SEOUL, KOREA- The number of subscribers to MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) phones broke the level of 2 million. According to the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning, the number of MVNO subscribers reached 2.03 million as of the end of August 2013. MVNO phones attracted 1 million subscribers in mid-October 2012 and attracted 1 million more within only ten months thereafter.The share of MVNO phones in the nation's total mobile phone subscribers still remains low at 3.7 percent. However, it is growing at a steady pace in the fully saturated market. In Korea, the number of mobile phone subscribers stands at around 54 million, higher than the number of its total population.

MVNO companies provide services by leasing the networks of existing telecom companies, instead of building their own networks. Since it cost no money to build and operate networks, MVNO service providers can offer their services at lower prices.