Telecom Giants Face Backlash Over Poor Transparency on LTE Price Hikes (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s major telecom companies are facing criticism for quietly ending new subscriptions to dozens of outdated LTE plans that were more expensive than 5G options—without properly informing existing users, leaving many still paying inflated rates.
According to Rep. Choi Soo-jin of the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, mobile carriers had come under scrutiny during last year’s parliamentary audit after some LTE plans were found to offer slower speeds and less data than 5G plans at higher prices.
In response, carriers suspended new enrollments for 134 LTE plans—roughly 57 percent of all such packages—earlier this year. SK Telecom discontinued 36 of its 63 LTE plans, KT dropped 46 out of 88, and LG Uplus removed 52 of 84.
However, lawmakers say the companies failed to properly notify existing customers that they could switch to cheaper 5G options offering better service quality, potentially saving about 10,000 won ($7) per month. Instead, carriers issued only brief website notices, avoiding direct alerts via text messages, app notifications, or billing statements.
Despite the mass phase-out of LTE plans, subscriber numbers fell only slightly—from 13 million to 11.5 million in the first half of 2025—suggesting that millions remain on higher-priced legacy plans.
Rep. Choi criticized both the telecoms and the Ministry of Science and ICT for neglecting consumer protection. “Carriers are hiding behind business confidentiality, and the ministry is doing little to ensure users are properly informed,” she said, urging stronger oversight and transparency requirements to protect subscribers.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
