KT fined 640 million won for deceiving consumers during Samsung Galaxy S25 launch in 2025

KT, one of Korea’s major mobile carriers, was fined 640 million won ($436,000) on Friday for misleading customers during preorders for Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S25 series last year.

The state-run Korea Media and Communications Commission found that KT failed to inform customers that promotional benefits beyond the device subsidy would be limited to the first 1,000 buyers on a first-come, first-served basis during the presale period in January of last year. 

KT later disclosed the limited availability and unilaterally canceled some purchases and reservations. The actions were deemed as consumer deception, and the company was subsequently referred for regulatory review.

During the commission's general meeting on Friday, the state-run telecommunication watchdog ruled that KT had violated the Telecommunications Business Act.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]