With the law abolished, subsidies for smartphone purchases will be revitalized, with ”iPhone 16” even being offered for free = South Korea

In January, some online smartphone retailers in South Korea began selling the 128GB iPhone 16 for free with number portability and a 100,000 Wotif.
The company has announced that it will provide the service free of charge if the customer purchases a plan with a monthly subscription fee of 10,000 yen or more and signs a six-month contract.
The law (Daitong Law) repeal bill is coming soon and some stores are paying excessive subsidies. The law repeal bill, passed by the Diet in December 2024, will repeal the law on mobile device purchases.
The bill includes provisions to abolish the subsidy system for mobile phone service providers and the upper limit on additional subsidies, and to transfer the jurisdiction of the "Selective Contract Discount System," which provides a monthly discount of 25% of the price plan amount, to the Telecommunications Business Act.
If the law is abolished, it is expected that competition among carriers to provide subsidies will become more active. In particular, the provision prohibiting a situation in which subsidies differ between number portability and new subscribers.
With the elimination of the subsidy system, businesses can now offer benefits to users in a variety of ways. However, if the competition for subsidies intensifies, it is expected that unfair practices such as false and exaggerated advertising will increase.
Therefore, the government plans to continue monitoring the situation.