Cellphone plan recommendations
#31


Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Body in Downtown YYZ, heart and mind elsewhere
Programs: UA 50K, refugee from AC E50K, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 5,169
I'll add my voice to the chorus here - I ordered a nano sim from EG and picked it up at the K Books store in ICN. The directions they give to K Books on their website are accurate; I had no trouble finding the (surprisingly small) store which is open from 0700 to 2000. To get to the store, walk out of the baggage hall then immediately turn right. The store will be there on your right.
In the store I showed the guy my confirmation email but he asked for my passport. Armed with passport number he was able to pull up my order and he handed over the sim. In it went into the iPhone and after a quick reboot, all was well. I got a strong signal immediately and it never wavered.
In the store I showed the guy my confirmation email but he asked for my passport. Armed with passport number he was able to pull up my order and he handed over the sim. In it went into the iPhone and after a quick reboot, all was well. I got a strong signal immediately and it never wavered.
#32
Original Poster




Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 434
I'll add my voice to the chorus here - I ordered a nano sim from EG and picked it up at the K Books store in ICN. The directions they give to K Books on their website are accurate; I had no trouble finding the (surprisingly small) store which is open from 0700 to 2000. To get to the store, walk out of the baggage hall then immediately turn right. The store will be there on your right.
In the store I showed the guy my confirmation email but he asked for my passport. Armed with passport number he was able to pull up my order and he handed over the sim. In it went into the iPhone and after a quick reboot, all was well. I got a strong signal immediately and it never wavered.
In the store I showed the guy my confirmation email but he asked for my passport. Armed with passport number he was able to pull up my order and he handed over the sim. In it went into the iPhone and after a quick reboot, all was well. I got a strong signal immediately and it never wavered.
I'm still disappointed it didn't work out but lesson learned.
BTW: it's 3g service right?
#34
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 73
Is it necessary to order the EG sim card ahead of time? I've read that you can just purchase it at ICN (GS25, K Books, Funny Malling) and then activate it on the spot during business hours. Does ordering it ahead of time mean that the sim card is already activated?
#35
Original Poster




Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 434
I think you definitely can wait till you're there to get it but I heard, if you're a foreigner (maybe not for all countries but definitely the US), there's a waiting-period where they have to process your passport. I forgot how long it takes but thought I heard up to 3 days or something like that. Could be less. Ordering ahead of time pretty much guarantees that you'll have a working phone as soon as you put the sim in your phone upon arrival and after getting it.
#36
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,973
I'm thinking of ordering the EG SIM card, with pickup at K Books at ICN.
My concern is that my flight is scheduled to land at 9:15pm (NRT-ICN).
Do people think I can safely land, get off the plane, through Immigration & Customs, get to an ATM, then to the shop before they close?
I can get the SIM card delivered to my hotel, which seems like a viable option. Not sure how they handle the passport check or other paperwork when you do that.
My concern is that my flight is scheduled to land at 9:15pm (NRT-ICN).
Do people think I can safely land, get off the plane, through Immigration & Customs, get to an ATM, then to the shop before they close?
I can get the SIM card delivered to my hotel, which seems like a viable option. Not sure how they handle the passport check or other paperwork when you do that.
#37
Original Poster




Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 434
I'm thinking of ordering the EG SIM card, with pickup at K Books at ICN.
My concern is that my flight is scheduled to land at 9:15pm (NRT-ICN).
Do people think I can safely land, get off the plane, through Immigration & Customs, get to an ATM, then to the shop before they close?
I can get the SIM card delivered to my hotel, which seems like a viable option. Not sure how they handle the passport check or other paperwork when you do that.
My concern is that my flight is scheduled to land at 9:15pm (NRT-ICN).
Do people think I can safely land, get off the plane, through Immigration & Customs, get to an ATM, then to the shop before they close?
I can get the SIM card delivered to my hotel, which seems like a viable option. Not sure how they handle the passport check or other paperwork when you do that.
#38


Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Body in Downtown YYZ, heart and mind elsewhere
Programs: UA 50K, refugee from AC E50K, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 5,169
Ordering ahead also avoids any potential waiting period issues. As I noted up thread, all I had to do was insert the sim then reboot the iPhone and everything worked immediately.
#39


Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Body in Downtown YYZ, heart and mind elsewhere
Programs: UA 50K, refugee from AC E50K, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 5,169
I'm thinking of ordering the EG SIM card, with pickup at K Books at ICN.
My concern is that my flight is scheduled to land at 9:15pm (NRT-ICN).
Do people think I can safely land, get off the plane, through Immigration & Customs, get to an ATM, then to the shop before they close?
My concern is that my flight is scheduled to land at 9:15pm (NRT-ICN).
Do people think I can safely land, get off the plane, through Immigration & Customs, get to an ATM, then to the shop before they close?
There's a place downtown called 24 Guest House near City Hall where you can pickup from 0700 to 2400. The exact address with directions is shown on the EG website.
The area around City Hall (indeed, everywhere I went in Seoul) is quite safe and I would have no issue wandering around at night there.
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S+, Choice Platinum
Posts: 23,319
Anyone know about iPad SIMs?
My new iPhone 6 is of course SIM-locked to AT&T, and my iPhone 5 was stolen, so I no longer have an unlocked phone. (I may be able to obtain one before leaving, but I'm still working out the details.) I do, however, have a SIM-unlocked iPad (which takes a Micro-SIM but generally requires a tablet/data-only plan to work). Is this possible to get in Korea?
My new iPhone 6 is of course SIM-locked to AT&T, and my iPhone 5 was stolen, so I no longer have an unlocked phone. (I may be able to obtain one before leaving, but I'm still working out the details.) I do, however, have a SIM-unlocked iPad (which takes a Micro-SIM but generally requires a tablet/data-only plan to work). Is this possible to get in Korea?
#41
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 22
I recommend Olleh's prepaid service. I visited my family in Korea this summer, and used Olleh's plan.
I carried my iphone 5, and bought a sim card ($9) and bought 1gb data ($10) & calling/receiving plan ($10). If you make a phone call, it's very expensive - let others call you after texting them because receiving phone calls do not get charged.
Total was thus around $30 inc. tax. Other companies only provide expensive plans. I used it well during my stay (3 weeks).
Hope this helps somehow.
I carried my iphone 5, and bought a sim card ($9) and bought 1gb data ($10) & calling/receiving plan ($10). If you make a phone call, it's very expensive - let others call you after texting them because receiving phone calls do not get charged.
Total was thus around $30 inc. tax. Other companies only provide expensive plans. I used it well during my stay (3 weeks).
Hope this helps somehow.
#42



Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: CHO
Programs: Auto shop by CHO Frequent Oil Changer; Kayak Incognito Mode Platinum
Posts: 296
Thanks, but the problem most of us in this thread are addressing is how to get set up without a Korean ID. EG is, to date, the only way to do that quickly on arrival in Korea.
#43
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 73
Ordering ahead of time is easy. In my case, once the guy had checked my passport number on his computer, he simply handed me the sim and that was it. He did not need to see my credit card or anything else. To me it felt very seamless and I liked that.
Ordering ahead also avoids any potential waiting period issues. As I noted up thread, all I had to do was insert the sim then reboot the iPhone and everything worked immediately.
Ordering ahead also avoids any potential waiting period issues. As I noted up thread, all I had to do was insert the sim then reboot the iPhone and everything worked immediately.
#44




Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: MCI
Programs: UA PP, AA, DL, WN
Posts: 91
Anyone know about iPad SIMs?
My new iPhone 6 is of course SIM-locked to AT&T, and my iPhone 5 was stolen, so I no longer have an unlocked phone. (I may be able to obtain one before leaving, but I'm still working out the details.) I do, however, have a SIM-unlocked iPad (which takes a Micro-SIM but generally requires a tablet/data-only plan to work). Is this possible to get in Korea?
My new iPhone 6 is of course SIM-locked to AT&T, and my iPhone 5 was stolen, so I no longer have an unlocked phone. (I may be able to obtain one before leaving, but I'm still working out the details.) I do, however, have a SIM-unlocked iPad (which takes a Micro-SIM but generally requires a tablet/data-only plan to work). Is this possible to get in Korea?
I popped the SIM in to the iPad Air while grabbing something to eat and it's been working great ever since. I've used it in Daegu and Iksan, and now back in Seoul. Worked most of the way on the drive, too.
The iPad Air uses a nano-SIM, so that's what I ordered (and received) through EG.
When I ordered the SIM, I specified the 1GB data plan on the EG website since I didn't need any of the credit for voice.
Sidne
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist




Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S+, Choice Platinum
Posts: 23,319
I'm in Seoul right now, just arrived on Tuesday. I ordered a SIM from EG for my iPad Air a couple of days before my trip and picked it up at KBooks at ICN when I arrived.
I popped the SIM in to the iPad Air while grabbing something to eat and it's been working great ever since. I've used it in Daegu and Iksan, and now back in Seoul. Worked most of the way on the drive, too.
The iPad Air uses a nano-SIM, so that's what I ordered (and received) through EG.
When I ordered the SIM, I specified the 1GB data plan on the EG website since I didn't need any of the credit for voice.
Sidne
I popped the SIM in to the iPad Air while grabbing something to eat and it's been working great ever since. I've used it in Daegu and Iksan, and now back in Seoul. Worked most of the way on the drive, too.
The iPad Air uses a nano-SIM, so that's what I ordered (and received) through EG.
When I ordered the SIM, I specified the 1GB data plan on the EG website since I didn't need any of the credit for voice.
Sidne
Good to know that the SIMs will apparently work the same in a tablet. I've had issues with phone-only vs. tablet-only plans before in a couple of other countries.


