Global 6G dynamics of South Korea: a national effort to promote early commercialization
As the world's first country to commercialize 5G, Korea's R&D layout for 6G continues its global leadership position. On the one hand, Korea is at the forefront of 6G research top-level design, and the government has strongly supported and set the goal of early commercialization of 6G. On the other hand, Korea's local telecom equipment vendors and operators are working together to rapidly promote technology iterations and updates, as well as to continuously cooperate across borders.
Status of 5G in Korea - the foundation for 6G development
Korea's 5G development is characterized by fast coverage and rapid commercialization. in April 2019, SKT, KT and LG U+ became the first operators to commercialize 5G in the world. South Korea has achieved nationwide 5G population coverage with over 90% population coverage, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT). As of March 2023, South Korea has over 29.38 million 5G subscribers, with a 5G subscriber penetration rate of 45.6% (excluding virtual operators).
The rapid development of 5G in Korea cannot be separated from its population concentration advantage and the R&D advantage of local enterprises. On the one hand, Korea's small territorial area and the metropolitan area, which concentrates about 50% of the country's population, make it easy to achieve high 5G population coverage in a short period of time. On the other hand, local equipment manufacturers, represented by Samsung and LG, have strong R&D strength.
The Research Report on Global 5G Standard Essential Patents and Standard Proposals (2023) released by the China Academy of Information and Communication Research shows that Samsung and LG are ranked third and fifth in the 5G effective global patent family, with a combined share of 16.9%. In addition, Samsung has an integrated capability of terminals, chips, devices and complete solutions, and has become the largest 5G solution and equipment provider in Korea.
Korea 6G R&D camp - Committed to leading commercialization
1. Government level - policy and funding support to ensure global leadership
More than a year after the commercialization of 5G, the Korean government started the layout of 6G R&D. In August 2020, MSIT released the "Future Mobile Communication R&D Strategy for Leading the 6G Era", which plans to invest 200 billion won in 6G R&D in 5 years from 2021, focusing on technology and standards research and the layout of industrial ecology. Korea aims to become the first country in the world to commercially launch 6G.
In June 2021, Korea announced its "6G Research and Development Implementation Plan", which includes three aspects: research and development of core 6G technologies, seizing the right to speak on patents and international standards, and building R&D and industrial infrastructure. Among them, the most important is to promote 10 6G core technologies for independent research and development, including TB/s wireless communication, TB/s fiber optic communication, terahertz RF components, terahertz band model, mobile communication, satellite communication, terminal ultra-precision network, intelligent network, intelligent wireless data exchange, and 6G security technology. These ten technologies cover a wide range and could help Korea seize the 6G core technology high ground.
In February 2023, MSIT released its new "K-Network 2030" strategic plan to make Korea a "next-generation network benchmark country". In the "K-Network 2030" plan, Korea will allocate 625 billion won for 6G core technology development, focusing on 6G basic technology, 6G related materials development and application, 6G parts and equipment industry, and Open RAN technology. In addition, MSIT will also hope to increase Korea's global share of 6G patents to more than 30% in the future through strong policy traction and financial support. In the plan, the Korean government calls on technology companies to take the lead in developing world-class 6G technologies and software-based networks, and to encourage local companies to produce materials, parts and equipment for 6G technologies domestically.
At the same time, Korea intends to launch 6G services in 2028, two years earlier than planned, and requires key Pre-6G technologies to be ready by 2026. In 2026, Korea will host the Pre-6G Vision Fest and invite telecom operators, equipment manufacturers, 6G standardization experts and government officials from various countries to come to Korea to showcase their 6G R&D achievements. Through this event, Korea expects to highlight its leading role in global 6G standardization efforts and become a benchmark for global 6G cooperation.
In May 2023, MSIT changed the name of the Forum to 6G Forum at the 10th 5G Forum to strengthen cooperation with the private sector in 6G and to support Korea's leadership in the 6G era. In the future, the 6G Forum will play an important role in global cooperation and cross-industry synergy for 6G in Korea.
2. Communication companies - equipment vendors and operators to jointly promote 6G R&D
Korean communication companies include chip and terminal manufacturers such as Samsung, LG Electronics (LG Electronics), SK Hynix and telecom operators such as SK Telecom, LG U+, KT, etc. They have all started research and development of 6G core technologies early and are jointly promoting 6G development.
Samsung established the Advanced Communication Technology Research Center as early as 2019 to start research and development of 6G network technology, and has cooperated with SK Telecom. Since then, Samsung has released two white papers, "Next Generation Hyper-connected Experience" and "6G Spectrum: Expanding the Frontier," which introduce technology trends, new services and requirements, candidate technologies and expected timelines for standardization for future 6G development, and discuss how to realize the 6G vision from a spectrum perspective.
