South Korea - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses
South Korea has emerged as one of the leading countries in terms of telecom market maturity and the adoption of emerging technologies. The country is ranked 2nd of 34 Asian countries in BuddeComm's Telecoms Maturity Index. This is largely due to very high mobile and mobile broadband penetration as well as high fixed broadband penetration. With excellent infrastructure in place, the country has also emerged as a leader in digital innovation and the use of ICT for e-services.
The government has strongly supported the ICT sector, while it has also coordinated policy and strategies in close cooperation with the main telcos. This has been shown most notably in the investment plans of telcos regarding the deployment of 5G infrastructure.
As well as the commitment of the government, the sector has been supported by an innovative private sector and a technologically savvy population. Spending on ICT and high-technology equipment has helped develop economic growth as well as spearhead the transformation of a knowledge-based information society.
With the world's highest broadband penetration rate, South Korea's policy emphasis has been to establish an Ultra Broadband convergence Network (UBcN) to provide a 1Gb/s data rate nationally. In addition, the Ministry of Science and ICT is funding projects targeting technologies which can provide data rates of 10Gb/s, with plans to reach 50% adoption rate of the super-fast speeds by 2022. This forward-looking momentum has encouraged the government to begin development of the technologies and potential standards of 6G.
BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries.
On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.
Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report.
The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions.
Key Developments
SK Telecom trials autonomous cars on public roads;
MNOs collectively fined KRW51.2 billion for 5G handset subsidy breaches;
Huawei partners with LG U+ to launch Seoul TechCity;
5G subscriber base approaches eight million;
KTs industrial 5G development plans focussing on five main areas in collaboration with private sector companies and the government;
Report update includes telcos' operating and financial data to Q2 2020, regulator's market data to July 2020, telecom maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments.
Key companies mentioned in this report:
KT; LG U+; SK Broadband; SK Telecom, Hanaro Telecom
- 1 Key statistics
- 2 Regional Asian Market Comparison
- 3 Country overview
- 4 COVID-19 and its impact on the telecom sector
- 4.1 Economic considerations and responses
- 4.2 Mobile devices
- 4.3 Subscribers
- 4.4 Infrastructure
- 5 Telecommunications market
- 5.1 Market analysis
- 5.2 Background
- 6 Regulatory environment
- 6.1 Regulatory authority
- 6.2 Fixed-line developments
- 6.3 Mobile network developments
- 7 Mobile market
- 7.1 Market analysis
- 7.2 Mobile statistics
- 7.3 Mobile infrastructure
- 7.4 Major mobile operators
- 7.5 Mobile content and applications
- 8 Fixed-line broadband market
- 8.1 Market analysis
- 8.2 Broadband statistics
- 8.3 Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
- 8.4 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
- 8.5 Apartment LAN
- 8.6 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
- 8.7 Other fixed broadband services
- 8.8 Fixed broadband operators
- 9 Digital economy
- 9.1 e-Government
- 10 Fixed network operators
- 10.1 KT Corp
- 10.2 LG U+
- 11 Telecommunications infrastructure
- 11.1 Overview of the national telecom network
- 11.2 International infrastructure
- 11.3 Smart infrastructure
- 12 Glossary of abbreviations
- 13 Related reports
- Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities South Korea 2020 (e)
- Table 2 Decline in the number of fixed number portings 2010 2020
- Table 3 Change in the number of mobile number portings 2010 2020
- Table 4 Change in the number of subscribers by platform 2016 2020
- Table 5 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2010 2025
- Table 6 Growth in the number of 5G subscribers by operator 2019 2020
- Table 7 Change in the number of LTE subscribers by operator 2016 2020
- Table 8 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2010 2025
- Table 9 Change in mobile data traffic by platform (TB) 2018 2020
- Table 10 Change in mobile market share by operator 2010 2020
- Table 11 Change in the number of mobile subscribers by operator 2010 2020
- Table 12 Development of mobile service ARPU per month by operator 2010 2020
- Table 13 Development of KT Corp's mobile subscribers by platform 2010 2020
- Table 14 Development of KT Corp's mobile service revenue 2014 2020
- Table 15 Change in the number of SK Telecom's mobile subscribers by platform 2010 2020
- Table 16 Increase in the number of SK Telecom's smartphones in use 2009 2019
- Table 17 Development of SK Telecom's mobile service revenue 2010 2020
- Table 18 Change in the number of LG U+ mobile subscribers 2010 2020
- Table 19 Change in the number of MVNO subscribers by operator 2011 2020
- Table 20 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2010 2025
- Table 21 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by platform 2010 2020
- Table 22 Change in the number of cable broadband subscribers by operator 2016 2020
- Table 23 Change in the number of DSL subscribers by main operator 2016 2020
- Table 24 Change in the number of LAN subscribers by main operator 2016 2020
- Table 25 Change in the number of fibre broadband subscribers by operator 2016 2020
- Table 26 Decline in the number of WiBro subscribers 2016 - 2020
