Low-earth-orbit satellite communications aim to extend network coverage to areas beyond terrestrial infrastructure, including mountains, islands, open seas and the sky. Unlike geostationary satellites at about 36,000 km altitude, low-earth-orbit satellites operate at about 200 to 2,000 km, reducing latency but requiring large constellations. South Korea has approved cross-border supply deals involving Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb. The government targets an independent network by 2035 and plans a 300 billion won R&D programme by 2030.

South Korea\'s Broadcasting Media Communications Commission said an assessment of user-protection work at 47 telecommunications operators showed overall performance fell or was flat from a year earlier. The average score for 39 companies, excluding eight pilot-assessment firms, was 873.3 points, down 13.4 points. Grades for large carriers generally declined. The regulator cited shortcomings among value-added operators and said it would withhold or delay penalty-reduction benefits for top-rated firms.