LG Electronics also formed a joint 6G research center with the Korea Advanced Institute of Technology (KAIST) back in 2019, followed by an agreement with the Korea Institute of Standards and Science in 2020 to jointly tackle 6G challenges; a collaboration with leading European research institute Fraunhofer Gesellschaft in August 2021 to successfully transmit 6G tera Hertz wireless signals; and in August 2022, successful transmission and reception of 6G terahertz data in the frequency range of 155 GHz to 175 GHz over a distance of 320 meters outdoors, three times as far as a year ago.
Korean operators are also actively conducting research on key 6G technologies. As early as 2019, SK Telecom set up a 6G R&D center and signed an R&D cooperation memorandum with Nokia and Ericsson in June of the same year to conduct collaborative research in areas such as ultra-reliable, low-latency wireless networks and multiple-input and multiple-output antenna technologies, artificial intelligence-based 5G/6G network technologies, and 6G business models.
In November 2022, SK Telecom started to collaborate with NTT Docomo on 6G research, and in February 2023, jointly released the report "6G General Requirements", including research on spectrum peak rates, deployment scenarios, 6G system and migration, etc. In February 2023, SK Telecom also collaborated with Dongwoo In February 2023, SK Telecom also collaborated with Korean chemical materials company Dongwoo Finchem to develop a "Low-E" glass with a reflective intelligent surface (RIS) that allows 6G high-frequency signals to penetrate and insulate. In December 2021, LG U+ launched a joint research project with a Korean research institute to optimize low-orbit satellite networks and 6G architecture using quantum computers, with the aim of providing the best communication quality for satellite communications.
3. Vertical industries - early placement of key areas
Mobile communications to empower vertical industries is an industrial policy that Korea has been adhering to. in April 2019, MSIT released the "Strategy for Realizing Innovative Growth 5G+", which aims to use 5G commercialization as an opportunity to drive the development of upstream and downstream industries. In the 6G field, Korea also focuses on vertical industry layout. 2020 MSIT released the "Strategy for Future Mobile Communications R&D Leading the 6G Era", which proposes five 6G pilot areas - digital healthcare, immersive content, self-driving cars, smart cities and smart factories.
Specifically, in the area of autonomous driving, in September 2022 Hyundai Motor Company of Korea and Korea Telecom (KT) completed an equity swap of 750 billion won in size to strengthen future cooperation in mobile mobility and autonomous driving, focusing on the development of a 6G network suitable for driverless vehicles.
International cooperation - Close cooperation with the US, Japan and Europe
Although Korea is not currently leading the establishment of 6G regional cooperation organizations, it is deeply involved in the 6G alliance led by the U.S. and Japan to enhance international 6G discourse.
Samsung and LG are key members of the Next G technology alliance led by the U.S. In 2021, the engineering manager of the Standards and Mobile Innovation Lab at Samsung Research America was elected vice chair of the ATIS Next G Alliance Technical Working Group. In the same year, the Principal Research Engineer of LG America Research and Standards Lab was elected as the Chair of the Next G Alliance Applications Working Group. The fact that Korean R&D personnel hold key positions in the Next G Alliance indicates that Korean companies have strong international technological influence and have been recognized by their peers. Meanwhile, Korean companies have actively participated in the IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Networks) Global Forum, a 6G R&D platform led by Japan. Korean companies represented by SK Hynix, Samsung, and SK Telecom are all sponsoring members of IOWN.
Korean telecom operators tend to cooperate with Japanese operators and European equipment manufacturers. in July 2021, LG U+ announced an expanded partnership with Japanese operator KDDI to work on 6G technologies. in July 2022, LG U+ opened a 6G partnership with Finland's Nokia, focusing on open LANs, cloud wireless access networks and research on security technologies to extend 6G services into space. SKT, on the other hand, has been working with Japanese operator NTT Docomo on video, metaverse and 5G and 6G networks since November 2022, and jointly released 6G research results in 2023.
Summary
There are three points to note in the layout of 6G R&D in South Korea. First, the top-level design of the South Korean government promotes the commitment to become the first 6G commercial country in the future, which is the biggest difference between South Korea and Japan and the United States, and the national-level promotion is greater than other countries. Second, the competitive advantage of local companies in 5G may continue to be maintained in 6G, and the government encourages local companies to conduct 6G R&D in the country. Third, although Korea has not led the establishment of 6G regional organizations, it is deeply involved in the 6G alliance led by the U.S. and Japan by way of alliance with the U.S. and others and holds key positions to expand its advantages through international cooperation.