- Table 27 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by operator 2010 - 2020
- Table 28 Change in the market share of broadband subscribers by operator 2010 2020
- Table 29 Development of SK Telecom's financial data 2010 2020
- Table 30 Change in the number of LG U+s broadband subscribers 2010 - 2020
- Table 31 Decline in the number of KT Corp's fixed voice lines 2010 2020
- Table 32 Decline in the number of KT Corp's PSTN lines and market share 2010 2020
- Table 33 Decline in the number of KT Corp's VoIP subscribers 2010 2020
- Table 34 Development of KT Corp's financial data 2010 2020
- Table 35 Change in the number of LG U+'s fixed-line subscribers 2010 2020
- Table 36 Development of LG U+'s financial data 2010 2020
- Table 37 Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2010 2025
- Table 38 Change in the number of fixed-wired and VoIP lines 2016 2020
- Table 39 Increase in international internet bandwidth 2010 2018
- Table 40 Historic - Mobile subscribers 1985 2009
- Table 41 Historic - CDMA mobile subscribers by operator 2002 2013
- Table 42 Historic - mobile market share by operator 2002 2009
- Table 43 Historic - Mobile subscribers by operator 2002 2009
- Table 44 Historic - Mobile Service ARPU per month by operator 2002 2009
- Table 45 Historic - KT Corp's mobile subscribers by type 2004 2009
- Table 46 Historic - SK Telecom mobile subscribers by type 2002 2009
- Table 47 Historic - LG U+ mobile subscribers 2003 2009
- Table 48 Historic - Fixed broadband subscriber growth and penetration rate 1999 - 2009
- Table 49 Historic - Fixed lines in service and penetration 1991 2007
- Table 50 Historic - South Korea VoIP subscribers 2006 2014
- Table 51 Historic Fixed broadband subscribers by platform 1998 2009
- Table 52 Historic Fixed broadband subscribers by operator 2005 - 2009
- Table 53 Historic - Broadband market share by operator 2005 2009
- Table 54 Historic - LG U+ broadband subscribers 2004 - 2009
- Table 55 Historic KT Corp - Fixed Voice - PSTN and VoIP lines subscribers 1991 2009
- Table 56 Historic - KT Corp PSTN lines 2003 2009
- Table 57 Historic - KT Corp VoIP subscribers 2008 2009
- Table 58 Historic - LG U+ fixed-line (PSTN and VoIP) subscribers 2005 2009
- Table 59 Historic Fixed lines in service and teledensity 2007 2009
- Table 60 Historic - International bandwidth 1997 2009
- Chart 1 Asian Telecoms Maturity Index by Market Category
- Chart 2 Asian Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
- Chart 3 Telecoms Maturity Index Northern Asia
- Chart 4 Decline in the number of fixed number portings 2010 2020
- Chart 5 Change in the number of mobile number portings 2010 2020
- Chart 6 Change in the number of subscribers by platform (million) 2016 2020
- Chart 7 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2010 2025
- Chart 8 Growth in the number of 5G subscribers by operator 2019 2020
- Chart 9 Change in the number of LTE subscribers by operator 2016 2020
- Chart 10 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2010 2025
- Chart 11 Change in mobile data traffic by platform (TB) 2018 2020
- Chart 12 Change in mobile market share by operator 2011 2020
- Chart 13 Change in the number of mobile subscribers by operator (million) 2010 2020
- Chart 14 Development of mobile service ARPU per month by operator (KRW thousand) 2010 2020
- Chart 15 Development of KT Corp's mobile subscribers by platform 2010 2020
- Chart 16 Development of KT Corp's mobile service revenue 2014 2020
- Chart 17 Change in the number of SK Telecom's mobile subscribers by platform 2010 2020
- Chart 18 Development of SK Telecom's mobile service revenue 2010 2020
- Chart 19 Change in the number of LG U+ mobile subscribers (million) 2010 2020
- Chart 20 Change in the number of MVNO subscribers by operator (thousand) 2011 2020
- Chart 21 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2010 2025
- Chart 22 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by platform (million) 2010 2020
- Chart 23 Change in the number of fibre broadband subscribers by operator (thousand) 2016 2020
- Chart 24 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by operator (million) 2010 - 2020
- Chart 25 Change in the market share of broadband subscribers by operator 2010 2020
- Chart 26 Development of SK Telecom's financial data (KRW trillion) 2010 2020
- Chart 27 Change in the number of LG U+s broadband subscribers 2010 - 2020
- Chart 28 Decline in the number of KT Corp's fixed voice lines 2010 2020
- Chart 29 Decline in the number of KT Corp's PSTN lines and market share 2010 2020
- Chart 30 Decline in the number of KT Corp's VoIP subscribers 2010 2020
- Chart 31 Development of KT Corp's financial data (KRW billion) 2010 2020
- Chart 32 Change in the number of LG U+'s fixed-line subscribers 2010 2020
- Chart 33 Development of LG U+'s financial data 2010 2020
- Chart 34 Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2010 2025
- Chart 35 Change in the number of fixed-wired and VoIP lines 2016 2020
- Exhibit 1 Key Market Characteristics by Market Segment
- Exhibit 2 Northern Asia - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Country
- Exhibit 3 Map of South Korea
- Exhibit 4 Spectrum auction results May 2016
- Exhibit 5 5G spectrum auction results July 2018
- Exhibit 6 Comparison of WiBro and mobile technologies in South Korea
- Exhibit 7 Significant telcos in South Korea and their offers
- Exhibit 8 Interconnection status by IX
- Exhibit 9 National submarine fibre optic cables overview in South Korea
- Exhibit 10 International submarine fibre optic cables overview in South Korea
- Exhibit 11 Smart grid implementation areas
- Exhibit 12 Phased implementation plan of Jeju Smart Grid