KT, 1분기 수익성 주춤…부동산 기저효과+해킹 수습 – 지디넷코리아

KT reported a decline in profitability for the first quarter of 2026, citing the base effect of real estate sales from the previous year and increased expenditures related to the recovery from a security breach. According to a report by ZDNet Korea published on May 12, 2026, the company’s consolidated revenue for the first quarter reached 6.7784 trillion KRW, representing a 1.0% decrease compared to the same period in 2025.

The company’s consolidated operating profit saw a more significant drop, falling 29.9% year-on-year to 482.7 billion KRW. This decline is largely attributed to a high base effect from 2025, during which KT recognized substantial profits from real estate sales in the Gwangjin-gu area of Seoul, with operating profits reaching 700 billion KRW at that time.

On a separate basis, KT recorded revenue of 4.8346 trillion KRW and an operating profit of 313.9 billion KRW. The company noted that these figures reflect costs associated with a customer reward program implemented in February 2026, as well as expenses incurred to address a security intrusion incident.

Despite the overall dip in profitability, KT’s core wireless and wired business segments showed resilience. Total wireless business revenue reached 1.7574 trillion KRW, growing 0.2% year-on-year. Wireless service revenue, which excludes interconnection revenue, grew by 0.4% to 1.683 trillion KRW.

The wireless subscriber base experienced mixed results. While the total number of wireless subscribers rose slightly from the previous quarter to 29.162 million, the number of handset subscribers decreased from 11.156 million to 11.07 million. This decrease was attributed to subscriber churn resulting from the waiver of termination fees.

KT continues to see a high adoption rate of 5G technology, with 5G subscribers accounting for 82.7% of all handset subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2026.

The wired business segment also experienced growth, with revenue increasing 0.8% year-on-year to 1.3216 trillion KRW. This growth was supported by an expansion of the subscriber base, particularly in ultra-high-speed internet services.

Revenue from ultra-high-speed internet services grew 1.8% year-on-year to 640.2 billion KRW, driven by an increase in Giga Internet subscribers and the expanded use of value-added services. As of the end of the first quarter of 2026, the number of ultra-high-speed internet subscribers stood at 10.188 million.

In contrast to the growth in wired connectivity, the company’s IPTV segment saw a decline. The number of IPTV subscribers fell to 9.52 million, a decrease from the previous quarter that brings the subscriber count back to levels seen in the third quarter of 2025.