The Best Korean SIM Cards For Your Trip

I was recently tasked with helping 15 tourists get SIM cards for their trip to Korea and ended up in an email string back and forth with quite a few companies and down a rabbit hole of information. Did you know there are more than 500,000 public WiFi hotspots in Seoul? Wifi is readily available and easy to access in Korea, but you do need a Korean phone number for a variety of things so a SIM is a convenient travel requirement really.

So, with that, here we are. Everything you need to know about SIM cards in Korea and which one will be best for your trip to Seoul.

Get ready to stay connected with a SIM card in Korea:

• Most Recommended SIM Cards For Korea
• Will my phone work in Korea?
• Do I need a SIM card in Korea?
• Where can I buy a SIM card?
• Which is better – a Pocket Wifi or SIM card?
• SIM Card vs. eSIM
• SIM Card Requirements
• Korean Mobile Operators
• What to check before you buy a SIM card for Korea
• The Best SIM Cards For Korea
  • SIM Cards for short-term travelers
  • SIM Cards for long-term travelers
• How can I get a SIM card from Korea?

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.)

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Most Recommended SIM Cards For Korea

This article has a ton of information for you to hash through IF you want and you CAN read more about the best SIM cards and eSIMs below in more detail, but if you’re just here for a quick guide, then I’ll do that here right off the bat.

I recommend Klook and Trazy a lot because they are trusted with tourists and have everything you need covered. They also offer shipping for free to many countries. There are other companies that offer SIM cards, but they’re all the same cards and just offered from different companies in my research.

The Best Korean SIM Cards and eSims for a trip to Korea:

Best Pocket eSIMs:

• SK Telecom or KT eSIM
  • Delivered in an email
  • Data only
  • Duration: 6GB+ for 10 days (Buy here on eSIM Korea)
• LG U+ or KT eSIM
  • Delivered in an email
  • Data only
  • Duration:
    • 5 days or 10 days (Buy here on Klook)
    • 5 days, 15 days, 20 days, or 30 days (Buy here on Klook)
    • 14 days or 30 days (Buy here on Klook)
    • 5-60 days (Buy here on Trazy)

Best Physical SIM Cards:

• KT Olleh 4G/LTE Prepaid SIM Card: Buy here on Klook, or here on Trazy
  • Can be picked up from Seoul & Busan Airports and Myeongdong or Hongdae
  • Can choose Data-only or Data + international calls and texts
  • Incoming calls and texts are FREE
  • Can be recharged or extended online or through message.
  • Multi-size SIM cards available
  • Duration: 1 day, 5 days, 10 days, 20 days or 30 days.

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Will my phone work in Korea?

Different countries use different frequencies. You’ll want to make sure that your phone or device supports GSM network frequencies. If you click on that link, you can find your mobile and then click on it and see if it supports these GSM frequencies:

• 4G LTE Bands: Band 1(2100MHz), Band 3(1800MHz), Band 8(900MHz)
• 3G Bands: HSDPA 2100MHz/HSDPA+

If it does, then your phone will work. CDMA phones will not work in South Korea. If your phone has a SIM card slot, then it supports GSM.

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Do I need a SIM card in Korea?

It’s pretty easy to get around Korea. You can travel independently but there is no better travel companion than a good working phone. Almost all accommodation options offer free Wifi now, but as soon as you walk out the door, you run the risk of having none. Really, there is free Wifi on all public transportation options so there are plenty of public hotspots to connect to.

Roaming costs are high though and SIM cards are pretty cheap, so they’re a good investment if you ask me. Korea is the most wired country in the world and has the best 4G network in the world, so don’t feel bad connecting and using it.

Korea has the world’s best LTE coverage and is now completely covered so a SIM card will work everywhere. You could just use Wifi everywhere you go, but you will have a lot of issues if you want to see a show or need to register for anything. A lot of systems in Korea require a local phone number for access.

The tourists that I was helping wanted to see musicals and K-pop shows and needed a local phone number in order to book tickets. Also, logging into all of the different Wifi access points can be annoying so it is generally better to have a SIM card when you come to Korea.

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Where can I buy a SIM card?

