SK Broadband Launches New Corporate Identity

Hanaro Telecom is now called SK Broadband, and the company’s president Cho Shin on Monday met reporters after announcing the launch of the new corporate image. "With the new company name beginning with 'SK,’ we're going to introduce packages combining Internet phone, super-speed Internet and IPTV as well as super-speed Internet service through a distribution network including SK Telecom agencies,” he said. While admitting that the firm surrendered the top position in IPTV to its rival KT by a narrow margin, he said this was “a temporary phenomenon.”

SK Broadband's new corporate logo features the SK "wings of happiness" plus the name in orange script. The Hanafos broadband Internet service will be called broad&, while the Hanafone fixed-line telephony service was renamed broad&fone. The HanaTV IPTV service will be called broad&tv.

"We've focused on letting consumers know of the relationship between our company and the parent company SK Telecom through our new corporate image,” Cho said.

To bring home that SK Broadband is now a subsidiary of SK Telecom, the company used SK's brand name, logo and corporate color to link itself with its parent company. SK Telecom became the largest shareholder in Hanaro Telecom by buying a 43.59 percent stake in March.

Asked how the company will compete with its rivals, Cho said he would charge "rational prices.” SK Broadband will sell a package including VoIP Internet phone, super-speed Internet and IPTV (broad&tv), for W33,000 (US$1=W1,143) a month from October.