Discounts on phone and internet bills

You only get it if you apply. Check once whether you qualify.

Who qualifies

• Basic livelihood recipients — see basic-livelihood.
• The near-poor bracket
• People with disabilities and national merit recipients
• Basic pension recipients aged 65 and over
• Households with several children (carrier's own discounts)

Eligibility and the size of the reduction vary by scheme and carrier — always check.

How to apply

1. Apply online on Government24 (gov.kr) or Bokjiro. See government-24 and bokjiro.
2. Apply in person at a community centre.
3. Carrier shops and call centres also accept applications.
4. Documents — ID (alien registration card), proof of recipient status.
5. Check whether lines in a family member's name also qualify.

Other ways to cut costs

• MVNO (budget carriers) — substantially cheaper. See mvno-cheap.
• Review your plan — check it matches your actual usage. See phone-plans.
• Bundle discounts — internet, TV and mobile together.
• Public Wi-Fi — see wifi-public.
• Cancel unnecessary add-ons — check your bill.

Where to go

• Government24 www.gov.kr
• Bokjiro www.bokjiro.go.kr
• Community centres
• Carrier call centres (SKT 114, KT 100, LGU+ 101 — from that carrier's line)
• 1335 Korea Communications Commission (telecom complaints)

Questions people ask

Can foreign residents get the discount? It depends on welfare eligibility. Ask at the community centre, mentioning your residence status.

When does it take effect? Usually from the month you apply or the following month. It is often not backdated, so apply promptly.

My bill suddenly jumped. Check the statement. Data overage, add-on services and micropayments are common causes. You can consult 1335.

The cancellation penalty worries me. Check the remaining contract period and penalty with the call centre. For disputes, ask 1335 or 1372 (consumer counselling).

Take care

Calls offering to "cut your bill" while asking for personal data or verification codes are scams. Reductions are applied for only through Government24, Bokjiro, community centres or official carrier channels. Using a phone not in your own name causes many problems. See phone-verification.

Related

utility-discount · mvno-cheap · phone-plans · welfare-eligibility-check · government-24

Source

Ministry of Science and ICT www.msit.go.kr / As of 2026-08