforceable right to offset the recognized amounts, and there is the intention to settle on a net basis or to realize the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

(6)    Derivative financial instruments

Derivatives are initially recognized at fair value. Subsequent to initial recognition, derivatives are measured at fair value, and changes therein are accounted for as described below.

(a)    Embedded derivatives

Embedded derivatives are separated from the host contract and accounted for separately only if the following criteria have been met:

 

   

the economic characteristics and risks of the embedded derivative are not closely related to those of the host contract;

 

   

a separate instrument with the same terms as the embedded derivative would meet the definition of a derivative; and

 

   

the hybrid instrument is not measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in profit or loss.

Changes in the fair value of separable embedded derivatives are recognized immediately in profit or loss.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

(b)    Other derivative financial instruments

Changes in the fair value of other derivative financial instrument not designated as a hedging instrument are recognized immediately in profit or loss.

(7)    Impairment of financial assets

A financial asset not carried at fair value through profit or loss is assessed at the end of each reporting period to determine whether there is objective evidence that it is impaired. A financial asset is impaired if objective evidence indicates that a loss event has occurred after the initial recognition of the asset, and that the loss event had a negative effect on the estimated future cash flows of that asset that can be estimated reliably. However, losses expected as a result of future events, regardless of likelihood, are not recognized.

Objective evidence that a financial asset is impaired includes:

 

   

significant financial difficulty of the issuer or obligor;

 

   

a breach of contract, such as default or delinquency in interest or principal payments;

 

   

the lender, for economic or legal reasons relating to the borrower’s financial difficulty, granting to the borrower a concession that the lender would not otherwise consider;

 

   

it becoming probable that the borrower will enter bankruptcy or other financial reorganization;

 

   

the disappearance of an active market for that financial asset because of financial difficulties; or

 

   

observable data indicating that there is a measurable decrease in the estimated future cash flows from a group of financial assets since the initial recognition of those assets, although the decrease cannot be identified with the individual financial assets in the group

In addition, for an investment in an equity security, a significant or prolonged decline in its fair value below its cost is objective evidence of impairment.

If there is objective evidence that financial assets are impaired, impairment losses are measured and recognized.

(a)    Financial assets measured at amortized cost

An impairment loss in respect of a financial asset measured at amortized cost is calculated as the difference between its carrying amount and the present value of its estimated future cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. If it is not practicable to obtain the financial asset’s estimated future cash flows, impairment losses would be measured based on prices from any observable current market transactions. Impairment losses are deducted through an allowance account or directly from the carrying amount. If, in a subsequent period, the amount of the impairment loss decreases and the decrease can be related objectively to an event occurring after the impairment was recognized, the previously recognized impairment loss is reversed through profit or loss either directly or by adjusting an allowance account.

(b)    Financial assets carried at cost

The amount of the impairment loss is measured as the difference between the carrying amount of the financial asset and the present value of estimated future cash flows discounted at the current market rate of return for a similar financial asset. Such impairment losses are not reversed.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

(c)    Available-for-sale financial assets

When a decline in the fair value of an available-for-sale financial asset has been recognized in other comprehensive income and there is objective evidence that the asset is impaired, the cumulative loss that had been recognized in other comprehensive income is reclassified from equity to profit or loss as a reclassification adjustment even though the financial asset has not been derecognized. Impairment losses recognized in profit or loss for an investment in an equity instrument classified as available-for-sale are not reversed through profit or loss. If, in a subsequent period, the fair value of a debt instrument classified as available-for-sale increases and the increase can be objectively related to an event occurring after the impairment loss was recognized in profit or loss, the impairment loss is reversed, with the amount of the reversal recognized in profit or loss.

(8)    Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are initially measured at cost. The cost of property, plant and equipment includes expenditures arising directly from the construction or acquisition of the asset, any costs directly attributable to bringing the asset to the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by management and the initial estimate of the costs of dismantling and removing the item and restoring the site on which it is located.

Subsequent to initial recognition, an item of property, plant and equipment is carried at its cost less any accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses.

Subsequent costs are recognized in the carrying amount of property, plant and equipment at cost or, if appropriate, as separate items if it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the cost will flow to the Group and it can be measured reliably. The carrying amount of the replaced part is derecognized. The costs of the day-to-day repair and maintenance are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

Property, plant and equipment, except for land, are depreciated on a straight-line basis over estimated useful lives that appropriately reflect the pattern in which the asset’s future economic benefits are expected to be consumed.

Gains and losses on disposal of an item of property, plant and equipment are determined by comparing the proceeds from disposal with the carrying amount of property, plant and equipment and are recognized as other income or expenses.

The estimated useful lives of the Group’s property, plant and equipment are as follows:

 

     Useful lives (years)  

Buildings

     10 - 50   

Structures

     10 - 30   

Machinery

     4 - 15   

Vehicles

     4 - 10   

Other

     3 - 15   

Depreciation methods, useful lives, and residual values are reviewed at the end of each reporting period and, if appropriate, accounted for as changes in accounting estimates.

(9)    Borrowing costs

The Group capitalizes borrowing costs directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of a qualifying asset as part of the cost of that asset. Other borrowing costs are recognized in expense as incurred. A qualifying asset is an asset that requires a substantial period of time to get ready for its intended use or sale.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

Financial assets and inventories that are manufactured or otherwise produced over a short period of time are not qualifying assets. Assets that are ready for their intended use or sale when acquired are not qualifying assets.

To the extent that the Group borrows funds specifically for the purpose of obtaining a qualifying asset, the Group determines the amount of borrowing costs eligible for capitalization as the actual borrowing costs incurred on that borrowing during the period less any investment income on the temporary investment of those borrowings. To the extent that the Group borrows funds generally and uses them for the purpose of obtaining a qualifying asset, the Group determines the amount of borrowing costs eligible for capitalization by applying a capitalization rate to the expenditures on that asset. The capitalization rate is the weighted average of the borrowing costs applicable to the borrowings of the Group that are outstanding during the period, other than borrowings made specifically for the purpose of obtaining a qualifying asset. The amount of borrowing costs that the Group capitalizes during a period does not exceed the amount of borrowing costs incurred during that period.

(10)    Intangible assets

Intangible assets are measured initially at cost and, subsequently, are carried at cost less accumulated amortization and accumulated impairment losses.

Goodwill arising from business combinations is recognized as the excess of the consideration transferred in the acquisition over the net fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Any deficit is a bargain purchase that is recognized in profit or loss. Goodwill is measured at cost less accumulated impairment losses.

Amortization of intangible assets except for goodwill is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of intangible assets from the date that they are available for use. The residual value of intangible assets is zero. However, certain intangible assets are determined as having indefinite useful lives and not amortized as there is no foreseeable limit to the period over which the assets are expected to be available for use.

The estimated useful lives of the Group’s intangible assets are as follows:

 

     Useful lives (years)

Industrial rights

   5 - 10

Development costs

   1 - 2

Software

   5

Useful lives and the amortization methods for intangible assets with finite useful lives are reviewed at the end of each reporting period. The useful lives of intangible assets that are not being amortized are reviewed at the end of each reporting period to determine whether events and circumstances continue to support indefinite useful life assessments for those assets. Changes are accounted for as changes in accounting estimates.

Expenditures on research activities, undertaken with the prospect of gaining new scientific or technical knowledge and understanding, are recognized in profit or loss as incurred. Development expenditures are capitalized only if development costs can be measured reliably, the product or process is technically and commercially feasible, future economic benefits are probable, and the Group intends to and has sufficient resources to complete development and to use or sell the asset. Other development expenditures are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

Subsequent expenditures are capitalized only when they increase the future economic benefits embodied in the specific asset to which it relates. All other expenditures, including expenditures on internally generated goodwill and brands, are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

(11)    Government grants

Government grants are not recognized unless there is reasonable assurance that the Group will comply with the grant’s conditions and that the grant will be received.

(a)    Grants related to assets

Government grants whose primary condition is that the Group purchases, constructs or otherwise acquires non-current assets are deducted in calculating the carrying amount of the asset. The grant is recognized in profit or loss over the useful lives of depreciable assets.

(b)    Grants related to income

Government grants which are intended to compensate the Group for expenses incurred are recognized in profit or loss by as deduction of the related expenses.

(12)    Investment property

Property held for the purpose of earning rental income or benefiting from capital appreciation is classified as investment property. Investment property is initially measured at its cost. Transaction costs are included in the initial measurement. Subsequently, investment property is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.

Subsequent costs are recognized in the carrying amount of investment property at cost or, if appropriate, as separate items if it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the cost will flow to the Group and it can be measured reliably. The carrying amount of the replaced part is derecognized. The costs of the day-to-day repair and maintenance are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

Investment property except for land, are depreciated on a straight-line basis over estimated useful lives.

Depreciation methods, useful lives and residual values are reviewed at the end of each reporting period and, if appropriate, accounted for as changes in accounting estimates.

(13)    Impairment of non-financial assets

The carrying amounts of the Group’s non-financial assets, other than assets arising from employee benefits, inventories, deferred tax assets and non-current assets held for sale, are reviewed at the end of the reporting period to determine whether there is any indication of impairment. If any such indication exists, then the asset’s recoverable amount is estimated. Goodwill and intangible assets that have indefinite useful lives or that are not yet available for use, irrespective of whether there is any indication of impairment, are tested for impairment annually by comparing their recoverable amount to their carrying amount.

The Group estimates the recoverable amount of an individual asset; however if it is impossible to measure the individual recoverable amount of an asset, the Group estimates the recoverable amount of cash-generating unit (“CGU”). A CGU is the smallest identifiable group of assets that generates cash inflows that are largely independent of the cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets. The recoverable amount of an asset or CGU is the greater of its value in use and its fair value less costs to sell. The value in use is estimated by applying a pre-tax discount rate that reflect current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset or CGU for which estimated future cash flows have not been adjusted, to the estimated future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset or CGU.

An impairment loss is recognized in profit or loss if the carrying amount of an asset or a CGU exceeds its recoverable amount.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

Goodwill acquired in a business combination is allocated to each CGU that is expected to benefit from the synergies arising from business combination. Any impairment identified at the CGU level will first reduce the carrying value of goodwill and then be used to reduce the carrying amount of the other assets in the CGU on a pro rata basis.

Except for impairment losses in respect of goodwill which are never reversed, an impairment loss is reversed if there has been a change in the estimates used to determine the recoverable amount. An impairment loss is reversed only to the extent that the asset’s carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined, net of depreciation or amortization, if no impairment loss had been recognized.

(14)    Leases

The Group classifies and accounts for leases as either a finance or operating lease, depending on the terms. Leases where the Group assumes substantially all of the risks and rewards of ownership are classified as finance leases. All other leases are classified as operating leases.

(a)    Finance leases

At the commencement of the lease term, the Group recognizes as finance lease assets and finance lease liabilities in its consolidated statements of financial position, the lower amount of the fair value of the leased property and the present value of the minimum lease payments, each determined at the inception of the lease. Any initial direct costs are added to the amount recognized as an asset.

Minimum lease payments are apportioned between the finance expense and the reduction of the outstanding liability. The finance expense is allocated to each period during the lease term so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability. Contingent rents are charged as expenses in the periods in which they are incurred.

The depreciable amount of a leased asset is allocated to each accounting period during the period of expected use on a systematic basis consistent with the depreciation policy the lessee adopts for depreciable assets that are owned. If there is no reasonable certainty that the lessee will obtain ownership by the end of the lease term, the asset is fully depreciated over the shorter of the lease term and its useful life. The Group reviews whether the leased asset is impaired.

(b)    Operating leases

Leases where the lessor retains a significant portion of the risks and rewards of ownership are classified as operating leases. Payments made under operating leases (net of any incentives received from the lessor) are recognized in profit or loss on a straight-line basis over the period of the lease.

Determining whether an arrangement is, or contains, a lease is based on the substance of the arrangement and requires an assessment of whether fulfillment of the arrangement is dependent on the use of a specific asset or assets (the asset) and the arrangement conveys a right to use the asset.

At inception or reassessment of the arrangement, the Group separates payments and other consideration required by such an arrangement into those for the lease and those for other elements on the basis of their relative fair values. If the Group concludes for a financial lease that it is impracticable to separate the payments reliably, the Group recognizes an asset and a liability at an amount equal to the fair value of the underlying asset that was identified as the subject of the lease. Subsequently, the liability is reduced as payments are made and an imputed finance expense on the liability recognized using the purchaser’s incremental borrowing rate of interest.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

(15)    Non-current assets held for sale

Non-current assets, or disposal groups comprising assets and liabilities, that are expected to be recovered primarily through sale rather than through continuing use, are classified as held for sale. In order to be classified as held for sale, the asset (or disposal group) must be available for immediate sale in its present condition and its sale must be highly probable. The assets or disposal group that are classified as non-current assets held for sale are measured at the lower of their carrying amount and fair value less cost to sell. The Group recognizes an impairment loss for any initial or subsequent write-down of an asset (or disposal group) to fair value less costs to sell, and a gain for any subsequent increase in fair value less costs to sell, up to the cumulative impairment loss previously recognized.

A non-current asset that is classified as held for sale or part of a disposal group classified as held for sale is not depreciated (or amortized).

(16)    Non-derivative financial liabilities

The Group classifies non-derivative financial liabilities into financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss or other financial liabilities in accordance with the substance of the contractual arrangement and the definitions of financial liabilities. The Group recognizes financial liabilities in the consolidated statement of financial position when the Group becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the financial liability.

