The government and the telecom and platform industries will strengthen service stability ahead of the Chuseok holiday with steps including free video calls and expanded telecom networks. They will also ease service limits tied to overdue telecom bills to reduce the burden of communications use for vulnerable groups.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said on Sept. 18 it will 추진 support measures with the three telecom operators and platform companies to improve the stability of telecom and platform services and user convenience for the Chuseok holiday.

Free video calls during the holiday; stronger cyber threat monitoring

The three telecom operators will provide video call services free of charge for four days from Sept. 24 to 27. All telecom users, including budget carrier subscribers, are eligible. During last year's Chuseok holiday, about 2.8 million people used free video calls for about 310,000 hours.

Connectivity quality on travel routes will also be improved. The ministry and the telecom industry expanded telecom facilities to three times the previous level on sections of the KTX Gyeongbu Line including Pyeongtaek to Gimcheon Gumi, Dongdaegu to Ulsan, and Dongdaegu to Miryang, and on the Honam and Jeolla lines including Osong to Iksan, Iksan to Mokpo, and Iksan to Jeonju. Measurements by the three operators show average download speeds on those sections improved by more than 20 percent.

The three operators also added 305 base stations and deployed 32 additional mobile base stations at major hubs such as expressways, train stations, airports and tourist sites. They also carried out about 37,000 pre-inspections of telecom facilities ahead of the holiday.

Naver Map and Kakao Map will provide information during the holiday on hospitals and clinics and pharmacies that are open, emergency rooms, and free parking lots operated by local governments. T Map will add a traditional market category to the quick search function in its "Where to go" tab, and Kakao Map will also provide locations and information on nearby traditional markets through recommended search terms in its search tab.

The ministry and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) will strengthen cyber threat monitoring for everyday services closely tied to daily life, including communications, transportation, travel, delivery services and shopping malls. They will also operate an emergency response system with telecom and platform companies and major security firms to respond quickly in an emergency.

The three telecom operators will also run 24-hour emergency teams to check in real time for surges in traffic, security threats and service disruptions. Kakao will send phishing crime prevention messages, including on team mission scams, to about 27 million people via "Kakao Channel Talk".

Easing limits on telecom use; support for small merchants

Restrictions linked to overdue telecom bills will also be eased for the Chuseok holiday. Previously, users who fell behind on telecom payments could only receive basic voice calls and text messages during the period in which receiving was allowed. Going forward, they will be able to continue using basic services such as identity verification and phishing and spam blocking. The post-delinquency receiving period will also be extended from 21 days to up to three months. Delinquencies on small-amount payments will also be excluded as a reason to suspend telecom services, reducing the burden of suspension.

The ministry will also invigorate the "integrated financial and telecommunications debt adjustment" programme it operates with the Credit Counseling & Recovery Service. Through the integrated debt adjustment scheme introduced in June 2024, 9,782 people reopened telecom services by the end of July this year.

The three telecom operators will move to support smaller partner firms. They will push a Chuseok shared growth programme worth about 300 billion won, including early payment of delivery fees and agency distribution network commissions, and partner funding support programmes. The platform industry will support small merchants by making early settlements to sellers on the platforms and through measures such as support for advertising costs and promotions to cut payment fees.

The ministry said, "We will work closely with the industry so that anyone can use digital services safely and conveniently during the holiday period," adding, "We will continue to push digital policies that improve convenience in people's daily lives."