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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Following KT’s announcement to refund early termination fees for departing subscribers, the number of mobile number portings to SK Telecom and LG Uplus has surged sharply.
According to industry sources on January 4, KT saw a net loss of 15,151 subscribers on January 3. Of these, 11,187 switched to SK Telecom and 3,964 to LG Uplus.
The spike follows KT’s December 30 announcement to waive or refund termination penalties for customers who ended their service amid recent unauthorized micro-payment incidents.
Subscriber outflows have continued to expand since the waiver announcement. On the first day, December 31, KT lost 5,886 subscribers, followed by 15,469 and 15,151 on January 2 and 3, respectively. The cumulative net loss since the waiver is 36,506 subscribers.
SK Telecom has responded aggressively, offering distributors a sales incentive of at least 400,000 won per subscriber acquired through “SIM-only” transfers—allowing customers to retain their existing devices while changing carriers. The strategy targets periods of low device replacement demand.
The refund applies to customers who terminated their service between September 1, 2025, and January 13, 2026. Applications can be submitted from January 14 to 31 via KT’s website, call center, or nationwide stores, with sequential payments scheduled for January 22, February 5, and February 19. Customers who miss the application window will receive up to three separate reminders.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
