South Korea's three telecoms launch Galaxy Z8 pre-order battle

With pre-orders now open for the Samsung Electronics Galaxy Z Fold8 and other new models, South Korea's three major telecoms are set to kick off a full-scale subscriber battle.

Subscriber movement among carriers intensified last year, bringing notable shifts in mobile network operator market share. Against that backdrop, the industry is watching closely whether strong Galaxy Z series sales could further shake up the standings. For consumers, the pre-order period also represents the best chance to get the Galaxy Z lineup at the lowest possible price, including Samsung Electronics' double-storage offer and a range of carrier perks.

The three carriers — SK Telecom, KT Corp and LG Uplus — are accepting pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip8 from Tuesday through Saturday, Aug. 3, according to industry sources.

Last year's cyberattack on SK Telecom, the subsequent waiver of early-termination fees, and the repeal of the mobile device distribution law all fueled fierce competition for subscribers. Each carrier now carries its own strategic target: SK Telecom aims to reclaim a 40% share, KT Corp seeks to recover lost ground, and LG Uplus is pushing to enter the 20% range for the first time. Those goals are expected to drive aggressive subscriber recruitment campaigns around the new launch.

SK Telecom is leading with an unusual event tied to Netflix. The carrier will give away prizes including travel packages to 3,055 customers in total — drawn from those who complete activation of a Galaxy Z series device by Aug. 31, including pre-order customers.

The prizes are structured around Netflix original content: a three-night, four-day VIP family trip to Jeju Island — the setting of "When Life Gives You Tangerines" — for five winners (up to four family members per person); a style makeover experience in Gangnam modeled on the cast of "Motaesolojiiman Yeonaeneun Hago Sipeo 2" (a reality dating show), including a 1 million won hair-and-makeup salon voucher and a photo shoot, for 50 winners; and a 30,000-won Baemin gift voucher for 1,000 winners to enjoy "Dakgangjeong," a fried chicken dish featured in a Netflix series.

On top of that, SK Telecom will raffle 1,000 pairs of tickets (two per winner) to "Infinite Challenge Run in Gyeongju," an event to be held in Gyeongju on Sept. 19.

Through its T membership program "Club Galaxy Foldable8," exclusive to flagship device customers, the carrier will also raffle a Lotte Hotels integrated accommodation voucher for three winners and a Vista Walkerhill Seoul Junior Corner Suite stay for four winners.

At the T Direct Shop, the first 1,000 customers can purchase the Galaxy Z Fold8, Fold8 Ultra or the 1TB model at the 512GB price as an upgrade benefit. Customers who trade in an old handset through Mintit can receive up to 200,000 won in compensation, and Samsung Card users can enjoy credit card benefits including up to 100,000 won in cashback.

KT Corp, seeking to recover its market share, is launching a new "Choice Double" plan tailored to the content-rich capabilities of the Galaxy Z Fold8.

The plan bundles three tiers of benefits: a Choice Double option pairing YouTube Premium with Netflix; a YouTube Premium Lite option combined with discounted pricing on Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Watch; and discounts on second devices — including a second phone, wearables, TVs and vacuum cleaners.

In addition, KT Corp is offering up to 1.42 million won in combined benefits through partner-card double discounts, including cashback and plan or device discounts. Customers who apply both the KT Installment Plus KB Kookmin Card and the KT Family Satisfaction Installment Shinhan Card double discount can receive 1.27 million won in plan or device discounts over 24 months with a monthly card spend of 700,000 won, plus up to 150,000 won in cashback.

KT Corp will also raffle prizes among customers who activate the Galaxy Z Fold8, Fold8 Ultra or Galaxy Z Flip8, with 888 winners in total receiving a two-night stay at a five-star hotel (8 winners), a 200,000-won Shinsegae gift voucher (80 winners) or a 50,000-won Baemin voucher (800 winners).

Customers who pre-order through Genie TV will receive up to 100,000 won in Lotte department store gift vouchers.

LG Uplus, on the cusp of entering the 20% market-share range for the first time, is offering a "Google One + Compensation Pass Premium Plus" bundle — a product that combines Google One's AI and cloud services with a device trade-in program.

The Compensation Pass is an add-on service that covers up to 50% of the standard trade-in value when a customer upgrades to a new device. Customers can sign up at any store nationwide within 30 days of activation.

Customers on the Plus Plan (115,000 won per month) or above can receive Google AI Plus with 400GB of storage — including Gemini and cloud storage — along with a full discount on the Compensation Pass fee. Customers on the Plus Plan 105 tier can get 200GB of Google One cloud storage and a full discount on the Compensation Pass fee. The offer is available for sign-up through Oct. 31.

LG Uplus has also prepared a "Galaxy Simple Pass" package tailored to content and live streaming. Pre-order customers can sign up for the Plus Plan, and those who choose the Google One + Compensation Pass Premium option can use YouTube Premium Lite free for six months. Galaxy Z Fold8 subscribers can also access Disney+ Standard and Life benefits for three months through Yudog, the carrier's exclusive content subscription service.

In addition, pre-order customers who activate online will receive a discount coupon of up to 100,000 won, while customers who trade in their current handset can receive up to 150,000 won in trade-in compensation. Prizes to be raffled among pre-order and purchase customers include a Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 monitor, an Xbox Series X 1TB, a Bespoke AirDresser and a Dior card wallet.