Choi Ki-young: "Mid- to Low-Priced Plans Must Be Introduced for 5G Popularization"

Minister Choi Ki-young of the Ministry of Science and ICT Holds New Year Meeting on the 22nd
"Affordable Mid-Range Plans Needed for 5G Popularization," Emphasizes
Ruling Party Reserved on Public Wi-Fi Pledge... "Consistently Supporting Wi-Fi for Vulnerable Groups"
Will Foster Korea's Strengths to Leap to AI No.1 Nation
Will Strengthen Basic Science Support System for Technological Independence

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT (photo), reiterated that "various mid-to-low priced plans need to be launched for the popularization of 5G." This is the third time Minister Choi has mentioned the launch of low-cost 5G plans, including the telecom three companies meeting in November last year and this month's work plan.

On the 22nd, Minister Choi held a New Year's dinner with reporters in Sejong City and said, "Launching mid-to-low priced 5G plans may be a burden for companies, but various mid-to-low priced plans are necessary for popularization." He specifically stated, "We will encourage early launches in MVNOs and allow telecom companies to gradually launch customized plans for youth and seniors," adding, "We will coordinate a bit more on mid-to-low priced plans for the general public." Currently, the lowest 5G plan price among the three telecom companies is 55,000 KRW. The Ministry of Science and ICT has consistently emphasized the need for mid-to-low priced plans in the 30,000 to 40,000 KRW range.

Regarding the ruling party, the Democratic Party of Korea's first general election pledge, 'Expansion of Public Wi-Fi,' he was reserved, saying, "It's a sensitive issue, so I cannot speak in detail." Minister Choi said, "We (the Ministry of Science and ICT) were the first to build bus Wi-Fi, which is popular among young people," and added, "We are implementing policies to create public Wi-Fi in important public places for vulnerable groups, especially those who find it difficult to pay high communication fees."

He cited achieving the top AI nation as this year's top priority project. He said, "Among AI fields, what Korea excels at is semiconductor design, especially memory," and emphasized, "I believe Korea can lead in AI combined with memory, where hardware and software are integrated. We will focus on that area to lead AI advancement."

He also pledged to maintain the continuity of the 'ICT Regulatory Sandbox' policy, which has been steadily producing results since its implementation in January last year. Minister Choi said, "Since the introduction of the ICT sandbox, 16 out of 40 designated projects, including shared kitchens, shared accommodations, and mobile driver's licenses, have been launched in the market," and added, "We will continue to promote regulatory improvements as the supervising ministry to enable the rapid launch of new services based on the existing ICT regulatory sandbox and consistently discover representative projects that the public can feel."

Finally, Minister Choi stated that to achieve technological independence in the materials, parts, and equipment industry, which surfaced amid the Japan export regulation controversy, the government will firmly support basic science. He said, "I think it is important to create an environment where universities in Korea can conduct basic research much more freely," and added, "The government will not lead these efforts but will foster an atmosphere where researchers can pursue what they want to do."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.