Competition Structure Changes in Korean Mobile Telecommunication Market: A Lotka-Volterra Model Analysis

Since 2010, the mobile communications market in Korea has operated under an oligopolistic competitive structure dominated by three mobile communications companies. However, since 2020, with the full-scale rollout of 5G services, the competitive landscape has shifted from subscriber-centric competition to competition focused on service quality and content, leading to a more complex evolution of inter-operator competitive relationships. This study analyzed changes in the competitive relationships among the three operators in the domestic mobile communications market from January 2020 to September 2024 using the Lotka-Volterra model. Based on the wireless communication service statistics from the Ministry of Science and ICT, this study identified five major inflection points at which the competitive structure underwent significant changes. The analysis revealed that the market evolved with distinct characteristics at each growth stage, and the competitive strategies of telecommunications companies gradually diversified in terms of network performance, content quality, and pricing plans. Additionally, it demonstrated that strategic changes at major inflection points significantly impacted the market competitive landscape. The findings of this study provide practical insights for telecommunications companies to develop strategies to enhance their market competitiveness in preparation for the upcoming 6G era.