(a)    Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss

Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss include financial liabilities held for trading or designated as such upon initial recognition. Subsequent to initial recognition, financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss are measured at fair value, and changes therein are recognized in profit or loss. Upon initial recognition, any directly attributable transaction costs are recognized in profit or loss as incurred.

(b)    Other financial liabilities

Non-derivative financial liabilities other than financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss are classified as other financial liabilities. At the date of initial recognition, other financial liabilities are measured at fair value less any directly attributable transaction costs. Subsequent to initial recognition, other financial liabilities are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest rate method. The Group derecognizes a financial liability from the consolidated statements of financial position when it is extinguished (i.e. when the obligation specified in the contract is discharged, cancelled or expires).

(17)    Employee benefits

(a)    Short-term employee benefits

Short-term employee benefits are employee benefits that are due to be settled within 12 months after the end of the reporting period in which the employees render the related service. When an employee has rendered service to the Group during an accounting period, the Group recognizes the undiscounted amount of short-term employee benefits expected to be paid in exchange for that service.

(b)    Other long-term employee benefits

Other long-term employee benefits include employee benefits that are settled beyond 12 months after the end of the reporting period in which the employees render the related service, and are calculated at the present value of

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

the amount of future benefit that employees have earned in return for their service in the current and prior periods. Any changes from remeasurements are recognized through profit or loss in the period in which they arise.

(c)    Retirement benefits: defined benefit plans

As of the end of reporting period, defined benefits liabilities relating to defined benefit plans are recognized as present value of defined benefit obligations, net of fair value of plan assets.

The calculation is performed annually by an independent actuary using the projected unit credit method. When the fair value of plan assets exceeds the present value of the defined benefit obligation, the Group recognizes an asset, to the extent of the present value of any economic benefits available in the form of refunds from the plan or reduction in the future contributions to the plan.

Remeasurements of the net defined benefit liability comprise of actuarial gains and losses, the return on plan assets excluding amounts included in net interest on the net defined benefit liability, and any change in the effect of the asset ceiling, excluding amounts included in net interest on the net defined benefit liability are recognized in other comprehensive income. The Group determines net interests on net defined benefit liability (asset) by multiplying discount rate determined at the beginning of the annual reporting period and considers changes in net defined benefit liability (asset) from contributions and benefit payments. Net interest costs and other costs relating to the defined benefit plan are recognized through profit or loss.

When the plan amendment or curtailment occurs, gains or losses on amendment or curtailment in benefits for the past service provided are recognized through profit or loss. The Group recognizes gain or loss on a settlement when the settlement of defined benefit plan occurs.

(d)    Termination benefits

The Group recognizes a liability and expense for termination benefits at the earlier of the period when the Group can no longer withdraw the offer of those benefits and the period when the Group recognizes costs for a restructuring. If benefits are not payable within 12 months after the end of the reporting period, then they are discounted to their present value.

(18)    Provisions

Provisions are recognized when the Group has a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation and a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.

The risks and uncertainties that inevitably surround many events and circumstances are taken into account in reaching the best estimate of a provision. Where the effect of the time value of money is material, provisions are determined at the present value of the expected future cash flows.

Where some or all of the expenditures required to settle a provision are expected to be reimbursed by another party, the reimbursement is recognized when, and only when, it is virtually certain that reimbursement will be received if the entity settles the obligation. The reimbursement is treated as a separate asset.

Provisions are reviewed at the end of each reporting period and adjusted to reflect the current best estimates. If it is no longer probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation, the provision is reversed.

A provision is used only for expenditures for which the provision was originally recognized.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

(19)    Foreign currencies

(a)    Foreign currency transactions

Transactions in foreign currencies are translated to the respective functional currencies of Group entities at exchange rates at the dates of the transactions. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated to the functional currency using the reporting date’s exchange rate. Non-monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies that are measured at fair value are translated to the functional currency at the exchange rate at the date that the fair value was determined.

Foreign currency differences arising on the settlement or retranslation of monetary items are recognized in profit or loss, except for differences arising on the retranslation of the net investment in a foreign operation, which are recognized in other comprehensive income. When a gain or loss on a non-monetary item is recognized in other comprehensive income, any exchange component of that gain or loss is recognized in other comprehensive income. Conversely, when a gain or loss on a non-monetary item is recognized in profit or loss, any exchange component of that gain or loss is recognized in profit or loss.

(b)    Foreign operations

If the presentation currency of the Group is different from a foreign operation’s functional currency, the financial statements of the foreign operation are translated into the presentation currency using the following methods:

The assets and liabilities of foreign operations, whose functional currency is not the currency of a hyperinflationary economy, are translated to presentation currency at exchange rates at the reporting date. The income and expenses of foreign operations are translated to functional currency at exchange rates at the dates of the transactions. Foreign currency differences are recognized in other comprehensive income.

Any goodwill arising on the acquisition of a foreign operation and any fair value adjustments to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities arising on the acquisition of that foreign operation is treated as assets and liabilities of the foreign operation. Thus they are expressed in the functional currency of the foreign operation and translated at the closing rate.

When a foreign operation is disposed of, the relevant amount in the translation is transferred to profit or loss as part of the profit or loss on disposal. On the partial disposal of a subsidiary that includes a foreign operation, the relevant proportion of such cumulative amount is reattributed to non-controlling interest. In any other partial disposal of a foreign operation, the relevant proportion is reclassified to profit or loss.

(20)    Equity capital

Ordinary shares are classified as equity. Incremental costs directly attributable to the issuance of ordinary shares is recognized as a deduction from equity, net of any tax effects.

When the Group repurchases its share capital, the amount of the consideration paid is recognized as a deduction from equity and classified as treasury shares. The profits or losses from the purchase, disposal, reissue, or retirement of treasury shares are not recognized as current profit or loss. If the Group acquires and retains treasury shares, the consideration paid or received is directly recognized in equity.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

(21)    Revenue

Revenue from the sale of goods, rendering of services or use of assets is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable, net of returns, trade discounts and volume rebates.

(a)    Sale of goods

Revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence exists, usually in the form of an executed sales agreement, that the significant risks and rewards of ownership have been transferred to the buyer, recovery of the consideration is probable, the associated costs and possible return of goods can be estimated reliably, there is no continuing management involvement with the goods, and the amount of revenue can be measured reliably.

(b)    Sale of services

Revenue from services rendered is recognized in profit or loss in proportion to the stage of completion of the transaction at the reporting date. The stage of completion is assessed by reference to surveys of work performed.

(22)    Finance income and finance expenses

Finance income comprises interest income on funds invested (including available-for-sale financial assets), dividend income, gains on the disposal of available-for-sale financial assets, and changes in the fair value of financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss. Interest income is recognized as it accrues in profit or loss, using the effective interest rate method. Dividend income is recognized in profit or loss on the date that the Group’s right to receive payment is established.

Finance expenses comprise interest expense on borrowings, unwinding of the discount on provisions, and changes in the fair value of financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss. Interest expense on borrowings and debentures are recognized in profit or loss using the effective interest rate method.

(23)    Income taxes

Income tax expense comprises current and deferred tax. Current tax and deferred tax are recognized in profit or loss except to the extent that it relates to a business combination, or items recognized directly in equity or in other comprehensive income.

(a)    Current tax

Current tax is the expected tax payable or receivable on the taxable profit or loss for the year, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at the end of the reporting period and any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous years. The taxable profit is different from the accounting profit for the period since the taxable profit is calculated excluding the temporary differences, which will be taxable or deductible in determining taxable profit (tax loss) of future periods, and non-taxable or non-deductible items from the accounting profit. The tax expense is calculated on the basis of the tax laws enacted or substantively enacted at the end of the reporting period.

(b)    Deferred tax

Deferred tax is recognized, using the asset-liability method, in respect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes.

The Group recognizes a deferred tax liability for all taxable temporary differences associated with investments in subsidiaries, associates and interests in joint ventures except to the extent that the Group is able to control the

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

timing of the reversal of the temporary difference and it is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future. The Group recognizes deferred tax assets for all deductible temporary differences including unused tax loss and tax credit to the extent that it is probable that the temporary difference will reverse in the foreseeable future and taxable profit will be available against which the temporary difference can be utilized.

The carrying amount of a deferred tax asset is reviewed at the end of each reporting period and reduces the carrying amount to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profit will be available to allow the benefit of part or all of that deferred tax asset to be utilized.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply to the period when the asset is realized or the liability is settled, based on tax rates (and tax laws) that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting period.

The measurement of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets reflects the tax consequences that would follow from the manner in which the Group expects, at the end of the reporting period to recover or settle the carrying amount of its assets and liabilities.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset only if there is a legally enforceable right to offset the related current tax liabilities and assets, and they relate to income taxes levied by the same tax authority and they intend to settle current tax liabilities and assets on a net basis. If there are any additional income tax expense incurred in accordance with dividend payments, such income tax expense is recognized when liabilities relating to the dividend payments are recognized.

(24)    Earnings per share

The Group presents basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS) data for its ordinary shares. Basic EPS is calculated by dividing the profit or loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Parent Company by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period, adjusted for own shares held. Diluted EPS is determined by adjusting the profit or loss attributable to ordinary shareholders and the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding, adjusted for own shares held, for the effects of all dilutive potential ordinary shares including convertible notes.

(25)    Discontinued operations

A discontinued operation is a component of the Group’s business that represents a separate major line of business or geographical area of operations that has been disposed of or is held for sale, or is a subsidiary acquired exclusively with a view to resale. When an operation is classified as a discontinued operation, the comparative consolidated statement of comprehensive income is re-presented as if the operation had been discontinued from the start of the comparative period.

(26)    Standards issued but not yet adopted

A number of new standards and amendments to standards are effective for annual periods beginning after January 1, 2014. The Group has not early adopted the following new or amended standards in preparing these consolidated financial statements.

(a)    IFRS 9, ‘Financial Instruments’

IFRS 9, published in July 2014, replaces the existing guidance in IAS 39, ‘Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement’. IFRS 9 includes revised guidance on the classification and measurement of financial instruments, including a new expected credit loss model for calculating impairment on financial assets, and the new

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

4.    Significant Accounting Policies,  continued

 

general hedge accounting requirements. It also carries forward the guidance on recognition and derecognition of financial instruments from IAS 39. IFRS 9 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018, with early adopting permitted.

The Group is in the process of assessing the potential impact on its consolidated financial statements resulting from the application of IFRS 9.

(b)    IFRS 15, ‘Revenue from Contracts with Customers’

IFRS 15 establishes a comprehensive framework for determining whether, how much and when revenue is recognized. It replaces existing revenue recognition guidance, including IAS 18, ‘Revenue’, IAS 11, ‘Construction Contracts’ and IFRIC 13, ‘Customer Loyalty Programs’. IFRS 15 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted.

The Group is in the process of assessing the potential impact on its consolidated financial statements resulting from the application of IFRS 15.

5.    Geographic, Product and Customer Information

The Group has a single reportable segment that is engaged in the manufacture and sale of semiconductor products.

(1) Details of the Group’s revenue for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Sale of goods

   17,013,599         14,088,421         10,129,725   

Sale of services

     111,967         76,681         32,485   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   17,125,566         14,165,102         10,162,210   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(2) Details of the Group’s revenue by product and service types for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014      20131      20121
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

DRAM

   13,311,628         10,211,993         7,235,488   

NAND Flash

     3,320,658         3,391,561         2,535,012   

Other

     493,280         561,548         391,710   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   17,125,566         14,165,102         10,162,210   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Revenue by product and service types for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 are reclassified to conform with the classification for the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

5.    Geographic, Product and Customer Information,  continued

 

(3) The Group’s revenue information by region based on the location of selling entities for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

      2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Korea

   1,179,949         1,105,083         771,396   

China

     3,825,747         3,038,355         1,901,742   

Taiwan

     2,155,005         1,765,343         1,434,775   

Asia (other than China and Taiwan)

     2,482,716         1,986,394         1,417,804   

U.S.A.

     6,359,461         5,191,619         3,827,725   

Europe

     1,122,688         1,078,308         808,768   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   17,125,566         14,165,102         10,162,210   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(4) The Group’s non-current assets (excluding financial assets, equity-accounted investees and deferred tax assets) information by region based on the location of subsidiaries as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

      2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Korea

   12,356,735         10,424,568   

China

     3,255,550         2,912,948   

Taiwan

     5,831         5,036   

Asia (other than China and Taiwan)

     798         798   

U.S.A.

