KT invites foreign customer’s family to Korea in global store campaign

KT user and Filipino expat Ma. Jovelle Curiba, center, poses with her family at Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, Friday. They were invited to Korea as part of KT's campaign to deepen engagement with foreign customers. Courtesy of KT

As the number of foreign residents in Korea surpasses 2.7 million, KT is stepping up efforts to move beyond basic telecom services, deepening engagement with foreign customers through what it calls localized, high-touch marketing.

As part of this strategy, the telecom company recently held a special event to invite one of its foreign customers’ family to the country in a bid to strengthen customer loyalty.

The campaign was carried out earlier this month at KT’s Global Store in Ansan, a city known for its large multicultural community, offering foreign residents in Korea a chance to reunite with family members while introducing them to Korean culture.

The event brought husband and daughter of Filipino expat Ma. Jovelle Curiba for their first visit to the country after about two years of living apart.

During their six-night stay, the family visited major tourist destinations, including N Seoul Tower, Myeongdong and Nami Island, and attended KT Wiz’s baseball game, offering them firsthand cultural experience.

“Inviting my family to Korea felt impossible, but KT gave us a gift we will never forget,” Curiba said. “It feels like I gained more than a mobile carrier; I found a reliable partner in my life in Korea.”

KT user and Filipino expat Ma. Jovelle Curiba, left, and her family / Courtesy of KT

KT said the program is designed to build an emotional connection with foreign customers while strengthening trust in the brand. It currently operates around 180 Global Stores nationwide that are staffed with multilingual consultants to make telecom services more accessible and convenient for foreign residents, particularly lowering language and cultural barriers.

The foreigner-focused retail outlets have been gaining traction, with the share of foreign customer sign-ups handled through these specialized stores rising steadily from 23 percent in January 2024 to 32 percent in February 2026.

Curiba, who switched from a different carrier to KT at the Global Store Ansan branch, said she initially chose KT because the store provided support in her native language, noting it helped her build trust in the carrier. Satisfied with her experience, she said she introduced her friends to the carrier.

“(Using) this store is so convenient. Whenever I have questions with bills or contracts, I can always get clear answers right away (in my language),” she said.

The Ansan store offers customer services in eight languages, including Chinese, Russian and Filipino, with multinational employees, and extends beyond telecom offerings to include assistance such as airline ticket bookings.

“As the number of foreign residents in Korea continues to rise, we see them as an increasingly important future customer base,” a company official said.

“We will continue expanding tailored services and meaningful customer programs that lower language and cultural barriers, aiming to become the most trusted telecom provider for foreign customers in Korea.”