Monthly fee rose from 8,690 won to 14,900 won; a single 42.58% hike came in 2023

Democratic Party lawmaker vows to pursue legislation on OTT terms-of-service rules

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Hoon-ki [provided by lawmaker's office]
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Hoon-ki [provided by lawmaker's office]

YouTube Premium's monthly subscription fee has surged 71.5 percent compared with 2019 levels, a National Assembly lawmaker said Tuesday.

Lee Hoon-ki, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker representing Incheon's Namdong-eul district and a member of the Assembly's Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, analyzed data submitted by the Korea Communications Commission. The web and Android subscription fee for YouTube Premium rose from 8,690 won per month in 2019 to the current 14,900 won ($11) — an increase of more than 70 percent over seven years.

YouTube raised its monthly fee for new subscribers from 8,690 won to 10,450 won, a 20.25 percent increase, in September 2020, then hiked it again in December 2023 — from 10,450 won to 14,900 won — by 42.58 percent in a single move. iOS subscription fees followed the same trajectory, climbing from 12,650 won per month in 2019 to the current 19,500 won, a 54.2 percent increase. The December 2023 iOS hike alone was 32.29 percent, taking the price from 14,000 won to 19,500 won.

Netflix's premium tier has also seen price increases. According to data Netflix submitted to Lee's office, the premium plan rose 17.2 percent in November 2021, from 14,500 won to 17,000 won per month. Netflix currently offers four tiers: an ad-supported plan at 7,000 won, Basic at 12,000 won, Standard at 13,500 won and Premium at 17,000 won.

Subscribers who use both YouTube Premium and Netflix's premium plan together now pay 31,900 won per month, or 382,800 won annually, Lee noted.

"Subscription fees for OTT services like YouTube and Netflix have become a fixed monthly cost for the public," Lee said. "As OTT use has become part of everyday life, fee increases translate directly into a heavier burden on household finances." He added that it was necessary to examine whether the current structure allows providers to pass rate hikes unilaterally onto users, and pledged to review whether existing rules adequately protect consumers. "I will pursue legislative improvements, including reforms to the terms-of-service regime for supplementary telecommunications services," he said.


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