As the world's first country to commercialize 5G, Korea's R&D layout for 6G continues its global leadership position. On the one hand, Korea is at the forefront of 6G research top-level design, and the government has strongly supported and set the goal of early commercialization of 6G. On the other hand, Korea's local telecom equipment vendors and operators are working together to rapidly promote technology iterations and updates, as well as to continuously cooperate across borders.
Status of 5G in Korea - the foundation for 6G development
Korea's 5G development is characterized by fast coverage and rapid commercialization. in April 2019, SKT, KT and LG U+ became the first operators to commercialize 5G in the world. South Korea has achieved nationwide 5G population coverage with over 90% population coverage, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT). As of March 2023, South Korea has over 29.38 million 5G subscribers, with a 5G subscriber penetration rate of 45.6% (excluding virtual operators).
The rapid development of 5G in Korea cannot be separated from its population concentration advantage and the R&D advantage of local enterprises. On the one hand, Korea's small territorial area and the metropolitan area, which concentrates about 50% of the country's population, make it easy to achieve high 5G population coverage in a short period of time. On the other hand, local equipment manufacturers, represented by Samsung and LG, have strong R&D strength.
The Research Report on Global 5G Standard Essential Patents and Standard Proposals (2023) released by the China Academy of Information and Communication Research shows that Samsung and LG are ranked third and fifth in the 5G effective global patent family, with a combined share of 16.9%. In addition, Samsung has an integrated capability of terminals, chips, devices and complete solutions, and has become the largest 5G solution and equipment provider in Korea.
Korea 6G R&D camp - Committed to leading commercialization
1. Government level - policy and funding support to ensure global leadership
More than a year after the commercialization of 5G, the Korean government started the layout of 6G R&D. In August 2020, MSIT released the "Future Mobile Communication R&D Strategy for Leading the 6G Era", which plans to invest 200 billion won in 6G R&D in 5 years from 2021, focusing on technology and standards research and the layout of industrial ecology. Korea aims to become the first country in the world to commercially launch 6G.
In June 2021, Korea announced its "6G Research and Development Implementation Plan", which includes three aspects: research and development of core 6G technologies, seizing the right to speak on patents and international standards, and building R&D and industrial infrastructure. Among them, the most important is to promote 10 6G core technologies for independent research and development, including TB/s wireless communication, TB/s fiber optic communication, terahertz RF components, terahertz band model, mobile communication, satellite communication, terminal ultra-precision network, intelligent network, intelligent wireless data exchange, and 6G security technology. These ten technologies cover a wide range and could help Korea seize the 6G core technology high ground.
In February 2023, MSIT released its new "K-Network 2030" strategic plan to make Korea a "next-generation network benchmark country". In the "K-Network 2030" plan, Korea will allocate 625 billion won for 6G core technology development, focusing on 6G basic technology, 6G related materials development and application, 6G parts and equipment industry, and Open RAN technology. In addition, MSIT will also hope to increase Korea's global share of 6G patents to more than 30% in the future through strong policy traction and financial support. In the plan, the Korean government calls on technology companies to take the lead in developing world-class 6G technologies and software-based networks, and to encourage local companies to produce materials, parts and equipment for 6G technologies domestically.
At the same time, Korea intends to launch 6G services in 2028, two years earlier than planned, and requires key Pre-6G technologies to be ready by 2026. In 2026, Korea will host the Pre-6G Vision Fest and invite telecom operators, equipment manufacturers, 6G standardization experts and government officials from various countries to come to Korea to showcase their 6G R&D achievements. Through this event, Korea expects to highlight its leading role in global 6G standardization efforts and become a benchmark for global 6G cooperation.
In May 2023, MSIT changed the name of the Forum to 6G Forum at the 10th 5G Forum to strengthen cooperation with the private sector in 6G and to support Korea's leadership in the 6G era. In the future, the 6G Forum will play an important role in global cooperation and cross-industry synergy for 6G in Korea.
2. Communication companies - equipment vendors and operators to jointly promote 6G R&D
Korean communication companies include chip and terminal manufacturers such as Samsung, LG Electronics (LG Electronics), SK Hynix and telecom operators such as SK Telecom, LG U+, KT, etc. They have all started research and development of 6G core technologies early and are jointly promoting 6G development.
Samsung established the Advanced Communication Technology Research Center as early as 2019 to start research and development of 6G network technology, and has cooperated with SK Telecom. Since then, Samsung has released two white papers, "Next Generation Hyper-connected Experience" and "6G Spectrum: Expanding the Frontier," which introduce technology trends, new services and requirements, candidate technologies and expected timelines for standardization for future 6G development, and discuss how to realize the 6G vision from a spectrum perspective.
