Should You Buy a Kids Phone for the New School Term?...Behind Popular Characters, the Key Is "Blocking Harmful Content"

Kids Phone Ownership Rising Rapidly
Safety and Control as Standard... Character-Based Appeal

As more children begin using mobile phones from the lower grades of elementary school, the penetration rate of kids phones is rising rapidly. Ahead of the new school term, telecommunications companies have rushed to launch kids phone marketing campaigns to attract new customers. Since children who first sign up on family bundle plans are potential long-term customers, that first impression is particularly important.

According to the National Statistical Portal (KOSIS) of the National Data Office on the 20th, the ownership rate of kids phones among those under the age of 10 was 5.1% in 2022, 10.9% in 2023, and 18.6% in 2024, climbing rapidly each year. During the same period, the share of respondents who said they had a smartphone also rose from 57.8% to 58.3% to 62.4%. Considering that the population under 10 is shrinking due to the low birth rate, this is evidence that mobile phone use among children is increasing quickly.

Kids phones, which are generally used by children up to age 12, come with basic functions such as real-time location tracking, management of phone usage, and blocking of harmful websites. Because they are not high-spec devices, they can feel somewhat slow and cramped in terms of storage, but the various safety features are a hallmark unique to kids phones.

An official at a telecommunications company said, "For the past several years, Galaxy A models and similar devices have been widely used as kids phone handsets, and most of them are mid- to low-priced entry-level models," adding, "Since we add characters that children like to the devices and load only a limited set of functions, they can feel a bit inconvenient to use."

Some parents instead activate regular smartphones purchased without a plan and use a variety of content-blocking features to achieve an effect similar to that of a kids phone. On Android, Google Family Link can be used not only to block applications (apps) and manage screen time, but also to track location, effectively serving as a kids phone. On the iPhone’s iOS, the Screen Time feature can also substitute for a kids phone.

Diverse characters and enhanced safety features by carrier

KT Corporation Pompompurin Kids Phone. Provided by KT Corporation.

Reflecting the increase in dual-income households and growing demand for mobile phones among children, the three major mobile carriers are actively conducting marketing campaigns to boost kids phone sales ahead of the new school term. They are highlighting the safety and control features that parents value, while at the same time emphasizing the "characters" that attract children’s attention.

SK Telecom, which has so far used characters such as Disney and Pokemon, has launched the "Zem Phone Pocket Peace" as its flagship kids phone model for this season. It is the fourth series of its Pokemon Edition. The phone adopts the "Pocket Peace" universe, a world where humans and Pokemon live together peacefully. The device itself is the Samsung Electronics Galaxy A17. SK Telecom’s kids phone provides safety care features through the Zem app, including real-time location tracking of children, usage time limits, app blocking, and usage reports.

KT is pushing its "Pompompurin Kids Phone" featuring Sanrio characters. Previously, in collaboration with the Japanese design company Sanrio, famous for characters such as Hello Kitty and Kuromi, KT has continuously released kids phones themed around "Cinnamoroll," "Pochacco," and others. As part of its current new-term promotion, KT is also actively engaging in offline marketing, for example by operating a photo zone at its store in the KT Gwanghwamun West building. KT’s kids phone is earning positive reviews for its "Safety Box" service. In addition to location tracking and blocking harmful content, it also offers a "Study Mode" feature that restricts smartphone functions to help children focus on learning.

An LG Uplus model is introducing the "Uplus Kids Phone Muneo Edition 2". Provided by LG Uplus

LG Uplus is targeting parents and children with its kids-specialized character "Muneo," based on Samsung Electronics Galaxy A models. This intellectual property (IP) has gained popularity as a domestic character appearing among foreign characters. Previously, the company also introduced kids phones themed around popular Kakao Friends characters "Ryan" and "Chunsik." The LG Uplus kids phone not only offers location tracking and app usage time management, but also includes a function in which AI detects when a child takes, captures, or downloads harmful images and immediately sends an alert to the guardian.

A telecommunications company official said, "The number of kids phone subscribers is steadily increasing," adding, "Not only the carriers but also Samsung Electronics, as the device manufacturer, believe that ensuring children are satisfied with their first Galaxy phone is advantageous in the long term. Kids phones will continue to improve in terms of functions and services going forward."

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