     333,908         289,682   

Europe

     11,124         1,598   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   15,963,946         13,634,630   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

(5) Revenue from a customer that constitutes more than 10% of the Group’s consolidated revenue for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 amounts to ₩2,959,663 million, ₩2,457,867 million and ₩2,154,986 million (unaudited), respectively.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

6.    Categories of Financial Instruments

(1) Categories of financial assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014  
     Financial
assets at fair
value through

profit or loss
     Available-
for-sale
financial
assets
     Held-to-
maturity
financial
assets
     Loans and
receivables
     Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Cash and cash equivalents

                           —         436,761         436,761   

Short-term financial instruments

     1,842,020                         1,775,994         3,618,014   

Trade receivables

                             3,732,926         3,732,926   

Loans and other receivables

                             940,874         940,874   

Other financial assets1

                             323         323   

Available-for-sale financial assets

             127,314                         127,314   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   1,842,020         127,314                 6,886,878         8,856,212   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     2013  
     Financial
assets at fair
value through

profit or loss
     Available-
for-sale
financial
assets
     Held-to-
maturity
financial
assets
     Loans and
receivables
     Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Cash and cash equivalents

                           631,867         631,867   

Short-term financial instruments

     1,045,974                         1,108,558         2,154,532   

Trade receivables

                             1,941,675         1,941,675   

Loans and other receivables

                             366,849         366,849   

Other financial assets1

     272                 245,808         1,745         247,825   

Available-for-sale financial assets

             158,770                         158,770   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   1,046,246         158,770         245,808         4,050,694         5,501,518   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Details of other financial assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Current

     

Held-to-maturity financial assets

           245,808   

Non-current

     

Time deposit

     311         1,731   

Bank overdraft guarantee deposits

     12         14   

Derivatives

             272   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     323         2,017   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   323         247,825   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

G-30


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

6.    Categories of Financial Instruments,  continued

 

(2) Categories of financial liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014  
     Financial liabilities
at fair value through
profit or loss
     Financial liabilities
measured at
amortized cost
     Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Trade payables

           787,822         787,822   

Other payables

             1,358,816         1,358,816   

Other non-trade payables1

             1,315,903         1,315,903   

Borrowings

             4,174,759         4,174,759   

Other financial liabilities

     738                 738   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   738         7,637,300         7,638,038   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     2013  
     Financial liabilities
at fair value through
profit or loss
     Financial liabilities
measured at
amortized cost
     Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Trade payables

           648,793         648,793   

Other payables

             788,304         788,304   

Other non-trade payables1

             854,221         854,221   

Borrowings

             4,550,215         4,550,215   

Other financial liabilities

     109,288                 109,288   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   109,288         6,841,533         6,950,821   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Details of other non-trade payables as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Current

     

Accrued expenses

   1,182,956         677,120   

Non-current

     

Long-term other payables

     130,566         166,641   

Rent deposits payable

     2,357         9,844   

Long-term accrued expenses

     24         616   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     132,947         177,101   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   1,315,903         854,221   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

G-31


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

6.    Categories of Financial Instruments,  continued

 

(3) Finance income and expenses by categories for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013     2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Loans and receivables

      

Interest income

   50,804        59,262        80,154   

Foreign exchange differences

     200,390        (61,819     (127,274

Reversal of impairment (loss)

     (5,463     2,250        460   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     245,731        (307     (46,660
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Available-for-sale financial assets

      

Other comprehensive loss

            (966     (1,566

Gain on disposal

     6,553        205        5,943   

Dividend income

     1,233        2,381        216   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     7,786        1,620        4,593   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Held-to-maturity financial assets

      

Interest income

     1,318        853          
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     1,318        853          
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

      

Interest income

            6,296          

Gain on valuation

     6,920                 

Gain from derivative instruments

            73        198   

Gain on disposal

     28,493                 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     35,413        6,369        198   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Financial liabilities measured at amortized cost

      

Interest expenses

     (170,363     (256,623     (317,926

Loss on redemption of debentures

     (2,924            (10,470

Foreign exchange differences

     (71,870     169,509        381,687   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     (245,157     (87,114     53,291   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss

      

Loss from derivative instruments

     (171,754     (93,546     (14,519
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   (126,663     (172,125     (3,097
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

7.    Financial Risk Management

(1)    Financial risk management

The Group’s activities are exposed to a variety of financial risks: market risk (including currency risk, interest rate risk and price risk), credit risk and liquidity risk. The Group’s overall risk management program focuses on the unpredictability of financial markets and seeks to minimize potential adverse effects on the Group’s financial performance. The Group uses derivative financial instruments to hedge certain risk exposures.

Risk management is carried out by the Parent Company’s corporate finance division under policies approved by the board of directors. The Parent Company’s corporate finance division identifies, evaluates and hedges

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

7.    Financial Risk Management,  continued

 

financial risks in close cooperation with the Group’s operating units. The board of directors provides written principles for overall risk management, as well as written policies covering specific areas, such as foreign exchange risk, interest rate risk, and credit risk, use of derivative financial instruments and non-derivative financial instruments, and the investment of excess liquidity.

(a)    Market risk

(i)    Foreign exchange risk

The Group operates internationally and is exposed to foreign exchange risk arising from various currency exposures, primarily with respect to the US dollar, Euro and Japanese Yen. Foreign exchange risk arises from future commercial transactions; recognized assets and liabilities in foreign currencies; and net investments in foreign operations.

Monetary foreign currency assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

     Assets      Liabilities  
     Foreign
currencies
     Korean won
equivalent
     Foreign
currencies
     Korean won
equivalent
 
     (In millions of won and millions of foreign currencies)  

USD

     4,729       5,198,150         2,844       3,126,097   

EUR

     3         4,508         50         67,141   

JPY

     11,558         106,347         26,580         244,575   

As of December 31, 2014, effects on profit before income tax as a result of change in exchange rate by 10% are as follows:

 

     If increased by 10%     If decreased by 10%  
     (In millions of won)  

USD

   207,205        (207,205

EUR

     (6,263     6,263   

JPY

     (13,823     13,823   

(ii)    Interest rate risk

Interest rate risk of the Group is defined as the risk that the interest expenses arising from borrowings will fluctuate because of changes in future market interest rate. The interest rate risk mainly arises through floating rate borrowings, and is partially offset by financial assets held at floating rates.

The Group manages its interest rate risk by using floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps. Such interest rate swaps have the economic effect of converting borrowings from floating rates to fixed rates. Generally, the Group raises long-term borrowings at floating rates and swaps them into fixed rates. Under the interest rate swaps, the Group agrees with other parties to exchange, at specified intervals (primarily quarterly), the difference between interests of fixed rates and floating rates, which are calculated based on the agreed notional amounts.

As of December 31, 2014, the Group is partially exposed to a risk of increase in interest rates. As of December 31, 2014, if interest rates on borrowings were 100 basis points higher/lower with all other variables held constant, profit before income tax for the following year would be ₩15,267 million lower/higher, mainly as a result of higher/lower interest expense on floating rate borrowings and interest income on floating rate financial assets.

(iii)    Price risk

As of December 31, 2014, there are no available-for-sale equity securities measured at fair value held by the Group. Accordingly, the Group is not exposed to any equity securities price risk.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

7.    Financial Risk Management,  continued

 

(b)    Credit risk

Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group if a customer or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its contractual obligations, and arises mainly from operating and investing activities. In order to manage credit risk, the Group periodically evaluates the creditworthiness of each customer or counterparty through the analysis of its financial information, historical transaction records and other factors, based on which the Group establishes credit limits for each customer or counterparty.

(i)    Trade and other receivables

For each new customer, the Group individually analyzes its creditworthiness before standard payment and delivery terms and conditions are offered. In addition, the Group consistently manages trade and other receivables by reevaluating the customer’s creditworthiness and securing collaterals in order to limit its credit risk exposure. The Group reviews at the end of each reporting period whether trade and other receivables are impaired and maintains Global Credit Insurance Program with a credit insurance companies to manage credit risk exposure from oversea customers. The maximum exposure to credit risk as of December 31, 2014 is the carrying amount of trade and other receivables.

(ii)    Other financial assets

Credit risk also arises from other financial assets such as cash and cash equivalents; short-term financial instruments; and deposits with banks and financial institutions as well as short-term and long-term loans mainly due to the bankruptcy of each counterparty to those financial assets. The maximum exposure to credit risk as of December 31, 2014 is the carrying amount of those financial assets. The Group transacts only with banks and financial institutions with high credit ratings including Shinhan Bank, and accordingly management does not expect any losses from non-performance by these counterparties.

(c) Liquidity risk

Liquidity risk is defined as the risk that the Group is unable to meet its short-term payment obligations on time due to deterioration of its business performance or inability to access financing. The Group forecasts its cash flow and liquidity status and sets action plans on a regular basis to manage liquidity risk proactively.

The Group invests surplus cash in interest-bearing current accounts, time deposits, demand deposits, marketable available-for-sale securities, choosing instruments with appropriate maturities or sufficient liquidity to provide sufficient head-room as determined by the above-mentioned forecasts.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

7.    Financial Risk Management,  continued

 

Contractual maturities of financial liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014  
     Less than
1 year
     1 - 2 years      2 - 5 years      More than
5 years
     Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Borrowings (other than finance lease liabilities)

   1,765,674         795,191         1,675,663                 —         4,236,528   

Finance lease liabilities

     106,318         92,024         24,253                 222,595   

Trade payables

     787,822                                 787,822   

Other payables

     1,369,959                                 1,369,959   

Other non-trade payables

     1,182,957         78,625         54,297                 1,315,879   

Derivatives

     738                                 738   

Financial guarantee contract

     27                                 27   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   5,213,495         965,840         1,754,213                 7,933,548   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     2013  
     Less than
1 year
     1 - 2 years      2 - 5 years      More than
5 years
     Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Borrowings (other than finance lease liabilities)

   940,422         1,721,781         844,633         1,228,487         4,735,323   

Finance lease liabilities

     103,077         105,245         111,146                 319,468   

Trade payables

     648,793                                 648,793   

Other payables

     801,425                                 801,425   

Other non-trade payables

     658,733         66,180         131,565                 856,478   

Derivatives

     2,439                                 2,439   

Financial guarantee contract

     28                                 28   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   3,154,917         1,893,206         1,087,344         1,228,487         7,363,954   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The table above analyzes the Group’s non-derivative financial liabilities and net-settled derivative financial liabilities into relevant maturity groups based on the remaining period at the statement of financial position date to the contractual maturity date. The amounts disclosed in the table are the contractual undiscounted cash flows and includes estimated interest payments. The Group’s derivative instruments have been included at their fair value of ₩738 million (2013: ₩2,439 million) within the less than one-year time bucket as of December 31, 2014. These contracts are managed on a net-fair value basis rather than by maturity date. Net settled derivatives comprise interest rate swaps used by the Group to manage the Group’s interest rate risk.

(2)    Capital management

The Group’s objectives when managing capital are to safeguard the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern in order to provide returns for shareholders and benefits for other stakeholders and to maintain an optimal capital structure to reduce the cost of capital.

In order to maintain or adjust the capital structure, the Group may adjust the amount of dividends to shareholders, return capital to shareholders, issue new shares or sell assets to reduce debt.

 

G-35


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

7.    Financial Risk Management,  continued

 

The debt-to-equity ratio and net borrowing ratio as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Total liabilities (A)

   8,846,975        7,730,439   

Total equity (B)

     18,036,303        13,066,859   

Cash and cash equivalents and short-term financial instruments (C)

     4,054,775        2,786,399   

Total borrowings (D)

     4,174,759        4,550,215   

Debt-to-equity ratio (A/B)

     49     59

Net borrowing ratio (D-C)/B

     1     13

(3)    Fair value

(a) The following table presents the carrying amounts and fair values of financial instruments by categories, including their levels in the fair value hierarchy, as of December 31, 2014 and 2013:

 

            2014  
     Carrying amounts      Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Financial assets measured at fair value

              

Short-term financial instruments

   1,842,020                 —         1,842,020                 —         1,842,020   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     1,842,020                 1,842,020                 1,842,020   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial assets not measured at fair value

              

Cash and cash equivalents1

     436,761                                   

Short-term financial instruments1

     1,775,994                                   

Trade receivables1

     3,732,926                                   

Loans and other receivables1

     940,874                                   

Other financial assets1

     323                                   

Available-for-sale financial assets1,2

     127,314                                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     7,014,192                                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial liabilities measured at fair value

              

Other financial liabilities

     738                 738                 738   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     738                 738                 738   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial liabilities not measured at fair value

              

Trade payables1

     787,822                                   

Other payables1

     1,358,816                                   

Other non-trade payables1

     1,315,903                                   

Borrowings

     4,174,759                 4,243,974                 4,243,974   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   7,637,300                 4,243,974                 4,243,974   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

7.    Financial Risk Management,  continued

 

            2013  
     Carrying amounts      Level 1      Level 2      Level 3      Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Financial assets measured at fair value

              

Short-term financial instruments

   1,045,974                 1,045,974                 —         1,045,974   

Other financial assets

     272                 272                 272   

Available-for-sale financial assets

     31,966         31,966                         31,966   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     1,078,212         31,966         1,046,246                 1,078,212   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial assets not measured at fair value

              

Cash and cash equivalents1

     631,867                                   

Short-term financial instruments1

     1,108,558                                   

Trade receivables1

     1,941,675                                   

Loans and other receivables1

     366,849                                   

Other financial assets1

     247,553                                   

Available-for-sale financial assets1,2

     126,804                                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     4,423,306                                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial liabilities measured at fair value

              

Other financial liabilities

     109,288                 109,288                 109,288   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     109,288                 109,288                 109,288   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Financial liabilities not measured at fair value

              

Trade payables1

     648,793                                   

Other payables1

     788,304                                   

Other non-trade payables1

     854,221                                   

Borrowings

     4,550,215                 4,785,180                 4,785,180   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   6,841,533                 4,785,180                 4,785,180   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Does not include fair values of financial assets and liabilities of which fair values have not been measured as carrying amounts are close to the reasonable approximate fair values.

 

2

Equity instruments which do not have quoted price in an active market for the identical instruments (inputs for level 1) are measured at cost in accordance with IAS 39, ‘Financial Instrument: Recognition and Measurement’ as fair values of such equity instruments cannot be reliably measured using other valuation methods.

