Domestic standard postage fees will rise for the first time in 5 years. The price of a standard letter weighing up to 25 grams will increase to 500 won from 430 won.

Korea Post, an affiliate of the Ministry of Science and ICT, said it will raise domestic standard postage fees by 70 won per weight band from July 1.

For standard mail, the fee for items up to 5 grams will be adjusted to 470 won from 400 won. The fee for items over 5 grams and up to 25 grams will rise to 500 won from 430 won. The fee for items over 25 grams and up to 50 grams will increase to 520 won from 450 won. For non-standard mail, the fee for items up to 50 grams will rise to 590 won from 520 won. Additional fees for heavier weight bands will remain unchanged.

The postage increase comes 5 years after the last adjustment in 2021. Korea Post said shrinking mail volumes due to the digital transition and rising costs to maintain post office counters and transport networks have expanded losses in the postal business, making a fee adjustment unavoidable.

The postal business loss widened to 311.6 billion won last year from 165.9 billion won in 2024. Korea Post said it has pursued cost cuts and revenue expansion by improving the efficiency of counter and transport networks, utilising ageing facilities and equipment, launching semi-registered mail and partnering with convenience stores. It also expanded public services such as welfare mail and collection of expired medicines to curb factors driving fee increases, but said the loss continued to grow.

Korea Post said it minimised the size of the increase after considering the burden on households and the impact on prices. It said domestic postage fees after the increase are about one-half to one-fifth of those in major countries including the United States, Japan, Australia, Germany and France.

Korea Post chief Park In-hwan (박인환) said, "As losses in postal services have expanded, we had no choice but to adjust fees." He said, "Through AI transition and work innovation, we will reduce factors that could lead to additional fee adjustments and do our best to help address welfare blind spots by expanding public services."