The easiest and most convenient way to get a SIM card is to pre-purchase it online and then pick it up at the airport or have it shipped to you prior to arrival. There are some places to buy it upon arrival in at Incheon Airport, but if you pre-purchase it, you can usually get a good deal online and they’ll tell you exactly where to go to pick it up at the airport so you aren’t wandering around trying to find everything you need. That’s never fun right after an international flight.

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Which is better – a Pocket Wifi or SIM card?

It’s up to you and what you’re trying to do while you’re here. There are some key advantages and disadvantages to both though so just make sure you have an idea of what you’ll need a phone number or Wifi for while you’re here.

Pocket Wifi Advantages: You can rent one here on Trazy.

• A pocket Wifi is ideal if you don’t need a local number but want to have Wifi whenever and wherever you are.
• You can connect multiple devices to one Pocket Wifi which is great if you’re traveling with a family and don’t need multiple local phone numbers anyway.
• Pay per day. This could be a disadvantage too I suppose. But, if you don’t want a SIM card for 30 days but you’re staying more than 10, you have to get it anyway because there are set rental options for them. You have more leeway with a Pocket Wifi in this situation.

Pocket Wifi Disadvantages:

• One more thing to charge. The Pocket Wifi does have a battery so you’ll need to remember to charge it each night so you can use it the next day.
• An extra device to remember to carry. A Pocket Wifi is a whole extra thing to carry around and remember to bring.

Prepaid SIM card Advantages:

• You’ll have a local phone number which is necessary to book and purchase some things in Korea like tickets to concerts and shows.
• More convenient. No charging required and no extra device to carry around.

Prepaid SIM card Disadvantages:

• You won’t have your home carrier’s number anymore so people back home won’t be able to just ring you up. Of course, you will be able to use Skype, Google Hangouts, and other apps for calls.
• You can’t use multiple devices with one SIM card.

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SIM Card vs. eSIM

I learned about eSims for the first time when researching for my incoming tourists and boy is the world changing! SIM cards are the standard card that you insert into your phone but now there are also eSIMs which are embedded SIM cards.

Basically, they act as SIM cards but you don’t actually insert anything. Most new phones support eSIMs now and they’re even easier to use. Rather than inserting a SIM card, you just sign up online or use a QR code to connect instantly. It’s a very convenient way to get ready to travel to Korea.

eSIMs are only supported in newer phones, so you may still need a traditional SIM card. Just check what your phone supports and go from there. If you are interested in this option, check out eSIM Korea by Whiz which deals exclusively with eSIMs and knows all of the ins and outs.

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SIM Card Requirements

Before you even think about getting a SIM card, make sure your phone is unlocked. I’ve been abroad for so long, I didn’t even think to mention this to the tourists and quite a few of them arrived with locked phones. Don’t be like them! You’ll need to call your mobile phone carrier to unlock your phone. You won’t be able to use the pre-paid SIM card if your phone is locked.

It’s pretty simple and straightforward to get a SIM card or a Wifi Egg. You just need to provide your passport so your identity can be verified. There is a short form to fill in which usually asks for your local address information and then you can get a local number.

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Korean mobile operators

South Korea has three mobile operators that offer prepaid services that are easily accessible for tourists. They are:

• SK Telecom
• KT South Korea
• LG U+
  • LG U+ only sells tourist SIM cards or eSIMs to travelers at airports or by pre-ordering them online FYI.

All three of these companies have excellent coverage in the country though LG U+ technically covers the most with 99.5% of the country covered. The other two still have 95% coverage though, so you really won’t be left out in the cold anywhere.

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What to check before you buy a SIM card for Korea

Before committing to a SIM card there are a few things you’ll want to check to make sure you’ve got your bases covered. Here’s what to check before you hit “buy”.

