The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Chinese hackers attack 12 Korean academic institutions: KISA

  • 3

    Homeless women struggle to find place to spend night

  • 5

    From period to action: different genre series set for February

  • 7

    More than dozen chaebol scions indicted on alleged drug use

  • 9

    Campaign launched to respect multicultural families, foreign nationals

  • 11

    Netmarble debuts virtual girl group MAVE:

  • 13

    Korea's move to cut subsidies on imported EVs faces backlash

  • 15

    ANALYSISChina's reopening to help ease inventory woes

  • 17

    Lawmaker pushes for bill requiring women to join civil defense training

  • 19

    Seoul subway, bus fares to rise by 300 or 400 won

  • 2

    Koreans stunned by spike in heating costs

  • 4

    Heavy snow hits Seoul, surrounding areas

  • 6

    Chinese hackers threaten to attack S. Korean cybersecurity watchdog

  • 8

    Cold wave warnings issued across Korea; Seoul witnesses coldest day

  • 10

    Why Korea imports so much kimchi from China

  • 12

    Center offers free STI testing to foreign residents of Korea

  • 14

    Cargo ship carrying 22 sinks off Jeju, 14 rescued but 9 unconscious

  • 16

    People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions

  • 18

    Major Korean banks' overseas branches sanctioned by foreign authorities

  • 20

    Yoon calls for adjusting regulatory, labor systems to global standards

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Fri, January 27, 2023 | 17:49
Tech
Cell Phone Turns Into Item of Ubiquity
Posted : 2008-06-30 18:25
Updated : 2008-06-30 18:25
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
The mobile service industry today celebrates its 20th anniversary here.

By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter

Making mobile calls was a privilege of the very rich in 1988 when there were only 784 subscribers who dared to pay 4 million for a bulky handset heavy as a dumbbell. Now after two decades, phones have become as light as a cigarette lighter and the industry has become one of Korea's most lucrative businesses with more than 44 million regular customers.

The mobile service industry today celebrates its 20th anniversary here. While the number of subscribers has grown more than 56,000 times, the average phone price has dropped from 4 million to virtually zero when including subsidies, making it an every-day, every-hour item for modern Koreans.

``It is the coming-of-age day for the mobile phone. It is not just a means of communications anymore. It is the center of communication,'' said Kim Shin-bae, CEO of SK Telecom. ``It is not exaggerating to say that Korea's IT industry, which accounts for 29 percent of its gross domestic product, started from the spread of mobile phones.''

Korea's mobile phone service took off as a car-mounted system in 1984, known as ``car phones.'' Korea Mobile Telecom, which was a subsidiary of Korea's public telephone company, was its lone operator.

It was July 1, 1988 when Korea Mobile Telecom launched a full-swing mobile phone service that used handheld phones made by Motorola and other foreign firms in Seoul and the metropolitan area, in time for the Seoul Olympic Games that fall.

The critical moment came in 1996 when the government adopted a new technology platform called CDMA (code division multiple access) for the first time in the world, while many other countries opted for the GSM (global system for mobile communication) type. The decision has helped local electronics firms such as Samsung and LG use Korea as a test bed for CDMA phones before they export them to the United States and other nations.

Samsung and LG are now the world's second and fourth largest mobile phone sellers. Exports of mobile phones grew from a mere $470,000 in 1996 to $18.6 billion last year.

The network service industry too has seen remarkable growth. Korea Mobile Telecom was privatized in 1994 when SK Group purchased its controlling share. KTF and LG Telecom later joined the race, while others like Shinsegi and Hansol were merged into SK Telecom and KTF, respectively.

Technological advancement and competition among the three firms have continuously lowered the call rate. In 1988, users were charged 1,286 won for a three-minute call from Seoul to Busan. This is now 324 won on average for the same call, which is about 3 percent of the 1988 price when considering inflation.

One victim of mobile phone's rapid success is the pager. It was the dominant communication device in mid and late 1990s, with some 15 million users in its heydays. Now about 40,000 people are using them, many of them medical workers.

indizio@koreatimes.co.kr
 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1Koreans stunned by spike in heating costsKoreans stunned by spike in heating costs
2Homeless women struggle to find place to spend night Homeless women struggle to find place to spend night
3People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions
4Inflation weighs on households Inflation weighs on households
5Netflix series 'The Glory' draws focus to real school bullying Netflix series 'The Glory' draws focus to real school bullying
6'I was a stock investment addict': psychiatrist seeks to help addicted people through his book 'I was a stock investment addict': psychiatrist seeks to help addicted people through his book
7[INTERVIEW] Partnerships with Korean companies help Delta Air Lines' post-pandemic recovery INTERVIEWPartnerships with Korean companies help Delta Air Lines' post-pandemic recovery
8Korea's GDP shrinks 0.4% in Q4, 1st contraction in 10 quarters Korea's GDP shrinks 0.4% in Q4, 1st contraction in 10 quarters
9Gov't to double subsidies for vulnerable households as energy bills soar Gov't to double subsidies for vulnerable households as energy bills soar
10S. Korea to increase joint air defense exercises following N. Korean drone incursions S. Korea to increase joint air defense exercises following N. Korean drone incursions
Top 5 Entertainment News
1From period to action: different genre series set for FebruaryFrom period to action: different genre series set for February
2Shunsuke Michieda overwhelmed by Korean fans' support for his coming-of-age film Shunsuke Michieda overwhelmed by Korean fans' support for his coming-of-age film
3Miguel Chevalier's psychedelic digital universe takes audience participation to next level Miguel Chevalier's psychedelic digital universe takes audience participation to next level
4Yun Hyong-keun's hanji works come under spotlight in Paris for first timeYun Hyong-keun's hanji works come under spotlight in Paris for first time
5Kim Hyun-joo says humanity is at heart of action film 'Jung_E' Kim Hyun-joo says humanity is at heart of action film 'Jung_E'
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

wooribank
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group