Korea is similar to Japan. 2100mhz HSPA works there, but true GSM does not. You can't purchase a SIM card, but there are companies that will rent you one at the airport. Alternatively, look at eKit.com which gives you free incoming on a UK phone number, $0.19 a minute incoming on a US number. Data is a non-option with this SIM.
Sroaming.com offers Korean cellphone rentals at the airport.
Originally Posted by
justinrlee
Hi,
I'm going to South Korea next week and I'd like to be able to call/text locals (I have several friends who are there for summer) relatively inexpensively. I will be there for two weeks, with potential future trips to both South Korea and Japan. Using roaming on my current cell phone is not an option for me. I'm willing to spend a bit of money for convenience, but I don't want to be ripped off.
There's a decent amount of information for European SIMs but not a whole lot for South Korea on this board (that I can find).
Options I'm considering:
1) Buy an international unlocked phone, and try to buy a prepaid Korean SIM.
However, in this thread: <http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/1146043-us-based-nokia-n8-korea-japan.html> somebody mentions that you can't do the "buy SIM and go" thing in S. Korea, specifically, as of late 2010. Does anybody know if this has changed, and if so, what type of phone I would need in order to do this? Is it possible to buy whitelisted phones ahead of time?
2) Buy a standard ATT/Verizon/Somebody else "Pay As You Go" phone with roaming.
3) Do one of those mobal/whoever international phone rentals, which are apparently fairly expensive/rip-offey.
4) Try to go to Korea and buy/rent a phone once I get there - expensive?
Any suggestions? I'm willing to spend a bit of money for convenience, and I only really need to be able to text local (South Korean) numbers.
Thanks!
Justin Lee