The logos of South Korea’s major telecom operators — KT Corp., SK Telecom Co. and LG Uplus Corp. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s three major telecom operators — SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus — are preparing to launch unified mobile pricing plans by the end of this year, in a bid to simplify what critics say has become an excessively complicated and confusing system for consumers.
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Science and ICT to lawmaker Choi Soo-jin of the People Power Party, the three carriers currently operate 718 different plans, though only 251 are actively offered to new customers. When including dozens of smaller budget mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), the total number of available mobile plans is estimated to reach several thousand.
The ministry is reportedly finalizing the introduction of a new “integrated plan system” that would allow customers to select plans based on data volume or speed, rather than being locked into separate 5G or LTE categories.
Officials said the goal is to enhance consumer choice and transparency while lowering household communication costs — a response to long-standing criticism that carriers use a maze of overlapping plans to obscure true pricing.
Last year’s parliamentary audit highlighted that some LTE plans were paradoxically more expensive than comparable 5G plans. In response, telecom companies quietly halted new subscriptions for many LTE plans without notifying existing customers, leaving some unaware of cheaper options.
The ministry aims to announce the new integrated pricing framework within the year, pending final coordination with the three carriers.
“The telecoms’ overly fragmented pricing structure has made it nearly impossible for consumers to make rational choices,” Choi said. “Introducing unified plans that bridge LTE and 5G services is essential to expanding consumer rights and reducing communication costs.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