(b) Valuation Techniques

The valuation techniques of recurring and non-recurring fair value measurements and quoted prices classified as level 2 are as follows:

 

     Fair value      Level     

Valuation Techniques

     (In millions of won)              

Short-term financial instruments:

        

Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

   1,842,020         2       The present value method

Derivative financial Liabilities:

        

Interest swap

     738         2       The present value method

(c) There was no transfer between fair value hierarchy levels for the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

8.    Restricted Financial Instruments

Details of restricted financial instruments as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

      2014      2013     

Description

     (In millions of won)       

Short-term financial instruments

   3         8       Restricted for government grants
     21,655         23,713       Pledged for borrowings
     4,601         5,023       Pledged for consumption tax
     46,000         34,600       Restricted for supporting small business
     4,764               Pledged for letter of credit
     584               Deposit for import duties
  

 

 

    

 

 

    
     77,607         63,344      
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

Other financial assets

     308         308       Pledged for borrowings
     12         14       Bank overdraft guarantee deposit
             1,419       Deposit for import duties
     3         3       Others
  

 

 

    

 

 

    
     323         1,744      
  

 

 

    

 

 

    
   77,930         65,088      
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

9.    Trade Receivables and Loans and Other Receivables

(1) Details of loans and other receivables as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Current

     

Other receivables

   845,468         307,414   

Accrued income

     28,337         11,071   

Short-term loans

     3,504         2,665   

Short-term guarantee and other deposits

     4,576         2,609   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     881,885         323,759   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-current

     

Long-term other receivables

     22,880         21,152   

Long-term loans

     7,199         6,659   

Guarantee deposits

     28,585         14,409   

Long-term deposits

     325         870   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     58,989         43,090   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   940,874         366,849   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

9.    Trade Receivables and Loans and Other Receivables,  continued

 

(2) Trade receivables and loans and other receivables, net of provision for impairment, as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

      2014  
     Gross
amount
     Provision for
impairment
    Carrying
amount
 
     (In millions of won)  

Trade receivables

   3,735,845         (2,919     3,732,926   

Current loans and other receivables

     883,553         (1,668     881,885   

Non-current loans and other receivables

     65,023         (6,034     58,989   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   4,684,421         (10,621     4,673,800   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

      2013  
     Gross
amount
     Provision for
impairment
    Carrying
amount
 
     (In millions of won)  

Trade receivables

   1,945,121         (3,446     1,941,675   

Current loans and other receivables

     325,821         (2,062     323,759   

Non-current loans and other receivables

     55,600         (12,510     43,090   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   2,326,542         (18,018     2,308,524   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

(3) Details of provision for impairment

Movements in the provision for impairment of trade receivables for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

      2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Beginning balance

   3,446        3,257   

Provision for receivables impairment

     525        174   

Receivables written off during the year as uncollectible

     (885       

Foreign exchange difference

     (167     15   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending balance

   2,919        3,446   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Movements in the provision for impairment of current loans and other receivables for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Beginning balance

   2,062        5,035   

Provision for receivables impairment

     302        47   

Unused amounts reversed

     (1     (2,685

Receivables written off during the year as uncollectible

     (697     (293

Foreign exchange difference

     2        (42
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending balance

   1,668        2,062   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

G-39


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

9.    Trade Receivables and Loans and Other Receivables,  continued

 

Movements in the provision for impairment of non-current loans and other receivables for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

      2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Beginning balance

   12,510        12,839   

Provision for receivables impairment

     4,636        225   

Unused amounts reversed

            (12

Receivables written off during the year as uncollectible

     (10,891     (137

Foreign exchange difference

     (221     (405
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending balance

   6,034        12,510   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

(4) The aging analyses of trade receivables and loans and other receivables as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014  
     Not impaired                
            Overdue                
     Not Past
due
     Less than
3 months
     Over
3 months
and less than
6 months
     Over
6 months
     Impaired      Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Trade receivables

   3,731,621         3,809         415                 —                 3,735,845   

Current loans and other receivables

     882,274                                 1,279         883,553   

Non-current loans and other receivables

     41,599                                 23,424         65,023   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   4,655,494         3,809         415                 24,703         4,684,421   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     2013  
     Not impaired                
            Overdue                
     Not Past
due
     Less than
3 months
     Over
3 months
and less than
6 months
     Over
6 months
     Impaired      Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Trade receivables

   1,940,110         3,784         205         14         1,008         1,945,121   

Current loans and other receivables

     323,838                                 1,983         325,821   

Non-current loans and other receivables

     43,436                                 12,164         55,600   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   2,307,384         3,784         205         14         15,155         2,326,542   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

10.    Inventories

(1) Details of inventories as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

      2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Finished goods

   408,256         345,872   

Work-in-process

     762,421         608,402   

Raw materials

     188,037         141,625   

Supplies

     102,705         45,672   

Goods in transit

     36,144         36,729   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   1,497,563         1,178,300   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

(2) The amount of the inventories recognized as cost of sales is as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Inventories recognized as cost of sales

   9,458,480         8,594,938         8,546,702   

(3) The changes in inventory valuation allowance during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Beginning balance

   73,116        124,889   

Charged to cost of sales

     20,924        5,388   

Write-off upon sales

     (25,512     (57,161
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending balance

   68,528        73,116   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

There were no significant reversals of inventory write-downs recognized during 2014 and 2013.

11.    Non-current assets held for sale

Details of changes in non-current assets held for sale for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Beginning balance

   26,557         26,958   

Disposal

             (4

Other

     1,104         (397
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ending balance

   27,661         26,557   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

12.    Other Current and Non-current Assets

Details of other current and non-current assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Current

     

Advance payments

   4,501         7,405   

Prepaid expenses

     156,590         128,125   

Others

     5,984         5,854   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     167,075         141,384   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-current

     

Long-term prepaid expenses1

     494,908         346,795   

Others

     13,568         19,026   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     508,476         365,821   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   675,551         507,205   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Long-term prepaid expenses primarily consist of prepaid royalties.

13.    Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures

(1) Details of investments in associates and joint ventures as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

                  2014      2013  

Type

  

Investee

   Ownership
(%)
     Net asset
value
     Carrying
amount
     Carrying
amount
 
          (In millions of won)  

Associate

   Siliconfile Technologies Inc.1                            10,962   

Joint venture

   HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. (HITECH)      45         97,090         97,090         96,135   
        

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
         97,090         97,090         107,097   
        

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Siliconfile Technologies Inc. became a subsidiary due to the Group’s additional acquisition of the remaining interest in 2014.

(2) Changes in investments in associates and joint ventures for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

      2014  
     Beginning
balance
     Acquisition
(disposal)1
    Share of
profit
(loss)
    Other
equity
movement
     Dividend     Ending
balance
 
     (In millions of won)  

Siliconfile Technologies Inc.

   10,962         (10,319     (579     171         (235       

HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. (HITECH)

     96,135                13,084        3,535         (15,664     97,090   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   107,097         (10,319     12,505        3,706         (15,899     97,090   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

1 

The remeasurement to fair value of the Group’s existing 27.93% interest in Siliconfile Technologies Inc. resulted in gain on disposal of ₩10,640 million.

 

G-42


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

13.    Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures,  continued

 

      2013  
     Beginning
balance
     Acquisition
(disposal)
     Share of
profit
     Other
equity
movement
    Dividend     Ending
balance
 
     (In millions of won)  

Siliconfile Technologies Inc.

   8,909                 —         2,153         (99            10,963   

HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. (HITECH)

     95,191                 17,103         (1,127     (15,033     96,134   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   104,100                 19,256         (1,226     (15,033     107,097   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(3) Associate and joint venture’s summary of statements of financial position as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 is as follows:

 

      2014  
     Current assets      Non-current
assets
     Current
liabilities
     Non-current
liabilities
 
     (In millions of won)  

HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. (HITECH)

   251,443         306,344         289,990         52,042   

 

     2013  
     Current assets      Non-current
assets
     Current
liabilities
     Non-current
liabilities
 
     (In millions of won)  

Siliconfile Technologies Inc.

   44,042         19,644         26,034         1,860   

HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. (HITECH)

     213,172         353,432         182,036         170,935   

(4) Associate and joint venture’s summary statements of comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     Revenue      Profit (loss)
for the year
    Revenue      Profit for
the year
     Revenue      Profit for
the year
 
     (In millions of won)  

Siliconfile Technologies Inc.1

   40,339         (2,072     131,914         7,708         131,126         3,083   

HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. (HITECH)

     608,300         29,077        566,065         38,008         597,091         37,892   

 

1 

Siliconfile Technologies Inc. became a subsidiary due to the Group’s additional acquisition of the remaining interest on April 22, 2014. Accordingly, the information presented in the above table includes the results of Siliconfile Technologies Inc. only for the period from January 1 to April 22, 2014.

 

G-43


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

14.    Available-for-sale Financial Assets

(1) Details of available-for-sale financial assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     Number of
stock
     Ownership
(%)
     Acquisition
cost
     Book
value
     Book
value
 
     (In millions of won)  

Hyundai Information Technology Co, Ltd.

                                   1,885   

HYUNDAI LOGISTICS CO., LTD.

                                     98   

EQ bestech Co., Ltd.

                                     10   

Itest Co., Ltd.

                                     768   

Hyundai IBT Co., Ltd.

                                     4   

Fidelix Co., Ltd.

                                     3,870   

iA, Inc. (formerly, C&S Technology Co., Ltd.)

                                     3,389   

Phison Electronics Corp.

                                     22,050   

ProMos

     201,600,000         7.93         21,847                   

JNT Frontier Private Equity Unit

     Certificate                 1,307         1,307         1,307   

SV M&A No.1 Equity Unit

     Certificate                 1,196         1,196         1,196   

Daishin Aju IB Investment Co., Ltd.

     Certificate                 1,265         1,265         1,518   

Seoul Investment Early & Green Venture Fund

     Certificate                 1,760         1,760         1,867   

TS 2011-4 Technology Transfer & Business

     Certificate                 1,262         1,262         1,600   

IMM Investment

     Certificate                 1,040         1,040         786   

L&S Venture Capital

     Certificate                 1,899         1,899         1,124   

KTC-NP-Growth

     Certificate                 516         516         540   

Intellectual Discovery, Ltd.

     800,000         8.94         4,000         4,000         4,000   

SKY Property Mgmt. Ltd.

     5,745         15         112,360         112,360         112,360   

Equity investment in a construction guarantee association

     526         0.01         709         709         396   

Others

           199                 2   
        

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
         149,360         127,314         158,770   
        

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(2) Changes in the carrying amount of available-for-sale financial assets for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Beginning balance

   158,770        44,297   

Acquisition

     1,414        115,564   

Disposal

     (32,870     (125

Change in fair value

            (966
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending balance

   127,314        158,770   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

G-44


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

15.    Property, Plant and Equipment

(1) Changes in property, plant and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

    2014  
    Land     Buildings     Structures     Machinery     Vehicles     Others     Construction
-in-progress
    Total  
    (In millions of won)  

Beginning net book amount

  504,398        1,309,816        207,299        9,222,376        227        209,111        676,570        12,129,797   

Changes during 2014

               

Additions

           59,216        12,454        160,039        71        26,552        5,160,807        5,419,139   

Receipt of government grants

                         (502                          (502

Business combination and disposal of a subsidiary

                  (468     (5,945     27        1,462        (242     (5,166

Disposals

           (1,114     (1,437     (197,242     (14     (734     (5,231     (205,772

Depreciation

           (55,986     (21,260     (3,117,150     (177     (73,893            (3,268,466

Transfers

    38,097        139,858        83,673        3,874,433        730        90,310        4,228,187        (1,086

Impairments

           (23,620     (1,777     (4,139                          (29,536

Exchange differences

    457        5,371        3,707        42,431        (1     1,321        (1,360     51,926   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending net book amount

  542,952        1,433,541        282,191        9,974,301        863        254,129        1,602,357        14,090,334   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Acquisition cost

    542,952        2,020,429        621,345        34,956,922        3,037        772,844        1,602,357        40,519,886   

Accumulated depreciation

           (562,724     (319,991     (24,721,171     (2,174     (516,775            (26,122,835

Accumulated impairment

           (23,847     (19,163     (254,597            (1,646            (299,253

Government grants

           (317            (6,853            (294            (7,464
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  542,952        1,433,541        282,191        9,974,301        863        254,129        1,602,357        14,090,334   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

    2013  
    Land     Buildings     Structures     Machinery     Vehicles     Others     Construction
-in-progress
    Total  
    (In millions of won)  

Beginning net book amount

  462,067        1,301,330        181,615        9,033,566        340        188,021        419,253        11,586,192   

Changes during 2013

               

Additions

    226        125        82        14,682        34        6,486        3,528,676        3,550,311   

Business combination

                         47               12               59   

Disposals

    (33     (3,347     (690     (7,423            (565     (336     (12,394

Depreciation

           (52,154     (19,600     (2,788,978     (148     (60,086            (2,920,966

Transfers

    42,302        62,012        46,149        3,031,495        13        75,393        (3,257,364       

Impairments

           (985     (1,507     (88,407                   (10,633     (101,532

Exchange differences

    (164     2,835        1,250        27,394        (12     (150     (3,026     28,127   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending net book amount

    504,398        1,309,816        207,299        9,222,376        227        209,111        676,570        12,129,797   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Acquisition cost

    504,398        1,853,434        533,333        31,885,948        2,412        741,869        676,570        36,197,964   

Accumulated depreciation

           (518,446     (304,622     (22,299,425     (2,185     (530,357            (23,655,035

Accumulated impairment

           (24,841     (21,412     (356,843            (2,289            (405,385

Government grants

           (331            (7,304            (112            (7,747
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  504,398        1,309,816        207,299        9,222,376        227        209,111        676,570        12,129,797   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

G-45


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

15.    Property, Plant and Equipment,  continued

 

(2) Details of depreciation expense allocation for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Cost of sales

   3,040,674         2,616,341         2,859,445   

Selling and administrative expenses

     197,196         154,673         179,425   

Other expenses1

     4,902         122,471           

Development costs

     25,694         27,481         17,706   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   3,268,466         2,920,966         3,056,576   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

During 2013, depreciation expense of ₩122,471 million related to idle assets of the manufacturing facility in Wuxi, China, has been charged to casualty losses in other expenses (note 30).