LG Electronics also formed a joint 6G research center with the Korea Advanced Institute of Technology (KAIST) back in 2019, followed by an agreement with the Korea Institute of Standards and Science in 2020 to jointly tackle 6G challenges; a collaboration with leading European research institute Fraunhofer Gesellschaft in August 2021 to successfully transmit 6G tera Hertz wireless signals; and in August 2022, successful transmission and reception of 6G terahertz data in the frequency range of 155 GHz to 175 GHz over a distance of 320 meters outdoors, three times as far as a year ago.
Korean operators are also actively conducting research on key 6G technologies. As early as 2019, SK Telecom set up a 6G R&D center and signed an R&D cooperation memorandum with Nokia and Ericsson in June of the same year to conduct collaborative research in areas such as ultra-reliable, low-latency wireless networks and multiple-input and multiple-output antenna technologies, artificial intelligence-based 5G/6G network technologies, and 6G business models.
In November 2022, SK Telecom started to collaborate with NTT Docomo on 6G research, and in February 2023, jointly released the report "6G General Requirements", including research on spectrum peak rates, deployment scenarios, 6G system and migration, etc. In February 2023, SK Telecom also collaborated with Dongwoo In February 2023, SK Telecom also collaborated with Korean chemical materials company Dongwoo Finchem to develop a "Low-E" glass with a reflective intelligent surface (RIS) that allows 6G high-frequency signals to penetrate and insulate. In December 2021, LG U+ launched a joint research project with a Korean research institute to optimize low-orbit satellite networks and 6G architecture using quantum computers, with the aim of providing the best communication quality for satellite communications.
3. Vertical industries - early placement of key areas
Mobile communications to empower vertical industries is an industrial policy that Korea has been adhering to. in April 2019, MSIT released the "Strategy for Realizing Innovative Growth 5G+", which aims to use 5G commercialization as an opportunity to drive the development of upstream and downstream industries. In the 6G field, Korea also focuses on vertical industry layout. 2020 MSIT released the "Strategy for Future Mobile Communications R&D Leading the 6G Era", which proposes five 6G pilot areas - digital healthcare, immersive content, self-driving cars, smart cities and smart factories.
Specifically, in the area of autonomous driving, in September 2022 Hyundai Motor Company of Korea and Korea Telecom (KT) completed an equity swap of 750 billion won in size to strengthen future cooperation in mobile mobility and autonomous driving, focusing on the development of a 6G network suitable for driverless vehicles.
International cooperation - Close cooperation with the US, Japan and Europe
Although Korea is not currently leading the establishment of 6G regional cooperation organizations, it is deeply involved in the 6G alliance led by the U.S. and Japan to enhance international 6G discourse.
Samsung and LG are key members of the Next G technology alliance led by the U.S. In 2021, the engineering manager of the Standards and Mobile Innovation Lab at Samsung Research America was elected vice chair of the ATIS Next G Alliance Technical Working Group. In the same year, the Principal Research Engineer of LG America Research and Standards Lab was elected as the Chair of the Next G Alliance Applications Working Group. The fact that Korean R&D personnel hold key positions in the Next G Alliance indicates that Korean companies have strong international technological influence and have been recognized by their peers. Meanwhile, Korean companies have actively participated in the IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Networks) Global Forum, a 6G R&D platform led by Japan. Korean companies represented by SK Hynix, Samsung, and SK Telecom are all sponsoring members of IOWN.
Korean telecom operators tend to cooperate with Japanese operators and European equipment manufacturers. in July 2021, LG U+ announced an expanded partnership with Japanese operator KDDI to work on 6G technologies. in July 2022, LG U+ opened a 6G partnership with Finland's Nokia, focusing on open LANs, cloud wireless access networks and research on security technologies to extend 6G services into space. SKT, on the other hand, has been working with Japanese operator NTT Docomo on video, metaverse and 5G and 6G networks since November 2022, and jointly released 6G research results in 2023.
Summary
There are three points to note in the layout of 6G R&D in South Korea. First, the top-level design of the South Korean government promotes the commitment to become the first 6G commercial country in the future, which is the biggest difference between South Korea and Japan and the United States, and the national-level promotion is greater than other countries. Second, the competitive advantage of local companies in 5G may continue to be maintained in 6G, and the government encourages local companies to conduct 6G R&D in the country. Third, although Korea has not led the establishment of 6G regional organizations, it is deeply involved in the 6G alliance led by the U.S. and Japan by way of alliance with the U.S. and others and holds key positions to expand its advantages through international cooperation.