46,000 apply for a chance to visit Hwadam Forest... LG Uplus to triple events next year

[Financial News] LG Uplus will expand its long-term customer invitation program next year to 24 events annually, three times the number held this year. The strategy is to move beyond a membership program centered on simple discounts and strengthen experiential benefits that reflect customers’ tastes and interests, thereby increasing long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty.
On the 19th, LG Uplus held a press conference at Gonjiam Resort in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, and announced a plan to enhance customer benefits in 2027 that included these measures. That same day, the company held an invitation event at nearby Hwadam Forest for 5,000 people, including long-term customers and their families. About 46,000 people applied, making the competition rate 9.2 to 1.

Long-term customers’ demands are behind LG Uplus’s move to strengthen its experiential membership program. An analysis of more than 32,000 pieces of customer feedback gathered through channels such as Simple Lab, a customer feedback platform, and customer satisfaction surveys found that 46.9% of membership-related feedback reflected demand for “loyalty recognition”—special treatment commensurate with customers’ long years of service.
“We heard from customers who said they were on the most expensive plan and had been with us for 10 years or more, but still weren’t receiving appropriate treatment,” said Ryu Byeong-cheol, head of LG Uplus’s Loyalty Marketing Team. “Rather than simply increasing the amount of benefits, we considered how to shape membership to better understand customers and provide experiences suited to them.”
Of LG Uplus’s approximately 11 million mobile customers, about 2.58 million have been customers for 10 years or more. LG Uplus provides basic benefits, including phishing and hacking insurance, to customers who have been with the company for at least two years, and offers differentiated benefits such as experiential programs to those with 10 or more years of service. The company is also considering expanding invitations to customers with at least five years of service, depending on the nature and scale of each event.
LG Uplus increased the number of long-term customer invitation programs from three last year to eight this year. The programs spanned culture, nature and sports, including visits to Legoland, an exclusive full-house musical event and a family-friendly marathon.
The strategy of strengthening experience-centered membership is also showing results in key indicators, including customer interest and increased use of services. Searches for LG Uplus membership increased by 1,061% in August this year compared with January 2024, while the number of users of membership benefits rose by about 190,000 in August this year compared with last year’s average. The customer recommendation index also increased by 7.6% in the second quarter of this year compared with the first quarter of last year. Monthly active users (MAU) of the integrated customer app U+one reached 6.09 million, up 17.8% from November last year.

The Hwadam Forest invitation event held that day was a prime example of LG Uplus’s experiential membership strategy. Long-term customers with 10 or more years of service came to Hwadam Forest to enjoy the autumn foliage. They strolled along the forest paths, ablaze with red leaves, and took part in activities including a stamp tour, photo zones and social media (SNS) events. The event was well received because families could leisurely explore Hwadam Forest together, a popular destination where reservations are usually highly competitive.
Kim Miso, 31, who attended the event, said, “Our family members, who are spread across the country from Seoul to Jeju, were able to gather in one place thanks to this event and make wonderful memories.” She added, “My parents in Jeju have always been very interested in Hwadam Forest, so I’m happy to feel I’ve done something to show my filial devotion to them.”
“Customer satisfaction with the musical invitation event we held recently was about 97 points, and the Hwadam Forest event also scored 90 or higher,” Ryu said. “Customers were highly satisfied that they could experience a place that is usually difficult to book together with their families.”


LG Uplus plans to expand experiential benefits that customers can feel in their everyday lives next year as well. To make events more accessible to customers who have difficulty attending on weekdays or live outside the Seoul metropolitan area, the company plans to introduce programs that combine online and offline activities and is also considering holding offline events in different regions. Details of the programs are scheduled to be announced in January next year.
Membership benefits will also be expanded with a focus on “vertical memberships” tailored to customer interests such as fashion and travel. The company plans to strengthen global membership benefits and offerings linked to areas and brands, including Seongsu and Hannam, and increase non-monetary benefits such as advance booking, priority entry and early access to experiences.
As the three telecom carriers compete to retain long-term customers with experiential benefits, LG Uplus plans to strengthen long-term customer relationships by offering differentiated experiences. “Rather than focusing on the competition, we’re thinking about what non-monetary value and experiences customers can enjoy,” Ryu said. “The difference will come down to how well we understand and consider our customers.”
[email protected] Choi Hye-rim Reporter