• Locked or Unlocked: Make sure your phone is unlocked or else you won’t be able to use a SIM card when you get it. If it’s locked, you’d have to call your phone carrier and that’s not too fun when you’re half way around the world. Do this before you get on the plane.
• The Right Fit: Most SIM cards now come in multiple sizes. SIM cards have decreased in size over the years though and some do only come in the nano-size so make sure that it would fit your phone just in case. You can check by either opening the slot on the side where the SIM card fits in, or checking the technical specifications.
• Data OR Data + Voice: Data-only SIM cards are the most common for tourists to use. You wouldn’t be able to make any voice calls or send text messages, but you can call and text via apps like Whatsapp, Google Hangouts, Kakao, or Skype.
• Duration: SIM cards are set up to be used for a certain number of days. The period starts when you activate the card and in most cases can’t be extended though there are some specific SIM cards that can be extended.
• Data: A lot of the SIM cards offer unlimited data but the speed is often throttled after a certain period of time. Some providers will start capping the speed after 2 or 3 GB is used in one day. Just so you know, 3GB is about the same as browsing the internet for 36 hours or watching 6 hours of video. Some cards only allow 500MB of high speed data usage per day. This is just fine if you’ll be connecting to the internet only intermittently throughout the day. You’ll quickly reach the limits if you’re streaming audio or video or check your social media apps too much.

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The Best SIM Cards For Korea

SIM Cards For short-term travelers

Most travelers coming to Korea are short-term, or less than 30 days, so there are a lot of options for this group. Now, if you’re looking to get the best deal though, you need to pay a bit of attention because some companies really cater to the traveler that is staying 5-10 days while others cater to the traveler who is looking to stay for a month.

During Covid, all foreign passengers to Korea were required to have a local number for contact tracing and while it’s not a requirement anymore, a lot of services for booking tickets, etc. still require it from that and just haven’t gone back to pre-Covid times.

• KT Olleh 4G/LTE Prepaid SIM Card: Buy here on Klook, or here on Trazy
  • Can be picked up from Seoul & Busan Airports and Myeongdong or Hongdae
  • Can choose Data-only or Data + international calls and texts
  • Incoming calls and texts are FREE
  • Can be recharged or extended online or through message.
  • Multi-size SIM cards available
  • Duration: 1 day, 5 days, 10 days, 20 days or 30 days.
• SK Telecom 4G/3G Prepaid SIM Card: Buy here on Trazy
  • Can be picked up from Jeju Airport.
  • Support incoming calls and text messages but cannot make voice calls or send text messages.
  • Multi-size SIM cards available
  • Duration: 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 10 days, 20 days, or 30 days (Trazy and Klook offer slightly different durations so look closely if you have a specific duration requirement.)
• SK Telecom or KT eSIM
  • Delivered in an email
  • Data only
  • Duration: 6GB+ for 10 days (Buy here on eSIM Korea)
• LG U+ or KT eSIM
  • Delivered in an email
  • Data only
  • Duration:
    • 5 days or 10 days (Buy here on Klook)
    • 5 days, 15 days, 20 days, or 30 days (Buy here on Klook)
    • 14 days or 30 days (Buy here on Klook)
    • 5-60 days (Buy here on Trazy)

SIM Cards For longer-term travelers

Most SIM cards have a maximum duration of 30 days. This was an issue for my most recent tourists who were staying for 2 months. If you’ll be staying in Korea for longer than 30 days, there are good SIM card options for you. Just make sure you get a SIM card that can be extended.

• KT Olleh 4G/LTE SIM Card: Buy here on Trazy.
  • Can be picked up in Myeongdong or Hongdae.
  • Unlimited Data/Voice/SMS
  • All SIM cards can be extended/topped up at the KT center near Hongik University or by bank transfer.
  • Multi-size SIM cards available
  • Duration: 30 days to 90 days
    • All SIM cards can be extended beyond the 90 days if you have an Alien Registration Card

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How can I get a SIM card from Korea?

Some SIM cards can be shipped directly to you but most can be collected right at the airport upon arrival which is just fine as that’s when you’d want it to be activated anyway. I highly recommend purchasing a SIM card before you arrive though because after any long-haul flight, it’s hard to decipher much of anything much less a bunch of different SIM card options.

Before you take off though, be sure to make a note of:

• Where you need to pick up your SIM card.
• The opening/closing hours of the SIM card collection location.

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Get ready for your trip to Korea and don’t forget to get a Korean SIM Card!

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