jww947

I am heading to Seoul Korea for the first time. I am taking my cell phone (HTC One with T-Mobile). I am going to assume it will not work with my current provider and I heard that I could purchase a Sim card in the airport. All I really need is good DATA and I don't need to make calls back to the US.

Does anyone know of a particular SIM brand I need to purchase or does it not matter?

Do you know where specifically in the airport I should go (I assume any cell phone provider there will do)?

Thanks

BH62

Not sure for ICN, but per recent experience at SGN, phone "needs(?)" to be unlocked.

mikesaidyes

KT is one of the main providers of service in Korea. The others are SK and LG. KT is perhaps the most popular for foreign visitors. I've always recommended the wifi egg hotspot for visitors, but they also have prepaid SIM cards. If you reserve the egg online, there's no daily rental fee. Just 5,000 per day for unlimited data. The beneift to the egg is that everyone in your group can use the data.

With a SIM card, the price is also 5,000 per day. But you can't share that data as easily. And yes, your phone has to be unlocked. If your T-Mobile phone isn't, you can use the egg no problem.

http://roaming.kt.com/rental/eng/main.asp?channel=

jww947

Thanks

jww947

Very helpful, thanks.

Gradfly

I use T-mobile also and went to South Korea last fall. Not sure which plan you're on but I had free unlimited 3G data and text while there. I'd second the egg wifi hotspot suggestion if want you faster speed. I've tried both the KT (Olleh) and SK and from my recollection, the SK had better coverage. You should also consider bringing a portable battery for the hotspot.

B407

Doesn't T Mobile offer free international roaming with data restricted to 2G speeds with the option to pay extra to bump up the speed?

If that isn't an option I recommend order an EG SIM in advance. This can be done easily on their website and you simply pick up the SIM card at the airport pop it into your phone, setup the APN and you're good to go. SIM does not need to be returned. Speed is 3G HSPA, no LTE available. Although 3G in South Korea is pretty fast and reliable.

If you must have LTE, you can pre order a sim through a company called the Arrival store. I believe they offer unlimited LTE data for $5 a day, but you have to get the SIM Card shipped to a Korean address or pick it up at the post office at the airport. You also need to return the SIM. Also the major providers, KT Olleh and SK Tel offer LTE data sims as well but they're a hassle to setup.

mikesaidyes

KT and SK have the exact same networks and coverage. Neglible difference. SK is the largest company, but KT has more public wifi hotspots and a better membership program.

They used to make visitors properly sign up for a SIM card with their passport as if you were a regular customer. Now, with the new SIM cards at a rate of roughly 5,000W per day unlimited, I think that this is MUCH simpler (and closer to what you see in Thailand and other countries where there's less of a hassle). I'd definitely go for one of their cards over the EG SIM card these days.

I wouldn't bother with the Arrival Store option now that KT and SK offer the new SIM card for the same price.

jww947

Thanks for the advice. I am definitely heading toward getting the egg.

jww947

Thanks everyone for the advice.

cwerdna

That's true anywhere. If the phone is carrier locked, it can only be used w/SIMs from that carrier. SIMs from other carriers will be rejected.

In the US, when phones were sold subsidized with 1-2 year contracts, the phones in many cases (depends on the carrier) were carrier locked. Some carriers would be willing to issue you an unlock code once you passed a certain point in your contract and in most cases, if you were done w/your contract.