South Korea proposes requiring explanations for streaming prices — Korea Herald
South Korea has proposed strengthening oversight of increases in streaming service subscription prices. A bill to amend the Telecommunications Business Act provides that platforms must disclose the basis for price formation when changing their rates.
The initiative was introduced on September 16 by Rep. Lee Hoon-ki of the Democratic Party of Korea. As Korea Herald reports, the requirements will apply to providers designated according to criteria such as revenue and number of users.
What data platforms will be required to provide
Under the draft, relevant streaming companies will have to submit their terms of service and documents explaining their tariff calculation methodology to South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT. When revising prices or other terms, companies must also submit a comparison of the previous and new rules and, after such notification, publish these terms on their own websites.
The rationale for the initiative states that platforms not only raised prices but also introduced changes that increased users' expenses. Such measures include paid account sharing and reducing the number of cheaper subscription plans. The authors of the proposal note that consumers lack explanations of the justification for such decisions because the principles for calculating service costs are not disclosed.
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Subscription price increases
The legislative proposal cites data showing that in 2025, 81.8% of the country's residents used streaming services, while 65.5% paid for such services. At the same time, the document's authors believe that state oversight of the possible consequences of monopolistic or oligopolistic practices in this market has been limited.
In May 2025, Netflix raised the price of its standard plan with ads from 5,500 won to 7,000 won, or by 27.2%. The price of the basic plan rose from 9,500 won to 12,000 won, an increase of 26.3%. The monthly YouTube Premium subscription, according to the cited data, increased from 8,690 won in 2019 to 14,900 won in 2026 — by 71.5%.
South Korean platform Tving increased prices for monthly plans by about 20–23% in December 2023 and, a year later, raised annual subscription rates by about 20%. In particular, the annual basic plan rose from 94,800 won to 114,000 won. Cable and IPTV operators already report their rates and terms to the government, whereas streaming services are not subject to such requirements.
