Korean mobile carriers are preparing a variety of communication services and events for people staying at home during the Chuseok holidays next week.

KT, the country’s No. 2 telecom company by subscribers, said Friday it will launch a challenge using the rich communication service, known as RCS, which is aimed to encourage people to send messages to loved ones.

The RCS, which is a free messaging service launched between the country’s three major mobile carriers, can open group chats for up to 100 users. Some 25 million Koreans are using RCS.

Dubbed “Confession Challenge,” the event will run for three weeks from Sept. 28 through Oct. 16.

KT subscribers will need to send one of three messages: I love you, thank you and I am sorry.

The messages should be sent through the message app on smartphones, not through messenger apps like Kakao Talk.

Those who upload screenshots of the sent messages, including the receiver’s reaction, with hashtags like #iloveyou, #thankyou and #iamsorry, on their Instagram accounts, will be given gifts through a drawing.

Major carrier LG Uplus is also promoting “U+tv Family Broadcast” for the holiday period.

Regardless of subscribing telecom services, people can download the U+tv Family Broadcast app on their smartphones.

The app allows live broadcasting from a smartphone to a TV that has been subscribed to LG U+ home broadband service.

Those who can’t visit their parents’ place this year will simply need to broadcast live through the app by connecting the smartphone with their TV.
Then, aged parents who aren’t familiar with smartphones can watch the broadcast from children far away via the TV screen.

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)