With South Korea now reopening its border for tourists (post COVID19), we aim to help you work out the best Sim Card in Korea or eSim to purchase to best suit your visit.
Purchasing a Korean Sim card is a great option. It will give you easy and convenient access to the internet without the hassle of trying to find free WiFi. Free WiFi can often have dubious security, plus finding and logging in to each WiFi hotspot can be painful.
Our recommended Korean Sim Card providers for South Korea are Get Your Guide, Klook and Trazy. These providers are all reputable online travel agencies and they offer great services and are very reliable. They also offer a great selection of other travel essentials for South Korea including transportation, tickets and tours, so make sure you check out your other requirements when you visit their websites.
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you book after clicking on one of these links then we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Summary of Recommended Korean Sim Cards
For those of you just looking for some quick recommendations for the best Korean sim cards for tourists without reading the whole article below is a summary of our recommended options. An alternative option for the newer generation phones is to purchase an eSim plan.
Korea Voice+Data+SMS Plan Options
Check out the below table to see your Data+Voice+SMS Sim Card options for South Korea.
Trazy Voice+Data+SMS Sim Card for Korea
- Get your Korean phone number before you depart
- Free incoming calls & SMS, paid outgoing calls (Domestic 264 Won per minute)
- International Delivery. All plans valid for 30 days, then rechargeable
- Medium 1GB/3000 Won call credits/$US 26, Large 2GB/3000 Won call credits/ $US 32
- Premium Unlimited Data Plans: Lite / $US 47, Classic / $US 74, Plus / $US 105
Klook 4G Data+Domestic Calls+SMS KT Olleh Sim Card
- Unlimited data, not rechargeable
- Free incoming calls & SMS, paid outgoing calls (Domestic 264 Won per minute)
- Pay 11,000 won ($US 8) on collection to activate, including 42 minutes of outgoing calls
- Collect on arrival in Incheon Airport T1 or T2
- 5 days / $US 19, 10 days / $US 26, 20 days / $US 45, 30 days / $US 47
Korea eSim Plan Options
For people with newer generation mobile phones you can alternatively purchase a prepaid Korea eSim plan. You can also see a summary of our recommended Korea eSim options for tourists in the below table. Click here to check out our detailed article about eSim plans for South Korea.
KRSIM eSim RED (use coupon code pretraveller to get a 5% discount)
- Korea only eSim with unlimited 4G data (no high speed data allowance), plus incoming phone number for Korea.
- Instant confirmation. Can recharge by buying another package.
- Free T-Money card (credit needs to be loaded) for Korean public transportation if 5 day or longer package is purchased. Collect at Incheon Airport after arrival.
- 1 day/$US 5, 3 days/$US 13, 5 days/$US 20, 10 days/$US 27, 20 days/$US 43, 30 days/$US 50
- Unlimited data only. Next day confirmation. Rechargeable.
- Can be used in over 100 countries.
- 14 days - first 8GB at high speed / $US 27, first 13GB at high speed / $US 38
- 30 days - first 10GB at high speed / $US 29, first 20GB at high speed / $US 42
- Unlimited data. Instant confirmation. Rechargeable.
- 1 or 10 countries, no talk or text. Click through for multi country pricing information.
- Korea only, low data usage: 3 days/1GB/$US 5, 5 days/3GB/$US 7, 14 days/3GB/$US 10, 30 days/3GB/$US11
- Korea only, 30 days: 5GB/$US 17, 10GB/$US 30, 15GB/$US 40, 20GB/$YS 54, 30GB/$US 72
- Korea only, daily 500MB high speed data allowance: 7 days/$US 12, 14 days/$US 23, 30 days/$US 36
- Korea only eSim with unlimited 4G data, plus incoming phone number for Korea.
- 3GB per day high speed data allowance
- Instant confirmation. Rechargeable.
- Can be used in over 190 countries
- 10 days/$US 32, 30 days/$US 62
Korean Prepaid Sim Card Options
Prepaid Korean sim cards are still a great option for most people who only want easy and affordable access to data. You can see a summary of our recommended Korea prepaid Sim Card options for tourists in the below table.
Get Your Guide Data Only Sim + Transportation Card Combo
- Unlimited 4G data, first 3GB per day at high speed
- Collect on arrival in Incheon Airport T1 or T2.
- Includes T-Money local transportation card. Add credit to this card before use.
- 5 days/$US 23, 7 days/$US 29, 10 days/$US 32, 15 days/$US 45, 20 days/$US49, 30 days/$US 59, 40 days/$US 82, 60 days/$US 116
- Unlimited 4G data, rechargeable
- Collect on arrival in Incheon Airport T1 or T2.