(3) Impairment of ₩4,139 million (2013: ₩101,532 million and 2012: ₩nil - unaudited) has been charged to casualty losses caused by a fire on the manufacturing facilities in Wuxi, China, which is included in other expenses (Note 30).

(4) Certain property, plant and equipment are pledged as collaterals for borrowings as of December 31, 2014 (Note 34).

(5) During 2014, the Group capitalized borrowing costs amounting to ₩20,762 million (2013: ₩7,687 million and 2012: ₩5,859 million - unaudited) on qualifying assets. Borrowing costs were calculated using a capitalization rate of 5.08% (2013: 3.87% and 2012: 2.96% - unaudited) for the year ended December 31, 2014.

(6) The Group leases certain machinery and others from ME Semiconductor Rental First L.L.C. and other under finance lease agreements.

The book value of the machinery and others subject to finance lease agreement amounted to ₩165,414 million as of December 31, 2014 (as of December 31, 2013: ₩242,187 million). The machinery and others are pledged as collateral for the finance lease liabilities.

The Group leases certain machinery and others from Macquarie Capital and others under operating lease agreements. The payment schedule of minimum lease payments under operating lease agreements as of December 31, 2014 is as follows:

 

     Minimum lease payments  
     (In millions of won)  

No later than 1 year

   57,325   

Later than 1 year

     133,943   
  

 

 

 
   191,268   
  

 

 

 

 

G-46


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

15.    Property, Plant and Equipment,  continued

 

(7) As of December 31, 2014, certain inventories; property, plant and equipment; and investment properties are insured and details of insured assets is as follows:

 

    

Insured assets

   Insured
amount
    

Insurance Company

          (In millions of won)       

Package insurance

   Property, plant and equipment, inventories and others    36,717,090       Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. and others
   Business interruption      

Fire insurance

   Property, plant and equipment, investment property      

Erection all risks insurance

   Property, plant and equipment      415,948      
     

 

 

    
      37,133,038      
     

 

 

    

16.    Intangible Assets

(1) Changes in intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014  
     Goodwill      Industrial
property
rights
    Development
costs
    Others1     Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Beginning net book amount

   632,311         73,860        276,930        127,302        1,110,403   

Changes during 2014

           

Additions

             32,229        181,287        122,775        336,291   

Receipt of government grants

                           (19,739     (19,739

Business combinations

     62,618                       21,858        84,476   

Disposals

             (9,428            (380     (9,808

Impairment

                           (529     (529

Amortization

             (13,374     (138,389     (22,512     (174,275

Other

     9,256         463        (4     146        9,861   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending net book amount

     704,185         83,750        319,824        228,921        1,336,680   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Acquisition cost

     704,185         173,828        777,226        301,252        1,956,491   

Accumulated amortization and impairment

             (90,078     (457,402     (34,987     (582,467

Government grants

                           (37,344     (37,344
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   704,185         83,750        319,824        228,921        1,336,680   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

G-47


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

16.    Intangible Assets,  continued

 

     2013  
     Goodwill     Industrial
property
rights
    Development
costs
    Others1     Total  
     (In millions of won)  

Beginning net book amount

   633,170        92,188        223,188        35,084        983,630   

Changes during 2013

          

Additions

            13,187        190,271        98,038        301,496   

Business combinations

     2,905                      684        3,589   

Disposals

            (17,288                   (17,288

Impairment

                          (183     (183

Amortization

            (14,227     (136,534     (5,515     (156,276

Other

     (3,764            5        (806     (4,565
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending net book amount

     632,311        73,860        276,930        127,302        1,110,403   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Acquisition cost

     632,311        164,125        595,943        161,329        1,553,708   

Accumulated amortization and impairment

            (90,265     (319,013     (16,813     (426,091

Government grants

                          (17,214     (17,214
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   632,311        73,860        276,930        127,302        1,110,403   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

1 

Others include software and club memberships.

(2) Amortization of ₩3,106 million (2013: ₩501 million and 2012: ₩54 million - unaudited) is included in the cost of sales and ₩171,169 million (2013: ₩155,775 million and 2012: ₩145,644 million - unaudited) in selling and administrative expenses in the statements of comprehensive income for the year ended December 31, 2014.

(3) Among costs associated with development activities, ₩181,287 million (2013: ₩190,271 million and 2012: ₩130,576 million unaudited) that met capitalization criteria, were capitalized as development cost for the year ended December 31, 2014. In addition, costs associated with research activities and other development expenditures that did not meet the criteria and amounted to ₩1,409,530 million (2013: ₩968,804 million and 2012: ₩975,057 million unaudited) were recognized as expenses for the year ended December 31, 2014.

(4) Goodwill impairment tests

Goodwill impairment tests are undertaken annually. As the Group has only one CGU, goodwill was allocated to one CGU. Recoverable amount of the CGU was determined based on fair value less costs to sell, which was determined using the current stock price as of December 31, 2014. No impairment loss of goodwill was recognized since the recoverable amount is higher than carrying value of the CGU as of December 31, 2014.

 

G-48


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

17.    Investment Property

Changes in investment property during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Beginning net book amount

   28,609        29,888   

Changes for the year

    

Depreciation

     (1,239     (1,279

Transfer1

     1,086          
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending net book amount

     28,456        28,609   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Acquisition cost

     50,839        48,390   

Accumulated depreciation

     (22,383     (19,781
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   28,456        28,609   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

1 

Transfer from property, plant and equipment.

The depreciation expense of ₩1,239 million was charged to cost of sales for the year ended December 31, 2014 (2013: ₩1,279 million and 2012: ₩1,280 million unaudited).

Rental income from investment property during the year ended December 31, 2014 was ₩4,534 million (2013: ₩4,283 million and 2012: ₩4,666 million unaudited).

18.    Borrowings

(1) Details of borrowings as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Current

     

Short-term borrowings

   734,165         137,979   

Current installments of debentures

     200,000           

Current installments of long-term borrowings

     820,855         732,341   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     1,755,020         870,320   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-current

     

Debentures

     1,156,967         1,450,777   

Convertible bonds

             498,935   

Long-term borrowings

     1,262,772         1,730,183   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     2,419,739         3,679,895   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   4,174,759         4,550,215   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

(2) Details of short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

    

Financial Institutions

   Annual interest
rate in 2014  (%)
   2014      2013  
               (In millions of won)  

Import finance

   Woori Bank    0.58    22,060         10,610   

Borrowings on trade receivables collateral

   NH NongHyup Bank and others    3M LIBOR +
0.47 ~ 0.55
     220,663           

Refinancing and others

   China Construction Bank and others    1.23 ~ 3.20      491,442         127,369   
        

 

 

    

 

 

 
         734,165         137,979   
        

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

G-49


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

18.    Borrowings,  continued

 

(3) Details of long-term borrowings as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

    

Financial institutions

 

Annual interest rate

in 2014 (%)

  2014     2013  
            (In millions of won)  

Local currency borrowings:

       

Borrowing for housing

  Kookmin Bank   3.5   10        24   

Borrowings for childcare facilities

  NongHyup Bank   2     185        246   

Funds for equipment

  Korea Finance Corporation   Industrial financial debentures (4 years)2 + 1.31     250,000        250,000   

Funds for equipment

  Korea Exchange Bank   CD (91days)3 +1.31     50,000        50,000   

Commercial paper

  Korea Exchange Bank   3.9     200,000        370,000   

Finance lease liabilities

  ME Semiconductor Rental First L.L.C.   5     147,870        212,442   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        648,065        882,712   

Foreign currency borrowings:

       

General borrowings

  Export-Import Bank of Korea   3M LIBOR4 + 3.15     274,800        105,530   

General borrowings1

  Standard Chartered Bank Korea Ltd.   3M LIBOR4 + 3.00     12,366        86,271   

General borrowings

  Hana Bank              23,744   

General borrowings

  Korea Development Bank   Exchange equalization fund rate5 + 0.60     109,920        316,590   

General borrowings

  Comerica Bank              32,954   

General borrowings

  NongHyup Bank and others   Exchange equalization fund rate5 + 0.63     175,872          

General borrowings

  NongHyup Bank and others   3M LIBOR4 + 3.19 ~ 3.79     274,800        263,825   

General borrowings

  Agricultural Bank of China and other   3M LIBOR4 + 2.65     182,841        280,212   

Syndicated loans

  Development Bank of China and others   3M LIBOR4 + 2.95     209,348        298,787   

Funds for equipment

  Standard Chartered Bank Korea Ltd.   3M LIBOR4 + 3.45     118,653          

Mortgage loans

  HITECH   7.16     18,162        96,236   

Finance lease liabilities

  HITECH and others   4.70 ~ 7.16     59,415        81,615   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        1,436,177        1,585,764   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 
        2,084,242        2,468,476   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

Less: Discount on present value

      (615     (5,952

Current maturities

      (820,855     (732,341
     

 

 

   

 

 

 
      1,262,772        1,730,183   
     

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

1 

The Group entered into interest swap contracts with Standard Chartered Bank Korea Ltd for the interest on the foreign currency loans.

 

G-50


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

18.    Borrowings,  continued

 

2

As of December 31, 2014, industrial financial debentures (4 years) rate is 3.05%.

 

3 

As of December 31, 2014, CD (91 days) rate is 2.13%.

 

4 

As of December 31, 2014, 3M LIBOR rate is 0.2552%.

 

5 

As of December 31, 2014, exchange equalization fund rate is 0.78%.

(4) Details of debentures as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     

Maturity date

   Annual interest
rate in 2014 (%)
   2014     2013  
               (In millions of won)  

Unsecured notes in local currency:

          

210th

   Jan. 14, 2015    6.35     200,000        200,000   

211th

   May 6, 2016    6.20      400,000        400,000   

212th

   May 30, 2019    5.35      450,000        550,000   

213th

   Sep. 4, 2017    3.72      200,000        200,000   

Secured notes in foreign currency

          

Foreign 8th1

   Jun. 20, 2017    3M Libor + 2.85      109,920        105,530   
        

 

 

   

 

 

 
           1,359,920        1,455,530   

Less: Discounts on debentures

           (2,953     (4,753

Current portion

           (200,000       
        

 

 

   

 

 

 
         1,156,967        1,450,777   
        

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

1 

The Group is provided with USD100 million of payment guarantee from Shinhan Bank as of December 31, 2014.

(5) Details of convertible bonds as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

    

Maturity date

   Annual interest
rate in 2014 (%)
     2014      2013  
                 (In millions of won)  

Convertible bond in foreign currency:

  

     

Foreign 7th1

   May 14, 2015                    527,650   
        

 

 

    

 

 

 
                   527,650   

Less: Conversion rights adjustment

                   (26,434

Discount on bonds

                   (2,281
        

 

 

    

 

 

 
                 498,935   
        

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

The entire convertible bond was converted or repaid during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

G-51


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

18.    Borrowings,  continued

 

(6) Finance lease liability

Lease liabilities are effectively secured as the rights to the leased asset belong to the lessor.

Details of future minimum lease payments to the lessor as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Total minimum lease payment

    

No later than 1 year

   106,318        103,077   

Between 1 and 5 years

     116,277        216,391   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
     222,595        319,468   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Discount on present value

     (16,346     (25,410

Net minimum lease payment

    

No later than 1 year

     97,567        90,139   

Between 1 and 5 years

     108,682        203,919   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   206,249        294,058   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

(7) Details of book value and fair value of non-current borrowings as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     Book value      Fair value      Book value      Fair value  
     (In millions of won)  

Long-term borrowings

   1,262,772         1,271,718         1,730,183         1,759,397   

Debentures

     1,156,967         1,217,236         1,450,777         1,501,810   

Convertible bond

                     498,935         653,653   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   2,419,739         2,488,954         3,679,895         3,914,860   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

19.    Other Current and Non-current Liabilities

Details of other current and non-current liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Current

     

Advance receipts

   2,682         2,616   

Unearned income

     322         2,403   

Withholdings

     67,174         21,180   

Deposits received

     858         531   

Others

     163         110   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     71,199         26,840   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-current

     

Long-term advance receipts

             155   

Long-term withholdings

             935   

Other long-term employee benefits

     59,464         51,280   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
     59,464         52,370   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   130,663         79,210   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

20.    Provisions

(1) Details of changes in provisions for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014  
     Beginning
balance
     Increase      Utilization     Reversal     Ending
balance
 
     (In millions of won)  

Warranty

   13,914         10,862         (17,890            6,886   

Sales returns

     12,564         51,148         (49,066            14,646   

Legal claims

     26,106                 (21,031     (675     4,400   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
   52,584         62,010         (87,987     (675     25,932   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

     2013  
     Beginning
balance
     Increase      Utilization     Reversal     Other1      Ending
balance
 
     (In millions of won)  

Warranty

   2,949         13,656         (2,691                    13,914   

Sales returns

     5,305         12,564         (5,305                    12,564   

Legal claims

     322,361         58,959         (158,762     (211,152     14,700         26,106   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
   330,615         85,179         (166,758     (211,152     14,700         52,584   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Others include foreign exchange rate differences.

