SK Telecom will expand discounts for plans, membership and partners in August and September.

SKT said on Wednesday it will run a promotion to reduce customers’ telecom cost burdens and provide benefits that customers can feel. The promotion is part of measures to support people’s livelihoods discussed at a meeting on July 23 between the Ministry of Science and ICT and the heads of South Korea’s three telecom operators.

It will first strengthen benefits for its online-only plan called Air. SKT will provide points worth about 70 percent of the monthly fee to customers who newly sign up for an Air plan from Aug. 7 to Aug. 31. The points will be paid for up to 12 months as long as the customer keeps the plan.

Customers using Air X (5G), an unlimited-data plan, can use all of their points to pay telecom bills from Aug. 7 to Dec. 31. For other Air 5G plans, the limit on paying bills with points will be expanded to 50 percent of the monthly fee.

If customers sign up for the Air X plan, which costs 58,000 won a month, during the promotion period they can receive 40,000 points. It said customers can use unlimited data at a perceived cost of about 10,000 won a month by earning additional points through missions such as a pedometer and a balance game.

SKT will also reduce upfront cost burdens for customers who sign up online. From Aug. 1 to Sept. 30, SKT will waive eSIM issuance fees for new Air plan subscribers. Customers who open a new line without buying a device at the T Direct Shop will also not have to pay the eSIM download fee during the same period.

T Membership benefits will also be expanded. SKT will add three weeks of T Day Brand Week to the existing T Day, offering discounts every week throughout August.

In the first week of August, it will run Young Week for customers aged 13 to 34, offering benefits for content, convenience stores, dining out and cultural activities. In weeks 2 to 4, it will run brand weeks with Tous Les Jours, Domino's Pizza and 11Street participating in turn. From Aug. 3 to Aug. 31, it will run Happy Hour for T Membership VIP customers, offering benefits at Baekmidang and Shake Shack during specific times.

SKT will also run a Global Travel Vacation Promotion for overseas travellers. In August, it will offer 13 types of benefits in Bangkok, Nha Trang and Guam, including restaurants, transport and tourist facilities. In September, it will offer 10 types of benefits in Fukuoka, Tokyo and Osaka, including restaurants, transport and pharmacies. The promotion will run from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30. It will be available to T Membership VIP, Gold and Silver customers.

SKT will also strengthen movie discounts for young customers. In August, it will increase the monthly limit from 1 to 2 for the 50 percent discount benefit on CGV 2D movie tickets provided to customers aged 34 or younger who are subscribed to Best or Lite plans and to users of the 0 Youth plan.

SKT plans to push for improvements to wholesale pricing to coexist with the budget mobile industry and to seek ways to expand work opportunities for the information and communications construction industry.

Koo Hyun-chul (구현철), head of SKT's sales and marketing division, said the company prepared benefits that customers can feel in daily life, including dining out, grocery shopping, movies and travel, as well as telecom bills. He said SKT will expand tailored benefits that take into account customers’ age, service usage patterns and lifestyle patterns.