"Realizing How Fast Money Disappears: Should You Try Only the Essentials for 5,000 Won? [The Basics of Benefits]"

How to Cut OTT Costs
Lower Basic Subscription Fees with Ad-Supported Plans and Annual Passes
Reduce Overlapping Payments with Memberships and Telecom Bundled Benefits

Editor's Note'The more you know, the more you see; the more you know, the more you save.' We live in an era overflowing with information, yet there are still many things we overlook. [The Basics of Benefits] delivers useful tips that can help you save money in your daily life—news that pays if you know, and costs you if you don't.

#A, an office worker in their 20s based in Seoul, was shocked recently while reviewing their monthly subscription fees. As they accumulated one service after another—Netflix, TVING, Disney+, YouTube Premium—their fixed monthly expenses increased significantly, separate from their telecom bills. A decided to cancel services they rarely watch and started looking for ways to use their remaining online video services (OTT) more affordably.

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As OTT usage becomes part of everyday life, the burden of subscription fees is growing. According to the Broadcasting Media Communication Commission's "2025 Broadcasting Media Usage Behavior Survey," the overall OTT usage rate is 81.8%, while the paid OTT usage rate stands at 65.5%. Among paid OTT service users, 34.6% use ad-supported plans. This shows that a significant portion of users choose lower prices even if it means watching ads.

Recently, restrictions on account sharing, further segmentation of pricing plans, and the expansion of bundled products are all happening at once. Since it’s no longer easy to reduce costs simply by sharing accounts among multiple people, now is the time to compare ad-supported plans, annual passes, bundles, and membership benefits.

Lowering Basic Subscription Costs with Ad-Supported Plans and Annual Passes

The first thing to check is the ad-supported plan. If you don’t mind watching ads, this is the simplest way to lower your basic subscription fee. Netflix offers an ad-supported plan in Korea starting at 7,000 won per month. TVING’s ad-supported standard plan is 5,500 won per month, supporting two simultaneous streams and up to 1080p FHD quality. However, ad-supported plans include commercials and may restrict access to some content or features, so it’s important to check the terms of use.

If you use a particular service regularly, an annual pass may be another option. Disney+ offers its standard plan at 9,900 won per month or 99,000 won per year, and its premium plan at 13,900 won per month or 139,000 won per year. Annual payment is about 17% cheaper than paying monthly. If you plan to use the service every month, an annual subscription is more economical; but if you only watch for certain dramas or sports seasons, subscribing only when needed may be a better strategy.

If you use multiple OTT services simultaneously, it’s worth looking into bundle deals. Disney+ offers a Disney+ and TVING bundle for 18,000 won per month, and a Disney+, TVING, and Wavve bundle for 21,500 won per month—offering a discounted rate compared to subscribing individually.

Reduce Overlapping Subscriptions with Memberships

Naver Plus Membership offers digital content benefits such as Netflix Ad-Supported Standard. Screenshot from the Naver Plus Membership website

Content benefits included in shopping memberships can also help reduce subscription fees. Naver Plus Membership costs 4,900 won per month and provides digital content benefits along with shopping rewards. According to Naver, you can choose one digital content benefit each month to use.

For example, within the Naver Plus Membership, you can select Netflix Ad-Supported Standard as your digital content benefit, and upgrade to a higher-tier plan if needed.

Coupang Play is another option to cut costs. Coupang Play provides ad-supported free viewing services to regular members, allowing access to some content without an additional monthly subscription. However, exclusive Coupang Play sports broadcasts and premium sports content may require a Sports Pass, so you should check in advance whether your preferred content is available for free.

Telecom Benefits: Consider the Total Cost

A dealership displaying the logos of the three major telecom companies. Photo by Yonhap News

Some telecom plans and subscription platforms include OTT benefits. SK Telecom offers OTT benefits such as Disney+ or TVING and Wavve with select 5G and youth plans. For example, T World’s plan guide details Disney+ benefits with the 5GX Premium (Disney+) and 0 Youth 109 (Disney+) plans, as well as TVING & Wavve Standard with the 0 Youth 109 (TVING) plan.

KT also offers OTT-related plans and additional subscription services. With KT’s “5G Choice” product, you can select one benefit from options such as TVING/Genie/Milli, Netflix, YouTube Premium, or Disney+. However, the specific benefits and conditions may vary by plan, so it’s important to review the details before signing up.

LG Uplus operates OTT services such as Netflix, Disney+, YouTube Premium, and TVING through its subscription platform “Udok.” Recently, until June 30, new subscribers to the “Double Streaming Annual Pass” (which bundles Netflix and YouTube Premium) via Udok will receive a TVING 3,000 won monthly discount coupon for 12 months. This annual pass is listed at 18,900 won per month.

However, you should be cautious about switching to a more expensive telecom plan just for OTT benefits. Even if you receive free or discounted perks, your total spending may increase if your monthly telecom fee rises significantly. You need to check whether the total amount—combining telecom and subscription fees—decreases overall.

Ultimately, the key to “subscription fee dieting” is to separate services you use frequently from those you use occasionally. For services you watch every month, compare ad-supported plans, annual passes, and bundles. For services you only use for specific content, it’s better to subscribe for just one or two months at a time. If your shopping membership or telecom plan already includes content benefits, consolidating and eliminating duplicate subscriptions is another way to save.

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