(2)    Provisions for warranty

The Group estimates the expected warranty costs based on historical results and accrues provisions for warranty.

(3)    Provisions for sales returns

The Group estimates the expected sales returns based on historical results and adjusts sales and cost of sales, respectively. Accordingly, related gross profit and estimated expenses related to the return (such as transportation costs) are recorded as provisions for sales returns.

(4)    Provisions for legal claims

The Group recognizes provisions for legal claims when the Group has a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of past events and an outflow of resources required to settle the obligation is probable and the amount can be reliably estimated.

21.    Defined Benefit Liabilities

(1) Details of defined benefit liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Present value of defined benefit obligations

   887,277        656,080   

Fair value of plan assets

     (421,927     (20,340
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   465,350        635,740   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

G-53


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

21.    Defined Benefit Liabilities,  continued

 

(2) Principal actuarial assumptions as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014    2013

Discount rate for defined benefit obligations1

   3.19% ~  4.50%    1.11% ~ 5.85%

Expected rate of salary increase

   4.92% ~ 5.81%    4.92% ~ 6.18%

 

1 

As of December 31, 2014, discount rate of 3.19% was applied for SK hystec Inc., which comprises 0.8% of total defined benefit liabilities, and 4.50% was applied for the others in defined benefit liabilities. As of December 31, 2013, 1.11% of discount rate was applied for SKHYJ, which comprises 0.2% of total defined benefit liabilities, and 4.26% to 5.85% was applied for the others.

(3) Weighted average durations of defined benefit obligations as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are 12.67 and 13.07 years, respectively.

(4) Changes in defined benefit obligations for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Beginning balance

   656,080        592,171   

Current service cost

     109,403        98,095   

Interest cost

     35,442        28,079   

Benefits paid

     (35,529     (46,538

Remeasurements:

    

Demographic assumption

     7          

Financial assumption

     119,206        (18,324

Adjustment based on experience

     262        2,559   

Business combinations and disposal of a subsidiary

     1,711          

Transfer from associates

     552        344   

Others

     143        (306
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending balance

   887,277        656,080   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

(5) Changes in plan assets for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Beginning balance

   20,340        17,075   

Interest income

     1,413        679   

Contributions

     402,894        4,131   

Benefits paid

     (1,385     (1,367

Remeasurements

     (399     (178

Business combinations and disposal of a subsidiary

     (1,133       

Others

     197          
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending balance

   421,927        20,340   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

G-54


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

21.    Defined Benefit Liabilities,  continued

 

(6) The amounts recognized in profit or loss for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Current service cost

   109,403         98,095         81,034   

Net interest expense

     34,029         27,400         26,696   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   143,432         125,495         107,730   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(7) The amounts in which defined benefit plan related expenses are included for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Cost of sales (manufacturing costs)

   82,922         73,950         68,462   

Selling and administrative expenses

     60,510         51,545         39,268   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   143,432         125,495         107,730   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(8) Details of plan assets as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Deposits

   420,300         18,485   

Other

     1,627         1,855   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   421,927         20,340   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Actual return on plan assets for the year ended December 31, 2014 amounted to ₩1,014 million (2013: ₩492 million and 2012: ₩274 million - unaudited).

(9) As of December 31, 2014, the Group funded defined benefit obligations through insurance plans with Mirae Asset Life Insurance Co., Ltd. and other insurance companies.

(10) The sensitivity analysis of the defined benefit obligations as of December 31, 2014 to changes in the principal assumptions is as follows:

 

     Effects on defined benefit obligation  
     Increase of rate     Decrease of rate  
     (In millions of won)  

Discount rate (if changed by 1%)

   (100,702     119,599   

Expected rate of salary increase (if changed by 1%)

     120,284        (103,002

The sensitivity analysis does not consider dispersion of all cash flows that are expected from the plan and provides approximate values of sensitivity for the assumptions used.

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

22.    Deferred Income Tax

(1) Changes in deferred taxes for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

At January 1

   198,570         378,366   

Recorded in profit or loss

     69,176         (180,928

Tax charge relating to components of other comprehensive income

             311   

Exchange differences

     893         821   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

At December 31

   268,639         198,570   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

(2) Changes in deferred income tax assets and liabilities for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 without taking into consideration the offsetting of balances within the same tax jurisdiction, are as follows:

 

      2014  
     January 1,
2014
    Profit or
loss
    Other
comprehensive
income
     Currency
translation
differences
    December 31,
2014
 
     (In millions of won)  

Deferred tax liabilities:

           

Advanced depreciation provision

   (55,666                    —                (55,666

Valuation of derivatives

     (5,452     5,244                       (208

Gains on foreign currency translation

     (2,597     261                11        (2,325

Conversion rights adjustment

     (6,827     6,827                         

Plan assets

     (725     (96,177                    (96,902

Others

     (13,897     (2,996             (74     (16,967
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
     (85,164     (86,841             (63     (172,068
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax assets:

           

Loss on valuation of inventories

     18,876        (873             (2     18,001   

Valuation of equity-method investments

     216,334        35,920                (1,572     250,682   

Accumulated depreciation

     92,829        (41,917             776        51,688   

Net defined benefits

     137,578        49,091                (42     186,627   

Deemed investments and others

     162,390        (395                    161,995   

Provisions and others

     5,816        (4,750                    1,066   

Impairment of available-for-sale financial assets

     40,134        (2,896                    37,238   

Losses on foreign currency translation

     2,546        (24                    2,522   

Property, plant and equipment

     15,217        (11,836                    3,381   

Losses on valuation of derivative

     31,367        (30,981                    386   

Tax loss carryforwards

     72,736        (50,412             1,257        23,581   

Tax credit carryforwards

     642,121        (76,048             131        566,204   

Others

     209,967        30,701                5,938        246,606   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
     1,647,911        (104,420             6,486        1,549,977   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax assets, net

     1,562,747        (191,261             6,423        1,377,909   

Deferred tax assets not recognized

     (1,364,177     260,437                (5,530     (1,109,270
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax assets recognized

   198,570        69,176                893        268,639   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

G-56


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

22.    Deferred Income Tax,  continued

 

     2013  
     January 1,
2013
    Profit or
loss
    Other
comprehensive
income
     Currency
translation
differences
    December 31,
2013
 
     (In millions of won)  

Deferred tax liabilities:

           

Advanced depreciation provision

   (55,666                           (55,666

Valuation of derivatives

     (5,356     (96                    (5,452

Gains on foreign currency translation

     (30,398     27,801                       (2,597

Conversion rights adjustment

     (14,944     8,117                       (6,827

Others

     (19,676     4,720        311         23        (14,622
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
     (126,040     40,542        311         23        (85,164
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax assets:

           

Loss on valuation of inventories

     27,804        (8,915             (13     18,876   

Valuation of equity-method investments

     322,919        (111,402             4,817        216,334   

Accumulated depreciation

     98,499        (6,214             544        92,829   

Net defined benefits

     107,219        30,414                (55     137,578   

Deemed investments and others

     162,507        (117                    162,390   

Provisions and others

     104,468        (98,652                    5,816   

Impairment of available-for-sale financial assets

     36,964        3,170                       40,134   

Losses on foreign currency translation

     29,906        (27,360                    2,546   

Property, plant and equipment

     24,439        (9,222                    15,217   

Losses on valuation of derivative

     9,182        22,185                       31,367   

Tax loss carryforwards

     612,111        (538,748             (627     72,736   

Tax credit carryforwards

     658,899        (16,732             (46     642,121   

Others

     230,455        (18,423             (2,065     209,967   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
     2,425,372        (780,016             2,555        1,647,911   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax assets, net

     2,299,332        (739,474     311         2,578        1,562,747   

Deferred tax assets not recognized

     (1,920,966     558,546                (1,757     (1,364,177
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax assets recognized

   378,366        (180,928     311         821        198,570   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

(3) Deferred tax assets are recognized for deductible temporary differences, tax loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards to the extent that the realization of the related tax benefit through future taxable profits is probable.

As of December 31, 2014 and 2013 the Group recognized the entire deferred tax assets for tax loss carryforwards which are deductible from future taxable income.

In addition, the Group did not recognize deferred tax assets of ₩722,182 million (2013: ₩799,182 million) associated with deductible temporary differences amounting to ₩2,984,230 million (2013: ₩3,302,398 million).

For the year ended December 31, 2014, ₩148,052 million (2013: ₩108,433) of tax credit incurred which can be utilized in the future period. The unused tax credit and others that were not recognized as deferred tax assets amounted to ₩387,088 million (2013: ₩564,995 million) as of December 31, 2014.

 

G-57


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

22.    Deferred Income Tax,  continued

 

(4) Expiration schedule of tax loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards as of December 31, 2014 is as follows:

 

     Tax loss carryforwards      Tax credit carryforwards  
     (In millions of won)  

2015

           22,231   

2016

             140,030   

2017

             144,840   

2018

             107,851   

Thereafter

     62,878         151,252   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   62,878         566,204   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

23.    Derivative Financial Instruments

(1) The Group has managed financial risk including interest rate risk and foreign exchange risk through interest rate swaps and other derivative instruments. In addition, the Group bifurcated convertible options and separately accounted for them as derivative instruments which were embedded in the foreign-currency convertible bond. These convertible options were measured at fair value and changes in therein were recognized in profit or loss.

(2) Details of derivative financial assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

      2014      2013  
     Liabilities      Assets      Liabilities  
     (In millions of won)  

Current

        

Interest rates swap

   30                 2,194   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     30                 2,194   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-current

        

Interest rates swap

     708         272         245   

Embedded derivative instruments

                     106,849   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     708         272         107,094   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   738         272         109,288   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

(3) Details of gains and losses from derivative instruments for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are follows:

 

      2014  
     Gain on
valuation
     Loss on
valuation
     Gain on
transaction
     Loss on
transaction
 
     (In millions of won)  

Interest rates swap

   215         980         2,955         237   

Embedded derivative instruments

             171,016                 2,691   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   215         171,996         2,955         2,928   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

23.    Derivative Financial Instruments,  continued

 

      2013  
     Gain on
valuation
     Loss on
valuation
     Gain on
transaction
     Loss on
transaction
 
     (In millions of won)  

Foreign currency forward contract

                   3,630         5,308   

Interest rates swap

     2,507                 26         1,242   

Embedded derivative instruments

             93,085                   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   2,507         93,085         3,656         6,550   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

      2012 (Unaudited)  
     Gain on
valuation
     Loss on
valuation
     Gain on
transaction
     Loss on
transaction
 
     (In millions of won)  

Foreign currency forward contract

                   913         4,924   

Interest and principal swap

                     1,450         4,030   

Interest rates swap

     1,359         613         675         1,858   

Embedded derivative instruments

             7,305         12           
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   1,359         7,918         3,050         10,812   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

24.    Capital Stock, Capital Surplus and Other Equity

(1) Details of capital stock, capital surplus and other equity as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013  
    

(In millions of won,

thousands of shares)

 

Authorized shares

     9,000,000        9,000,000   

Issued shares1

     731,530        713,729   

Capital stock:

    

Common stock

   3,657,652        3,568,645   

Capital surplus:

    

Additional paid in capital

     3,625,797        2,888,144   

Consideration for conversion rights

     42,928        42,928   

Others

     475,011        475,011   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
     4,143,736        3,406,083   

Other equity

    

Acquisition cost of treasury shares

   (24       

Number of treasury shares

     1          

 

1 

As of December 31, 2014, the number of outstanding shares is 728,002 thousand shares, which differs from total issued shares due to the result of stock retirement.

 

G-59


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

24.    Capital Stock, Capital Surplus and Other Equity,  continued

 

(2) Issue of ordinary shares related to the acquisition of a subsidiary and exercise of conversion rights resulted in increase in both capital stock and capital surplus during the year ended December 31, 2014. Changes in number of outstanding shares as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are as follows:

 

      2014      2013  
     (In thousands of shares)  

Beginning

     710,201         694,156   

Issue of ordinary shares related to the acquisition of a subsidiary

     1,358           

Exercise of conversion rights

     16,443         16,045   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Ending

     728,002         710,201   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

25.    Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

(1) Details of accumulated other comprehensive loss as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Available-for-sale financial assets — unrealized net change in fair value

          7,824   

Equity-accounted investees — share of other comprehensive loss

     (4,631     (8,337

Foreign operations — foreign currency translation differences

     (37,184     (108,294
  

 

 

   

 

 

 
   (41,815     (108,807
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

(2) Changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014  
    Beginning     Change     Reclassification
to profit or loss
    Ending  
    (In millions of won)  

Available-for-sale financial assets — unrealized net change in fair value

  7,824        (7,824             —          

Equity-accounted investees — share of other comprehensive loss

    (8,337     3,706               (4,631

Foreign operations — foreign currency translation differences

    (108,294     71,110               (37,184
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  (108,807     66,992               (41,815
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

     2013  
    Beginning     Change     Reclassification
to profit or loss
    Ending  
    (In millions of won)  

Available-for-sale financial assets — unrealized net change in fair value

  8,479        (655             —        7,824   

Equity-accounted investees — share of other comprehensive loss

    (7,111     (1,226            (8,337

Foreign operations — foreign currency translation differences

    (116,770     8,476               (108,294
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  (115,402     6,595               (108,807
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

G-60


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

26.    Retained Earnings

(1) Retained earnings as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013  
     (In millions of won)  

Legal reserve1

   8,854         8,854   

Discretionary reserve2

     235,506         235,506   

Unappropriated retained earnings

     10,032,544         5,956,962   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   10,276,904         6,201,322   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

The Commercial Code of the Republic of Korea requires the Company to appropriate for each financial year, as a legal reserve, an amount equal to a minimum of 10% of cash dividends paid until such reserve equals 50% of its issued capital stock. The reserve is not available for cash dividends payment, but may be transferred to capital stock or used to reduce accumulated deficit.

