Phone & Internet — Come to Korea

Korea has world-class mobile and home internet. The tricky part for foreigners is getting on a postpaid plan before you have your ARC — here's how to bridge that gap.

Prepaid vs postpaid

Prepaid (선불)

The right choice for your first weeks. SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+ all operate booths in the arrivals hall at both Incheon Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 — show your passport, pay by card, walk out with an activated SIM. Typical: ₩30,000–₩50,000 for 30 days of unlimited data. If you want it ready the moment you land, you can also order an eSIM online from the carriers' English sites and activate on arrival.

Postpaid (후불)

Requires an ARC and a Korean bank account or credit card. Plans run ₩25,000–₩90,000/month depending on data. MVNOs (알뜰폰) like Chingu Mobile, U+ Mobile, and KT M Mobile resell the big-three networks at much lower prices.

Carriers in brief

SK Telecom — best coverage rurally, priciest.
KT — strong urban, simpler English support.
LG U+ — cheapest of the three, fine in cities.
MVNOs (알뜰폰) — same networks at 30–50% off. Often have foreigner-targeted resellers like Chingu Mobile.

Home internet

Gigabit fiber is the default — typically ₩25,000–₩40,000/month with a 2- or 3-year contract. KT, SK Broadband, and LG U+ are the three providers. Installation usually happens within a few days. If you live in an apartment, the building may already have a preferred provider with promotional pricing.

Many rental contracts include internet — ask before signing up separately.

Useful Korean apps you'll want

KakaoTalk — the dominant messenger; everyone uses it
Naver Map / Kakao Map — Google Maps is limited in Korea
Papago — Korean-aware translator, better than Google Translate for Korean
Coupang — same-day delivery for almost anything