- 1 day/$US 5, 10 days/$US 26, 20 days/$US 45, 30 days/$US 47
Get Your Guide Data Only Sim Card
- Unlimited 4G data, first 3GB per day at high speed
- Incoming calls and text messages
- Collect at Incheon Airport T1 or T2, Myeongdong, Hongdae, Gimpo Airport and Busan Airport.
- 5 days/$US 22, 10 days/$US 29, 20 days/$US 46, 30 days/$US 55
Join the South Korea Travel Planning Facebook Group
Check out our South Korea Travel Planning Facebook Group – you are welcome to join and it is a great resources to enable you to ask questions about your upcoming trip to South Korea!
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you book after clicking on one of these links then we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Why Purchase a Korean Sim Card?
Many accommodation options have guest WiFi, but when you walk out the door you will not have cost effective access to data – and you really need it for a whole range of reasons including using public transport timetables, platforms and stations; as well as for using map apps like Naver Map and KakaoMap to get around. Google Maps has pretty limited usefulness in South Korea. Check out our article on the best apps to load onto your phone for your trip to South Korea.
We have done the research to help you find the South Korea Sim Card for your visit with options to pick up your Sim card from various locations throughout South Korea or have it delivered to your home prior to departure. This article will help you quickly decide which Sim card for Korea option will suit you best.
Before we get into the details, a key tip is to plan to pre-order your South Korea prepaid Sim card with many providers allowing you to pre-order up to 1-3 days in advance. Also, if you are arriving or departing early or late, ensure you check the opening hours for your pick up and return options which are further down in the article, or on the supplier’s page after you click through below.
For prepaid eSim plans you should receive your eSim details either instantly, or within 24 hours of placing your order, so this is a much faster option if your phone is a newer phone. Make sure you check before booking whether your cell phone can be used with an eSim, as only newer phones have this feature.
Best South Korea Sim Card Options
What is the best prepaid Sim card in Korea for your visit? This question has different answers for different people. This article details the features and costs of various Sim card options from several reputable providers – Klook, Get Your Guide and Trazy.
Read further below for further information about each of our recommended providers and to see the available options.
Costs are accurate as of September 2022, but are subject to fluctuation due to product pricing and exchange rate changes. This article will be periodically updated to reflect the latest prices.
South Korea Sim Card – Data + Voice + SMS
Below is a comparison table of the data plus voice plus SMS Sim card options for Korea. There are options from 5-30 days, with time extensions available.
Click on the links below to check out further information and to make your purchase.
Trazy Data+Voice+SMS Sim Card
The Trazy Data+Voice+SMS Sim Card is a great option to have unlimited data and a South Korean phone number which you can use to make and receive calls and SMS messages in South Korea. Free worldwide shipping means that you can order and receive your sim card before you depart, and also makes it easy to activate it prior to your arrival in South Korea.
There are five plan levels available which are detailed below:
- Medium Plan for $US 26. Valid for 30 days and includes 1GB of data and 3000 Won of call credits.
- Large Plan for $US 32. Valid for 30 days and includes 2GB of data and 3000 Won of call credits
- Premium Lite Plan for $US 47. Valid for 30 days and includes unlimited data, with the first 15GB of data at high speed and 100 minutes of voice calls and 100 text messages.
- Premium Classic Plan for $US 74. Valid for 30 days and includes unlimited data, with the first 12GB of data at high speed plus 2GB of additional data per day at high speed, and unlimited voice calls and text messages.
- Premium Plus Plan for $US 105. Valid for 30 days and includes unlimited data, with the first 100GB of data at high speed, and unlimited calls and text messages.
Incoming calls and SMS messages are free, and you will pay additional fees (depending on your plan) for outgoing calls and SMS messages as detailed below:
- Outgoing domestic calls 264 Won per minute
- Outgoing domestic SMS messages 22 Won per message
Klook Data+Voice+SMS Sim Card
The Klook Data+Voice+SMS Sim Card is a great option to have unlimited data and a South Korean phone number which you can use to make and receive calls and SMS messages in South Korea. You can collect your sim card on arrival at Incheon Airport Terminals T1 or T2.
There are four options which are detailed below. Note that all options are extendable, and you can also pay for additional call credits.
- 5 days for $US19 plus 11,000 Won ($US9). Includes unlimited data, 42 minutes of outgoing domestic calls.
