The total mobile service revenue in South Korea will continue to grow, though at a moderate pace, through 2030, with a healthy increase in mobile data service revenue, driven mainly by growing 5G adoption, offsetting continued decline in traditional mobile voice service revenue, says GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.
GlobalData’s South Korea Mobile Broadband Forecast (Q1-2026) reveals that the country’s mobile data service revenue will increase at a CAGR of 5% between 2025 and 2030, driven by a continued rise in mobile internet subscriptions, most importantly on 5G networks, and the increasing availability and adoption of high-ARPU yielding premium 5G plans.
Mobile voice service revenue, on the other hand, will decline at a 6.2% CAGR over the forecast period due to the increasing consumer shift towards OTT-based communication platforms and the subsequent decline in voice service average revenue per user (ARPU) levels.
Hrushikesh Mahananda, Telecom Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The average monthly data usage over mobile networks is forecast to increase from 19.4GB in 2025 to 41.8GB in 2030, in line with the growing consumption of high-bandwidth online video and social media content over mobile networks. This growth is facilitated by the widespread availability of 4G networks, ongoing 5G network expansions, and operators’ data-centric plans.”
5G will remain the leading mobile technology throughout the forecast period and will account for 94% of total mobile subscriptions by the end of 2030, due to growing consumer demand for high-speed connectivity, wider availability and adoption of 5G service plans, and continued 5G network expansion and modernization push by the government and telcos.
The government’s 5G+ Strategy, for instance, aims to accelerate 5G network expansion and achieve over 90% mobile user access to 5G by 2026, by encouraging investments, removing regulatory barriers, and offering testbeds for 5G infrastructure, supporting the rapid deployment of 5G-led digital solutions in areas like smart factories, autonomous vehicles, smart healthcare, and smart cities, among others.
In December 2025, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) also mandated that all 5G base stations must be connected to a 5G standalone core network by 2026. This move is intended to leverage the full, low-latency potential of 5G.
Additionally, as part of joint declaration with South Korea’s ICT ministry in April 2026, all the three major telcos committed to rolling out low-budget 5G plans to boost adoption and user migration from 4G to 5G.
SK Telecom will lead the mobile services market in terms of subscriptions through 2030, given its strong investment focus on advanced technologies, including 5G and IoT, while offering comprehensive services to meet evolving consumer needs.
Mahananda concludes: “South Korea’s mobile market is rapidly evolving, with operators focusing on expanding 5G adoption and effectively monetizing surging data usage. As data usage surges, operators will prioritize wider network rollouts, capacity enhancements, and tiered pricing strategies to convert traffic growth into revenue. Additionally, digital services, content bundling, and ecosystem partnerships will play an important role in driving customer engagement and long-term value creation in an intensely competitive landscape.”
