The number of mobile users subscribing to the long-term evolution (LTE) network topped 50 million in South Korea, six years after the fourth-generation mobile network was introduced, government data showed Sunday.

According to the data compiled by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the number of LTE subscribers reached 50.28 million at the end of November this year, up 0.71 percent from a month earlier.

SK Telecom Co., the leading network operator, had the largest number of LTE subscribers with 22.34 million, followed by KT Corp. with 14.16 million and LG Uplus with 11.61 million, they showed.

The LTE mobile network service was introduced in July 2011, with the number of subscribers increasing to top 10 million in 2012, 20 million in 2013 and 30 million in 2014.

The LTE subscribers accounted for 79 percent of the country's total mobile phone users estimated at 61.3 million, up 3.4 percentage points from a year ago.

South Korea has a population of 51 million, but some people have multiple mobile phones. (Yonhap)