The Accounting System Reform in the Changing Telecommunications Environment: An International Case Analysis

This study examines ways to improve Korea’s regulatory accounting system in light of rapid changes in the telecommunications industry driven by technological advancement and the growth of converged services. It addresses the declining effectiveness of existing accounting separation standards and cost calculation methods, stressing the system’s role in ensuring fair competition and consumer protection. A comparative analysis is conducted on five major countries—the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Australia, and Singapore—focusing on their legal frameworks, reporting methods, auditing systems, and cost allocation approaches. The findings highlight the value of differentiated reporting by market dominance, ex-ante verification through external audits, active regulatory involvement, and flexible adaptation to industry shifts. Based on these insights, the study recommends measures to enhance the timeliness and reliability of regulatory information, improve transparency, and increase policy applicability, along with medium- to long-term reforms such as stronger ex-ante supervision, formal inquiry-response systems, enhanced review of the Cost Allocation Manual, and integrated system development.