During the "Discussion on Reducing Communication Costs Felt by Citizens," Lee expressed disappointment with the recent announcement from the Ministry of Science and ICT regarding a 20,000 won 5G plan. He stated, "I had high hopes after seeing the press release, but upon reviewing the actual details, it became clear that the government is merely increasing service offerings to claim a reduction, without providing any substantial benefits for citizens." He emphasized that, similar to how amendments to corporate law have boosted stock prices, a fundamental restructuring of the market is necessary for genuine cost reductions in communication fees.
The discussion also highlighted concerns that the government's proposed fee restructuring plan, announced in April, would have minimal impact on actual service quality or household financial relief.
Moon Hyung-nam, president of Sookmyung Women's University, pointed out, "According to the government's figures, the average monthly savings per person is 488 won, but when accounting for the decrease in telecom company revenues, the actual savings felt by users is only about 180 won."
Cho Soo-hyung, head of the Korea Consumer Protection Center for Telecommunications, noted that excessive penalties for two-year contracts create significant barriers to consumer choice, stating, "We need to go beyond simple fee reductions and implement measures to alleviate the actual cost burden, including reforms to the penalty system."
Criticism also arose regarding the government's annual announcements of communication cost reduction policies, which some labeled as mere token gestures. Lim Hyung-do, a special professor of computer engineering at Kyung Hee University, remarked, "It would be better if there were no negotiations between the government and the three major telecom companies regarding fee reductions. Such negotiations lead to delays in policy announcements until the telecom companies feel pressured to propose reductions."
The discussion included a structural analysis of why communication costs remain high, citing Japan's Rakuten Mobile, which offers unlimited 5G service for around 30,000 won.
Kim Hyup, vice president of the Korea Policy Forum, explained, "Japan has achieved a 30,000 won unlimited plan by lowering infrastructure investment costs through cloud-based virtualization technology. We need competitive policies that fundamentally change the market structure, rather than just fine-tuning existing conditions."
However, Song Cheol, head of external relations at the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KOTA), countered that comparing Rakuten's pricing to domestic budget phone services is inappropriate. Kim quickly responded, stating, "Dismissing Rakuten's pricing as budget phone rates prevents a fair comparison with domestic telecom companies. Rakuten Mobile is a fourth mobile carrier approved by the Japanese government, and categorizing it as a budget service is misleading."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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