Korea will become one of the first countries to adopt the 5G mobile technology. 5G smartphones will hit the market by the end of the first quarter next year.

Market researcher Strategy Analytics believe the adoption rate of 5G smartphones in Korea will reach 5.5 percent next year and rise to 10.9 percent by 2020.

Korea's three main mobile carriers launched their 5G networks earlier this month, but service is still limited to enterprise users.

Other countries getting an early start on 5G in the next two years include China, Japan and the U.S.

