On Sept. 27, the ministry released its "Survey on Domestic and International Price Gaps in Telecommunications Services," comparing 4G and 5G mobile rates in Seoul, Tokyo, New York, London, Paris and Dusseldorf.
The survey compared consumer costs by data allowance at each country's largest mobile carrier by market share, using the cheapest plans available to new subscribers as of the end of last year.
For 4G plans with a monthly data allowance of 20 gigabytes, SK Telecom in Seoul charged 6,916 yen ($46) a month, or about 60,846 won — the highest among the six cities surveyed.
Verizon in New York followed at 6,684 yen, while Telekom Deutschland in Dusseldorf charged 4,037 yen and Telefonica UK in London 3,259 yen. Seoul's rate was about 2.3 times that of NTT Docomo in Tokyo (2,974 yen) and about 2.8 times that of Orange in Paris (2,495 yen).
Seoul was also the most expensive for 4G plans with 50GB allowances at 6,916 yen, followed by Dusseldorf at 6,732 yen, New York at 6,684 yen, Tokyo at 4,954 yen, London at 3,686 yen and Paris at 3,465 yen.
Seoul ranked second for 100GB plans and third for unlimited plans. For unlimited plans, Seoul's monthly rate was 8,754 yen, or about 77,017 won, lower than Dusseldorf (11,450 yen) and Tokyo (9,332 yen) but higher than New York (6,684 yen) and London (4,966 yen). Orange in Paris does not offer an unlimited plan.
The data allowances used in the survey reflect plan specifications rather than consumers' actual average monthly usage.
A survey by the Consumers Korea in October last year found the median monthly data usage among consumers was 28GB, with 40.4% of respondents using unlimited plans.
Seoul's 5G rates were also higher than those in other major cities, though its ranking was relatively lower than for 4G.
At the 20GB level, Seoul charged 4,902 yen, or about 43,127 won, second only to New York (6,684 yen). At 50GB, Seoul's rate of 5,603 yen, or about 49,295 won, ranked third behind Dusseldorf (6,732 yen) and New York (6,684 yen).
For unlimited 5G plans, Seoul was the third most expensive at 7,237 yen, behind Dusseldorf (11,450 yen) and Tokyo (9,332 yen). New York charged 6,684 yen and London 4,966 yen.
The ministry also compared rates at carriers ranked third or fourth by market share. South Korea's LG Uplus ranked second at the 20GB, 50GB and 100GB levels for both 4G and 5G plans, and was the most expensive for unlimited plans.
LG Uplus charged 4,202 yen, or about 36,969 won, for a 5G 20GB plan, second only to New York (5,656 yen) and higher than Tokyo (2,974 yen), London (1,422 yen), Paris (1,108 yen) and Dusseldorf (673 yen).
Its unlimited 5G plan cost 6,350 yen, or about 55,867 won, above New York (5,757 yen) and far higher than Tokyo (4,337 yen), London (2,845 yen) and Dusseldorf (2,694 yen). Paris does not offer an unlimited plan.
Responding to the report, the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association said, "South Korea has already integrated its 4G and 5G plans," adding that "the ministry's report is an artificial comparison tailored to the pricing patterns of Japanese carriers, which has inflated South Korea's rate levels."
The KTOA said, "Taken together, data from academia and research institutes at home and abroad show that when rates relative to data usage, operating margins and network quality are considered comprehensively, South Korea's telecom rates rank in the lower-middle tier compared with other major countries." It added, "In particular, a 2025 survey of mobile service quality in major countries showed South Korea's download speed at 973.55 Mbps, far higher than other countries, indicating very high service value for the price."
