Korean telecos unveil 5G plans in $14 range

[Photo by Yonhap]

South Korea’s three telecom majors are rolling out 5G plans priced in the 20,000 won ($14.46) range.

LG Uplus Corp. announced a comprehensive revamp of its digital communications platform ‘Nugget’ pricing service on Sunday, with the service now offering 6 gigabytes (GB) of data for 26,000 won per month.

The revamped plans have been diversified from 15 types to 18 types and are segmented in increments of 1,000 won. The most affordable plan, ‘26,000 won per month - 6GB of data,’ offers more benefits compared to the previous ‘30,000 won per month - 1GB of data’ plan. The plan with the largest increase in data allowance is priced at around 45,000 won per month, offering 50GB of data compared to the previous 24GB.

Young customers aged 19 to 34 who subscribe to Nugget can receive an additional 3GB to 30GB of data depending on their plan without the need for a separate application.

[Courtesy of LG Uplus Corp.]

LG Uplus is also running a promotion until the end of 2024, offering up to 50GB of additional data to customers who subscribe to Nugget plans. Customers who sign up for a Nugget plan during the promotion period will receive an additional 5 to 50GB of data monthly for 24 months, depending on the plan they choose and on top of the additional data offered for young adults.

Meanwhile, SK telecom Co. launched online plans priced in the 20,000 won per month range in March 2024, including ‘Direct 5G 27’ for 27,000 won per month with 6GB of data.

Online plans are contract-free, allowing for free cancellation or changes, and customers can also receive additional discounts by subscribing to a combined product.

For its part, KT Corp. introduced its ‘5G Slim 4GB’ plan for 37,000 won per month in January 2024. With a selective contract discount, the price can be reduced to 27,750 won. The company also launched ‘Yogo,’ an online product-only brand, offering 5G plans in the 30,000 won range.