'One Person a Day' Uses Public Phones... KT Suffers Over 10 Billion Won Annual Losses [2024 National Audit]

Approximately 25,000 Units Operated Nationwide... 1 User Per Phone Per Day
Assemblyman Han Minsu: "Public Phones with Low Usage Should Be Removed"

Public telephone stock photo

As mobile phones have become widespread, it has been revealed that KT, the operator of public telephones, is losing over 10 billion KRW annually.

According to data submitted by KT to Han Minsu of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee, the total number of public telephones installed nationwide as of last year was 24,982 units.

The average monthly usage per public telephone is 30.8 calls, with an average monthly call duration of 25.7 minutes. This means that on average, one person uses a public telephone for less than one minute per day.

Looking at KT's 2021 revenue status for operating public telephones, operating revenue was 16.3 billion KRW, operating expenses were 30 billion KRW, resulting in an operating loss of 13.7 billion KRW.

Annual operating losses have decreased from 18.4 billion KRW in 2018 to 16.8 billion KRW in 2019, 14 billion KRW in 2020, and 13.7 billion KRW in 2021, but KT is still losing over 10 billion KRW every year.

Representative Han stated, "As the mobile phone penetration rate has exceeded 100%, the use of public telephones is rapidly declining," and added, "Even excluding facilities with high public interest such as elementary schools, airports, and government offices, public telephones with low usage should be removed."

He continued, "KT should convert the related budget into support budgets for vulnerable groups, such as expanding digital vouchers."