- 10 days for $US 26 + 11,000 Won ($US9). Includes unlimited data, 42 minutes of outgoing domestic calls.
- 20 days for $US 45 + 11,000 Won ($US9). Includes unlimited data, 42 minutes of outgoing domestic calls.
- 30 days for $US 47 + 11,000 Won ($US9). Includes unlimited data, 42 minutes of outgoing domestic calls.
Incoming calls and SMS messages are free, and you will pay additional fees (depending on your plan) for outgoing calls and SMS messages as detailed below:
- Outgoing domestic calls 264 Won per minute
- Outgoing domestic SMS messages 22 Won per message
Data Sim Card Korea
Below are details of the Korean Sim Card for Tourists for travel for 30 days or less. These data only sim cards are the most popular types available for tourists. Click on the links to check out further information and to make your booking.
Get Your Guide Data Only Sim Card plus T-Money Transportation Card Combo
The Get Your Guide Korea Unlimited Data Sim Card is a great option to have access to unlimited data in South Korea, and even better when it includes a local T-Money local transportation card! You can collect your sim card combo on arrival at Incheon Airport Terminals T1 or T2.
Note that the T-Money card will need to have credit added before you can use it. You can easily add credit at any train station or convenience store.
There are four options which are detailed below, which all include unlimited data.
- 5 days for $US 22.
- 7 days for $US 29.
- 10 days for $US 32.
- 15 days for $US 45
- 20 days for $US 50.
- 30 days for $US 58.
- 40 days for $US 81.
- 60 days for $US 116.
Klook Prepaid Sim Card Korea
The Klook KT Olleh Sim Card is a great option to have unlimited data in South Korea. You can collect your Klook sim card on arrival at Incheon Airport Terminals T1 or T2. Click here to check out our detailed review of the KT Olleh Sim Card.
There are four options which are detailed below, which all include unlimited data. Note that all options are extendable.
- 1 day for $US5.
- 10 days for $US 26.
- 20 days for $US 45.
- 30 days for $US 47.
Get Your Guide Prepaid Sim Card South Korea
The Get Your Guide Data Only KT Olleh Sim Card is a great option to have unlimited data in South Korea. You can collect your sim card on arrival at Incheon Airport Terminals T1 or T2, Myeongdong, Hongdae, Gimpo Airport and Busan Airport. Click here to check out our detailed review of the KT Olleh Sim Card.
There are four options which are detailed below, which all include unlimited data. Note all options are extendable, and for an additional 11,000 Won on collection you can add credits to use Voice+SMS.
- 5 days for $US 24.
- 10 days for $US 29.
- 20 days for $US 46.
- 30 days for $US 55.
You may also like to check out the following articles:
Best Korea eSim Plan for Tourists [2023]
Best Tourist Pocket Wifi for Korea [2023]
Best Sim Card in Korea for Tourists [2023]
You may also like to check out the following articles:
- Best Online Pocket Wifi Rental in Japan for Tourists
- Best Hong Kong Sim Card For Tourists
- Best Pocket Wifi Hong Kong Rental
- Would You Dare to Visit the Scariest Place on Earth? (otherwise known as the DMZ between South Korean and North Korea)…
Join the South Korea Travel Planning Facebook Group
Check out our South Korea Travel Planning Facebook Group – you are welcome to join and it is a great resources to enable you to ask questions about your upcoming trip to South Korea!
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you book after clicking on one of these links then we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Hi there! I wanted to know if its also convenient to buy the sim card at the airport itself? At the convenient store/or at their own counters?
There probably are options, however i prefer to do the research before I leave so that I do not have to spend time on it after along haul flight 🙂
Hi, about the Jeju airport? Any suggestion.
Hi, Trazy offers a separate sim card product which can be picked up in Jeju Island. Here is the link: https://koreatravelplanning.com/recommends/prepaid-lte-4g-3g-sim-card-unlimited-data-only-1-5-10-days-pick-up-jeju/
Hello!
Do you know if I can meet up at the counter at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok and buy the SIM card without booking?
You are better off pre-booking, that way all you need to do is find the counter when you arrive.
Hello Anne,
Unfortunately I didn’t find your FB group and this info until after I have arrived and I am now in seoul. Do you have advice on where I should go to sort out a SIM card now that I’m in the city?
I’ll be here for 4 months doing a term at Korea University.
Thanks!
Jason
Our article still has some longer term options with both data and voice.
Hi Anne,
Does the SIM card purchased at ICN airport work also in Jeju?
Hi Fran, yes, sim cards for South Korea will work in all parts of SK, including Jeju Island.