Telegram disappears after 138 years... KT announces service termination

First Telegraph Between Seoul and Incheon in 1885, 138 Years of History
Scheduled to End on December 15

Once the fastest means of communication, telegrams have disappeared into history due to changes in the times. The service will end on the 15th of next month, marking 138 years since the introduction of telegrams in Korea.

According to the telecommunications industry on the 15th, KT announced on its website that the '115 Telegram Service' will be terminated on December 15. KT stated, "Due to changes in the telecommunications market environment, the usage of telegrams has sharply decreased every year," and added, "With the increasing cumulative deficit, we can no longer provide the service."

[Photo by Yonhap News]

The telegraph service began in Korea in 1885, when the Hanseong Telegraph Office was established and the first telegram was sent between Seoul and Incheon. Until the 1970s, before telephones were widely distributed nationwide, telegrams were mainly used to convey urgent news.

As of 1965, an intercity telegram cost 50 won for the first 10 characters. Considering that a pack of ramen was 10 won at the time, it was not a cheap price, and additional charges were applied for exceeding the set number of characters, so messages were often sent using abbreviations.

Examples of phrases used in telegrams include 'Gikwaeyu' (wishing for a speedy recovery), 'Buchinsamanggeuprae' (your father has passed away, please come home quickly), and 'Eum7ilnamasunsan' (a baby boy was safely born on the 7th day of the lunar calendar).

After the 1980s, with the spread of telephones and the widespread use of email and mobile phones in the 2000s, telegram usage sharply declined. From the 2010s, telegrams were maintained mainly for official or corporate messages requiring formality, such as congratulations or gifts.

In this trend, telegram services have also been discontinued worldwide. The American network company Western Union stopped its telegram service in 2006, and the German Post Office ended its service on January 1 of this year. KT also discontinued its international telegram service on April 8, 2018.

If you wish to use the telegram service before it ends, you can call 115, tell the operator the recipient's name and address, and convey the message. A basic fee of 2,700 won is charged for up to 50 characters, with an additional 110 won for every 5 characters. It is also possible to write the telegram directly on the 115 telegram website.

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