 

2 

Discretionary reserve is a reserve for technology development.

(2) Dividends of the Parent Company for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

(a) Details of dividends for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won and In thousands of shares)  

Type of dividends

     Cash Dividends                  

Outstanding ordinary shares

     ₩728,002        710,201         694,156   

Par value (in won)

     5,000        5,000         5,000   

Dividend rate

     6               
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total dividends

     ₩218,401                  
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

(b) Dividend payout ratio for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 is as follows:

 

     2014     2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Dividends

   218,401                  

Profit (loss) attributable to owners of the Parent Company

     4,195,456        2,872,470         (158,886
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Dividend payout ratio

     5.21               
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

(c) Dividend yield ratio for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 is as follows:

 

     2014     2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In won)  

Dividends per share

   300                  

Closing price

     47,750        36,800         25,750   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Dividend yield ratio

     0.63               
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

G-61


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

27.    Selling and Administrative Expenses

Selling and administrative expenses for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014      20131      20121
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Salaries

   351,318         265,137         211,210   

Defined benefit plan related expenses

     22,801         19,132         16,702   

Employee benefits

     60,277         60,459         57,502   

Commission expense

     211,111         158,107         161,783   

Depreciation

     58,608         51,240         55,602   

Amortization

     169,844         155,313         145,154   

Research and development

     1,409,530         968,804         975,057   

Freight and custody charge

     37,453         33,201         13,812   

Legal cost

     7,210         11,374         34,204   

Rental expense

     11,521         14,650         15,257   

Taxes and dues

     15,145         17,912         10,231   

Training expense

     42,737         26,863         15,660   

Sales promotional expenses

     31,018         28,414         22,788   

Utility expense

     5,673         10,804         10,924   

Supplies

     42,737         26,863         16,859   

Repair expense

     9,994         19,890         11,649   

Other

     67,398         52,567         64,176   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   2,554,375         1,920,730         1,838,570   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Expenses for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 are reclassified to conform with the classification for the year ended December 31, 2014.

28.    Expenses by Nature

Nature of expenses for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 is as follows:

 

     2014     20132      20122
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Changes in finished goods and work-in-process

   (216,403     292,330         (332,250

Raw materials and consumables

     2,595,972        2,328,140         2,677,328   

Employee benefit expenses

     2,429,533        1,969,650         1,551,700   

Depreciation and amortization

     3,439,078        2,956,040         3,193,513   

Royalty expense

     167,167        14,597         167,352   

Commission expense

     723,946        445,231         371,975   

Utilities expense

     616,422        552,413         496,753   

Repair expense

     1,032,816        1,031,023         911,792   

Outsourcing expense

     1,018,075        952,457         1,015,512   

Other

     209,494        243,436         335,884   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total1

   12,016,100        10,785,317         10,389,559   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Total expenses consist of cost of sales and selling and administrative expenses.

 

2 

Expenses for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 were reclassified to conform with the classification for the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

G-62


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

29.    Finance Income and Expenses

Finance income and expenses for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013     2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Finance income:

      

Interest income

   52,122        66,410        80,154   

Dividend income

     1,233        2,381        216   

Gain on disposal of financial assets

     38,547        205        5,944   

Foreign exchange differences

     576,577        485,411        598,986   

Gain from derivative instruments

     3,170        6,163        4,409   

Gain on valuation of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss

     6,921                 
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     678,570        560,570        689,709   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Finance expenses:

      

Interest expenses

     170,363        256,623        317,926   

Loss on disposal of financial assets

     3,500                 

Foreign exchange differences

     448,060        391,071        335,468   

Loss on redemption of debentures

     2,924               10,470   

Loss from derivative instruments

     174,924        99,635        18,730   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     799,771        747,329        682,594   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net finance income (expense)

   (121,201     (186,759     7,115   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

30.    Other Income and Expenses

Other income for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Rental income

                   17,425   

Gain on disposal of assets held-for-sale

                     18   

Gain on disposal of property, plant and equipment

     5,611         9,560         3,231   

Gain on disposal of intangible assets

             191         298   

Insurance compensation1

     587,429         327,659           

Other

     25,644         31,103         46,158   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   618,684         368,513         67,130   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

G-63


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

30.    Other Income and Expenses,  continued

 

Other expenses for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment

   11,522         7,952         1,369   

Loss on disposal of intangible assets

     9,522         17,278         5,672   

Donation

     16,111         3,222         2,614   

Loss on disposal of trade receivables

     3,756         3,317         1,031   

Loss on impairment of property, plant and equipment

     25,397                   

Loss on impairment of intangible assets

     529         183         265   

Amortization of suspended assets

     4,902         3,254         10,041   

Casualty losses1

     123,957         450,752           

Other2

     386,728         19,912         41,918   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   582,424         505,870         62,910   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Group recognized casualty losses of ₩123,957 million (2013: ₩450,752 million) caused by a fire in the manufacturing facilities located in Wuxi, China, which includes impairment losses on property, plant and equipment, impairment losses on inventories, depreciation of temporarily idle property, plant and equipment and others. In 2014, the Group and insurance companies reached an agreement about the insurance compensation amounting to USD560 million (₩587,429 million), which was recognized as other income (2013: ₩327,659 million).

 

2

Expenses related to settlement of trade secret lawsuit alleged by Toshiba Corporation amounting to USD 278 million (₩306,161 million equivalent) during 2014 are included (Note 34 (1)).

31.    Income Tax Expense

(1) Income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013     2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Current tax:

      

Current tax on profits for the year

   922,228        22,728        29,555   

Adjustments in respect of prior years

     (551     (1,588     (657
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     921,677        21,140        28,898   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax:

      

Origination and reversal of temporary differences

     (69,176     180,928        (69,404
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
     (69,176     180,928        (69,404
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income tax expense

   852,501        202,068        (40,506
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

G-64


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

31.    Income Tax Expense,  continued

 

(2) The relationship between tax expense and accounting profit for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013     2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Profit (loss) before tax

   5,047,670        3,074,925        (199,301

Tax calculated at domestic tax rates applicable to profits in the respective countries

     1,181,621        744,847        (89,590

Tax effects of:

      

Tax-exempt income

     (13     76        (469

Non-deductible expenses

     71,531        13,545        4,123   

Tax credit

     (148,052     (108,433     (140,711

Changes in unrecognized deferred tax assets

     (260,437     (450,113     183,314   

Others

     7,851        2,146        2,827   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income tax expense

   852,501        202,068        (40,506
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(3) The income taxes recorded directly in equity for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Recognized in other comprehensive income: Gains (loss) on valuation of available-for-sale financial assets

           311         (330

(4) The income taxes charged directly to equity as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013     2012 (Unaudited)  
    Before
Tax
    Tax
Charge
    After
Tax
    Before
Tax
    Tax
Charge
    After
Tax
    Before
Tax
    Tax
Charge
    After
Tax
 
    (In millions of won)  

Gain on valuation of available-for-sale financial assets

                 —               11,447        (3,623     7,824        11,791        (3,312     8,479   

Remeasurements of the net defined benefit liability

    (305,551            (305,551     (185,677            (185,677     (202,090            (202,090
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
  (305,551            (305,551     (174,230     (3,623     (177,853     (190,299     (3,312     (193,611
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

G-65


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

32.    Earnings (Loss) Per Share

(1) Basic earnings (loss) per share for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
    

(In millions of won, except for

shares and per share amounts)

 

Profit (loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders

   4,195,456         2,872,470         (158,886

Weighted average number of outstanding ordinary shares1

     718,197,377         710,200,891         681,854,577   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Basic earnings (loss) per share

   5,842         4,045         (233
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Weighted average number of outstanding ordinary shares is calculated as follows:

 

     2014     2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In shares)  

Outstanding ordinary shares

     710,200,891        694,155,767         592,171,582   

Exercise of conversion rights

     7,051,443        16,045,124         10,385   

Exercise of stock options

                    66,872   

Issue of ordinary shares

                    89,605,738   

Issue of ordinary shares related to the acquisition of a subsidiary

     945,393                  

Acquisition of treasury shares

     (350               
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Weighted average number of outstanding ordinary shares

     718,197,377        710,200,891         681,854,577   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

(2) Diluted earnings (loss) per share for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
    

(In millions of won, except for

shares and per share amounts)

 

Profit (loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders

   4,195,456         2,872,470         (158,886

Add : Convertible bond related benefits

                     (438
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Adjusted profit attributable to ordinary shares

     4,195,456         2,872,470         (159,324

Adjusted weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding1

     718,197,377         710,200,891         682,727,787   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Diluted earnings (loss) per share

   5,842         4,045         (233
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Adjusted weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding is calculated as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In shares)  

Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding

     718,197,377         710,200,891         681,854,577   

Convertible bond

                     873,210   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Adjusted weighted average number of outstanding ordinary shares outstanding

     718,197,377         710,200,891         682,727,787   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

33.    Related Party Transactions

(1) Details of joint venture and other related parties as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

Type

  

Name of related parties

Joint venture

   HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd.

Other related parties

   SK Telecom Co., Ltd., which has significant influence over the Company, SK Holdings Co., Ltd., which has control over SK Telecom Co., Ltd., and their subsidiaries

(2) Significant transactions for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

    

2014

 
    

Company

   Operating
revenue and
others
     Operating
expense
and others
     Dividend
income
     Asset
acquisition
 
          (In millions of won)  

Associate

   Siliconfile Technologies Inc.1    25,109         411         236           

Joint venture

   HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd.(HITECH)      1,734         612,890         15,664           

Other related parties

   SK Telecom Co., Ltd.      3,391         7,493                 2,685   
   SK Holdings Co., Ltd.2              33,273                   
   SK C&C Co., Ltd.3      70         5,879                 12,225   
   SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.      481         44,928                 959,985   
   SK Energy Co., Ltd.      5,121         44,664                   
   SK Networks Co., Ltd.              2,777                 2,772   
   Ko-one energy service Co., Ltd.              3,074                   
   SKC solmics Co., Ltd.              28,023                 718   
   Chungcheong energy service Co., Ltd.              27,496                   
   HAPPYNARAE Co., Ltd.      53         63,398                 10,187   
   Others      427         19,837                 1,548   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
      36,386         894,143         15,900         990,120   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1

Siliconfile Technologies Inc. became a subsidiary through the Parent Company’s additional acquisition of the remaining interest on April 22, 2014.

 

2

The Group entered into a contract with SK Holdings Co., Ltd. under which the Group shall pay royalty for the use of SK brand in proportion to sales amount from March 2012 to December 2014. For the year ended December 31, 2014, royalty paid for the use of the SK brand amounted to ₩28,780 million (2013: ₩18,251 million, 2012: ₩7,860 unaudited).

 

3 

SK C&C Co., Ltd. was excluded from related party after April 2014 due to exchange in CEO.

 

G-67


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

33.    Related Party Transactions,  continued

 

    

2013

 
    

Company

   Operating
revenue and
others
     Operating
expense
and others
     Dividend
Income
     Asset
acquisition
 

Associate

   Siliconfile Technologies Inc.    100,975         1,585                   

Joint venture

   HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd.(HITECH)      61,368         581,374         15,033           

Other related parties

   SK Telecom Co., Ltd.      954         2,811                 230   
   SK Holdings Co., Ltd.              20,583                   
   SK C&C Co., Ltd.      150         22,374                 30,522   
   SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.      637         12,056                 166,423   
   SK Energy Co., Ltd.      13,103         28,258                   
   SK Networks Co., Ltd.1              927                 112,360   
   Ko-one energy service Co., Ltd.              20,452                   
   SKC solmics Co., Ltd.              24,041                 300   
   Chungcheong energy service Co., Ltd.              28,231                   
   HAPPYNARAE Co., Ltd.      62         59,624                 7,763   
   Others      261         9,095                 332   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
      177,510         811,411         15,033         317,930   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

The Group acquired 5,745 shares of Sky Property Management Ltd. at ₩112,360 million from SK Networks Co., Ltd., a related party during 2013 and recognized them as available-for-sale securities.

 

    

2012 (Unaudited)

 
    

Company

   Operating
revenue and
others
     Operating
expense
and others
     Dividend
Income
     Asset
acquisition
 

Associate

   Siliconfile Technologies Inc.    107,132         931                   

Joint venture

   HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd.(HITECH)      67,662         625,657         11,882         17,168   

Other related parties1

   SK Telecom Co., Ltd.      1,196         812                   
   SK Holdings Co., Ltd.              7,860                   
   SK C&C Co., Ltd.      43         3,240                 15,825   
   SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.                              1,817   
   Ko-one energy service Co., Ltd.              34,286                   
   SKC solmics Co., Ltd.              8,967                 387   
   Chungcheong energy service Co., Ltd.              18,381                   
   HAPPYNARAE Co., Ltd.      36         24,271                 563   
   Others      135         4,128                 1,015   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
      176,204         728,533         11,882         36,775   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

Transactions that occurred after February 14, 2012, the date when SK telecom Co., Ltd. obtained significant influence over the Group.

