What if you have an exam admission ticket but did not meet the grade or period requirements? The secret to eligibility for LG Uplus event entries

On November 13, 2025, the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) concluded. As test-takers exited the exam halls, many began opening smartphone apps while holding their examination tickets. Various on-site discounts were available, such as movie reservations for 7,000 KRW at CGV and all-day passes to Everland for 20,000 KRW. However, when attempting to find the "Examinee Exclusive Event" on the LG U+ app under the user's own name, some users first encountered a notice stating that the event was limited to "U+ Membership VIP level or higher, or customers with long-term subscriptions of five years or more." If the examination ticket is clearly in hand, why is the benefit not visible in the app?

To state the conclusion first, the CSAT encore screening event conducted by LG U+ could not be entered simply by being an "examinee." Eligibility for the app-based entry required a dual condition: being an examinee while simultaneously holding a U+ Membership grade of VIP or higher, or being a customer of five years or longer. As of the current date (November 2026), this event has already ended, but it remains an important case study for understanding how telecommunications company promotions are integrated with customer retention strategies.

Why There Are Barriers Even for Examinees: Telecommunications Grades and Subscription Duration

The most significant characteristic of LG U+'s CSAT encore screening event was that the status of "examinee" was not the sole qualifying criterion. According to Insight's reporting on November 11, 2024, regarding the 2025 school year case, LG U+ conducted a popular movie encore screening event immediately after the CSAT. At that time, eligibility was clearly distinguished. Only individuals who were examinees and simultaneously met at least one of the following conditions—being a customer with a U+ Membership VIP grade or higher, or being a long-term customer of five years or more—were able to enter. ¹, ²

U+ Membership is a loyalty program that assigns grades such as VIP based on telecommunications usage history. The VIP grade is typically awarded to customers who have maintained long-term subscriptions or held high-tier plans. Being a long-term customer of five years or more signifies having maintained the telecommunications service with the provider for at least five years.

The issue is that most students taking the CSAT have had mobile phones registered in their own names for a short period. For example, a student who first opened a phone account in their own name during the second year of high school would have a subscription duration of only about one to two years by the time they take the CSAT in their third year. Since membership grades are often set low during the initial phase of a new subscription, such a student would likely be unable to pass both hurdles of "VIP or higher" and "five years or more," even if they possess an examination ticket.

Therefore, examinees who can practically meet the entry criteria are limited to those who personally hold a U+ Membership grade of VIP or higher, or who have used the telecommunications service for five years or more. This reflects a membership retention strategy that provides additional perks to existing, loyal customers rather than focusing primarily on acquiring new customers. In a summary of 2026 school year benefits reported by the Dragon's Guide to Daily Class blog on November 17, 2025, this condition was reported to remain the same. ³

Post-Entry Lottery Method: An 'Invitation' Event, Not Instant Discounts

The event's operational method also differed from standard coupon discounts. LG U+'s encore screening event was not structured as downloading a coupon from the app for immediate payment. According to Insight's reporting, in the 2025 school year case, a total of 1,500 people were selected through a lottery from among the entrants. Only the winners were gifted two movie tickets allowing them to watch one of the films—Exhuma, Crime City 4 (also known as The Roundup: No Way Out), or Inside Out 2—along with a combo set. ¹, ⁴

This event had a strong cultural character, going beyond simple discounts to "invite" examinees to the cinema. After the film ended, a cookie video was screened to encourage the examinees. The event was introduced as having been implemented from an idea born out of discussions by a Task Force (TF) comprising 46 university student customers and LG U+, organized since September 2024. Jang Jun-yeong, LG U+ Senior Executive in charge of Marketing Strategy, stated the purpose, saying, "We are pleased to offer cultural benefits that allow examinees to fully enjoy cultural activities they could not engage in while focusing on their exams." ¹, ²

In other words, it was not an immediate benefit where examinees could see the number '7,000 KRW now' on the app screen and proceed with payment, but rather a concept of an "invitation ticket" where one had to possess the eligibility and then wait for the lottery results. If an examinee had signed up for a new subscription in their own name three months prior, they might have been unable to participate in the event without even gaining the chance to be included in the lottery. Conversely, if an examinee had a history of long-term use of five years or more in their own name or within a U+ Membership registered under their own name, they could press the entry button to have a probability of winning.

The Decisive Difference from On-Site Discounts

The point examinees most commonly confuse is telecommunications-exclusive benefits versus partner on-site discounts. According to eToday's summary of "2026 CSAT Examination Ticket Discount Events" published on November 13, 2025, CGV, Lotte Cinema, and Megabox sold 2D general movie tickets for 7,000 KRW until November 30. Everland offered all-day passes for 20,000 KRW, and Lotte World provided comprehensive admission passes for 26,000 KRW. ⁵

These on-site discounts and LG U+'s encore screening event differ completely in terms of verification entities and conditions.

What matters for on-site discounts is simply the fact that one "took the CSAT." It is entirely irrelevant whether one is an LG U+ customer, a KT customer, or not subscribed to any telecommunications service. Anyone can receive the unified discount benefit of 7,000 KRW by presenting their examination ticket and ID at the ticket office. Telecommunications membership grades do not intervene in this process.

In contrast, LG U+'s event used internal loyalty metrics (grade and subscription duration) as a filtering mechanism. When a friend receives a 7,000 KRW discount at CGV, one can receive the same benefit, but that is receiving "CGV's examinee discount," not "LG U+ Membership discount." These two benefits operated through separate channels that did not overlap.

Structural Understanding of Telecommunications Benefits

This case demonstrates that telecommunications company promotions are not merely service provisions but are part of strategies to maintain existing customer relationships. Even when the same proof document—the examination ticket—is used, partner on-site discounts are based on the universal status of being an "examinee," whereas telecommunications-exclusive events are operated as special conditions combining the examinee status with a "customer segment" (VIP/long-term customer).

Therefore, if an examinee does not see an event when opening a telecommunications app, it is likely not an app error, but rather because the subscription duration under their own name is short or their membership grade does not meet the conditions. In such cases, utilizing partner discounts by presenting the examination ticket at on-site ticket offices is a realistic alternative, regardless of telecommunications grades.

LG U+'s CSAT encore screening event was structured so that entry was possible only if one was "an examinee who also held a membership VIP grade or higher, or was a long-term customer of five years or more." The examination ticket merely proves that one is an examinee; it does not substitute as proof of grade or subscription duration as a telecommunications customer. Understanding this dual condition clarifies why the event did not appear in certain apps.