The number of pay TV subscribers in South Korea stood at an average of 32.5 million last year, data showed May 9.

The number that includes paying members of system operators, satellite broadcasting services and IPTV companies moved up some 530,000 during the second half of last year, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

KT had a market share of 21.1 percent or over 6.8 million subscribers, followed by SK Broadband with 14.3 percent and CJ Hello trailing at 12.6 percent.

LG Uplus and KT Skylife had 11.9 percent and 9.9 percent market share, respectively.

The latest findings showed that the market shares of the five players remained relatively unchanged last year.

By type, 47.4 percent, or 15.4 million people, subscribed to IPTV, with 42.7 percent being SO members and just under 10 percent being satellite TV watchers.

IPTV is gaining traction here because it offers video on demand or time-shifted viewing, which allows viewers to choose what they want to watch instead of watching what is being shown.

By Ram Garikipati and newswires (ram@heraldcorp.com)