 

G-68


Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

33.    Related Party Transactions,  continued

 

(3) The balances of significant transactions as of December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are as follows:

 

     

2014

 
    

Company

   Trade
receivables
and others
     Other
payables and
others
     Borrowings1  
          (In millions of won)  

Joint venture

   HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd.(HITECH)    18,393         113,257         22,552   

Other related parties

   SK Telecom Co., Ltd.      2,763         2,622           
   SK Holdings Co., Ltd.              3,080           
   SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.      23         561,004           
   SK Energy Co., Ltd.      462         5,961           
   SK Networks Co., Ltd.              479           
   SKC solmics Co., Ltd.              9,258           
   Chungcheong energy service Co., Ltd.              3,295           
   HAPPYNARAE Co., Ltd.      1         14,606           
   Others      32         14,455           
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
      21,674         728,017         22,552   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

1 

The Parent Company repaid ₩78,541 million of borrowings from HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. during the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

     

2013

 
    

Company

   Trade
receivables
and others
     Other
payables and
others
     Borrowings  
          (In millions of won)  

Associate

   Siliconfile Technologies Inc.    18,102                   

Joint venture

   HITECH Semiconductor (Wuxi) Co., Ltd.(HITECH)      11,356         2,828         101,093   

Other related parties

   SK Telecom Co., Ltd.              419           
   SK Holdings Co., Ltd.              2,332           
   SK C&C Co., Ltd.      11         25,388           
   SK Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd.      234         82,238           
   SK Energy Co., Ltd.      76         5,802           
   SK Networks Co., Ltd.              78           
   SKC solmics Co., Ltd.              3,116           
   Chungcheong energy service Co., Ltd.              3,102           
   HAPPYNARAE Co., Ltd.      22         13,670           
   Others              1,579           
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
      29,801         140,552         101,093   
     

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

33.    Related Party Transactions,  continued

 

(4) Key management compensation

Key management includes directors, members of the board of directors, chief financial officer, subsidiary’s executives and internal auditors. The compensation paid to key management for employee services for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

Details

   2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Salaries

   74,599         30,909         23,157   

Defined benefit plan related expenses

     7,061         4,546         2,859   

Others

     19         6         1   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
   81,679         35,461         26,017   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

34.    Commitments and Contingencies

(1)    Significant pending litigations and claims of the Group as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

(a)    Lawsuit from Toshiba Corporation (“Toshiba”) and SanDisk Corporation (“SanDisk”)

Toshiba filed a lawsuit against the Parent Company in Tokyo District Court, alleging misappropriation of trade secrets, on March 13, 2014, in which it is seeking damages of JPY 109,151 million (“Toshiba lawsuit”). The Parent Company’s response against the petition was submitted, and oral proceedings began. On December 19, 2014, Toshiba agreed with the Parent Company to withdraw the lawsuit filed against the Parent Company in return for settlement fee amounting to USD278 million (₩306,101 million equivalent). This settlement fee was recorded as other expenses in the Company’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014.

SanDisk filed a lawsuit against the Parent Company and its subsidiaries (SK hynix America Inc. and SK hynix memory solutions Inc.) in Santa Clara Superior Court of the United States of America, alleging misappropriation of trade secrets jointly owned by SanDisk and Toshiba, on March 13, 2014 (“SanDisk lawsuit”). The litigation value of the SanDisk lawsuit has not been determined. Meanwhile, on November 6, 2014, the Parent Company requested transfer of the lawsuit to the United States District Court for California (the federal courts), for which SanDisk filed opposition. A hearing on this case is scheduled in the near future. As of December 31, 2014, above lawsuits are at an early stage and the final outcome of these matters cannot be predicted.

(b)    Lawsuit regarding ordinary wages

On August 1, 2014, some of the Parent Company’s employees filed a lawsuit against the Parent Company to the Suwon District Court, seeking additional payment of overtime allowance in relation to ordinary wages. In this regard, the Parent Company submitted a written response on September 5, 2014, and oral pleading is planned in the near future. As of December 31, 2014, the Group did not recognize any provision as the likelihood of defending this case appears probable. However, the final outcome of this contingency cannot be predicted as of December 31, 2014.

(c)    Other patent infringement claims and litigation

The Group is involved in various alleged patent infringement claims and litigation. No provisions have been made as management believes it not likely an outflow of the Group’s resources will be required to settle these matters. As of December 31, 2014, the final outcome of these matters cannot be determined, but could have a material effect on the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

 

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SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

34.    Commitments and Contingencies,  continued

 

(2)    Technology and patent license agreements

The Group has entered into a number of patent license agreements with several companies. The related royalties are paid in a lump sum or running basis in accordance with the respective agreements. Lump-sum royalties are expensed over the contract period using the straight-line method.

(3)    Contract for supply of industrial water

In March 2001, the Group and Veolia Water Industrial Development Co., Ltd. (“VWID”) entered into a contract for the purpose of purchasing industrial water from VWID for 12 years from March 2001 to March 2013. In December 2006, the contract was extended to March 2018, and subsequently amended due to the establishment of additional plants. According to the amended contract, the Group is obligated to pay base service charges which are predetermined and additional service charges which are variable according to the amount of water used.

(4)    Post-process service contract with HITECH

In 2009, the Group entered into an agreement with HITECH to be provided with post-process service by HITECH. In addition, HITECH entered into agreements to purchase corresponding machinery from the Parent Company and its subsidiary, SKHYMC. According to the contracts, HITECH should use the machinery only for the purpose of providing the post-process service to the Group exclusively until September 2015. In 2011, the Parent Company entered into an additional contract for the purpose of module processing service and HITECH purchased corresponding machinery from the Parent Company. According to the agreement, the Group is liable to guarantee a certain level of margin to HITECH.

(5)    Assets provided as collateral

Details of assets provided as collateral as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

     Book value      Pledged amount     

Remark

     (In millions of won)       

Land

   25,202         

Buildings

     119,622         1,236,513       Borrowings for equipment and others

Machinery

     868,487         
  

 

 

    

 

 

    
   1,013,311         1,236,513      
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

Other than the above assets provided as collateral, the finance lease assets of the Group are pledged as collateral for the finance lease liabilities in accordance with the finance lease contracts.

 

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SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

34.    Commitments and Contingencies,  continued

 

(6)    Financing agreements

Details of credit lines with financial institutions as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

   

Financial
Institution

 

Commitment

  Currency   Amount  
            (In millions of won and
millions of foreign currencies)
 

The Parent Company

  Korea Exchange   Import finance including usance   USD     445   
  Bank and others   Export finance including bills bought   USD     370   
    Comprehensive limit contract for import and export   USD     1,040   

SK Hynix Semiconductor (China) Ltd. (SKHYCL)

  Agricultural Bank of China and others   Import finance including usance   RMB     1,700   
      EUR     21   
      USD     1,514   

SK Hynix America Inc. (SKHYA) and other sales entities

  Citibank and others   Accounts receivable factoring contracts which have no right to recourse   USD     784   

Domestic subsidiaries

  Korea Exchange Bank   Export finance including bills bought   KRW     5,000   
    Guarantee   KRW     2,000   
    Foreign currency forward   KRW     1   

The Group has entered into trade receivables discounting agreements with several financial institutions. There are outstanding trade receivables discounted corresponding to ₩220,663 million as of December 31, 2014 (as of December 31, 2013: nil). The Group is obliged to redeem discounted receivables to financial institutions in case of the default of the counterparties and accordingly, accounted for the above transactions as collateralized borrowings.

(7)    Details of guarantees provided to others as of December 31, 2014 are as follows:

 

     Amount     

Remark

     (In millions of won)       

Employees

   27       Guarantees for employees’ borrowings relating to employee stock ownership

(8)    Capital commitments

As of December 31, 2014, the Group has ₩348,802 million (as of December 31, 2013: ₩385,106 million) of commitments in relation to the capital expenditures on fixed assets.

 

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SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

35.    Cash Generated from Operating Activities

(1) Reconciliations between profit for the year and net cash inflow from operating activities for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:

 

     2014     2013     2012
(Unaudited)
 
    (In millions of won)  

Profit for the year

    ₩4,195,169        2,872,857        (158,795

Adjustment

     

Income tax expense (benefit)

    852,501        202,068        (40,506

Defined benefit plan related expenses

    143,432        125,495        107,730   

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment and investment property

    3,269,705        2,922,245        3,057,856   

Amortization

    174,275        156,276        145,698   

Loss on foreign currency translation

    116,726        24,415        24,597   

Interest expense

    170,363        256,623        317,926   

Gain on foreign currency translation

    (79,678     (94,175     (211,345

Interest income

    (52,122     (66,410     (80,154

Loss on derivative instruments, net

    171,754        93,473        14,321   

Gain on equity method investments, net

    (12,506     (19,256     (16,713

Others, net

    13,072        116,735        22,050   

Changes in operating assets and liabilities

     

Increase in trade receivables

    (1,628,665     (278,141     (322,127

Decrease (increase) in loans and other receivables

    (579,225     (249,778     69,539   

Decrease (increase) in inventories

    (314,547     333,179        (335,580

Increase (decrease) in trade payables

    69,290        113,552        (374

Increase (decrease) in other payables

    (105,971     74,666        (56,749

Increase in other non-trade payables

    498,152        309,974        26,604   

Increase (decrease) in provisions

    (26,793     (127,052     1,446   

Payment of defined benefit liabilities

    (34,144     (45,171     (69,161

Contribution to plan assets

    (402,894     (4,113     (5,994

Others, net

    (132,665     (195,909     (69,375
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash generated from operating activities

  6,305,229        6,521,553        2,420,894   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

(2) Details of significant transactions without inflows and outflows of cash for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 

     2014      2013      2012
(Unaudited)
 
     (In millions of won)  

Other payables related to acquisition of property, plant and equipment

   588,435         190,667         (78,585

Issue of ordinary shares related to the acquisition of a subsidiary

     54,070                   

Exercise of conversion rights

     772,590         432,434         266   

Transferred to non-current convertible bond due to expiration of early redemption rights

             486,569           

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment subject to finance lease agreements

                     216,682   

 

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SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

 

36.    Business Combination

(1) In April 2014, the Parent Company acquired all remaining interest in Siliconfile Technologies Inc., which is CMOS image sensor developer, located in Korea, in exchange for the Parent Company’s newly issued ordinary shares and obtained control over Siliconfile Technologies Inc. The fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired at acquisition date was ₩42,432 million and the excess of the consideration transferred amounting to ₩75,028 million over the identifiable net assets acquired was accounted for as goodwill.

The following table summarizes the consideration transferred for Siliconfile Technologies Inc., the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date:

 

     Amount  
     (In millions of won)  

Consideration

   75,028   

Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed1

  

Cash and cash equivalents

     14,872   

Other current assets

     30,179   

Non-current assets

     25,052   

Current liabilities

     20,588   

Non-current liabilities

     7,083   
  

 

 

 

Fair value of net identifiable assets

   42,432   
  

 

 

 

Goodwill

     32,596   

 

1 

Assets acquired and liabilities assumed were measured at their fair values.

The revenue of Siliconfile Technologies Inc. included in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income after acquisition date was ₩71,014 million. Siliconfile Technologies Inc. also contributed a profit of ₩3,239 million over the same year.

(2) In June 2014, the Parent Company acquired Softeq Flash Solutions LLC., which is NAND solution developer, located in Belarus, for ₩10,236 million. The fair value of the identifiable net asset acquired was ₩1,546 million and the excess of the consideration transferred over the identifiable net assets acquired was recognized as goodwill.

(3) In September 2014, the Group acquired PCle card operation division of Violin Memory, Inc., which is memory solution developer, located in United states, for USD23 million. The fair value of the identifiable net asset acquired was USD3 million and the excess of the consideration transferred over the identifiable net assets acquired was recognized as goodwill.

(4) In August 2012, the Group acquired 100% of the share capital of SK hynix memory solutions Inc. (SKHMS) (formerly, Link_A_Media Devices Corporation (“LAMD”)), which is a Nand Flash controller developer, located in United States for ₩282,293 million and obtained control over SKHMS.

The goodwill amounting to ₩261,047 million arising from the acquisition is attributable to the synergy benefits from reduction of R&D expenses and expected increase in sales as a result of acquisition of SKHMS.

 

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SK HYNIX, INC. and Subsidiaries

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012

36.    Business Combination,  continued

 

The following table summarizes the consideration paid for SKHMS, the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date:

 

     Amount  
     (In millions of won)  

Consideration

   282,293   
  

 

 

 

Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed1

  

Current assets

  

Cash and cash equivalents

     4,542   

Trade receivables2

     650   

Inventories

     14   

Other current assets

     822   

Non-current assets

  

Property, plant and equipment

     1,621   

Intangible assets

     24,105   

Other non-current assets

     83   

Current liabilities

  

Trade payables

     6,574   

Other current liabilities

     3,627   

Non-current liabilities

     390   
  

 

 

 

Fair value of net identifiable assets

   21,246   
  

 

 

 

Goodwill

     261,047   

 

1

Assets acquired and liabilities assumed were measured at their fair values.

 

2 

The trade receivables comprise gross contractual amounts due of ₩650 million and none of these is expected to be uncollectible.

The acquisition-related costs amounting to ₩5,669 million were all expensed for the year ended December 31, 2012.

The revenue of SKHMS included in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income after acquisition date was ₩4,289 million. SKHMS also contributed a net loss of ₩5,802 million over the same period.

Had SKHMS been consolidated from January 1, 2012, the sales of ₩13,490 million and net loss of ₩27,240 million would have been included in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income.

 

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SIGNATURES

The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on its behalf.

 

SK TELECOM CO., LTD.

(Registrant)

/s/    Yong Hwan Lee
Name:   Yong Hwan Lee
Title:   Chief Financial Officer

Date: April 30, 2015