iPhone 3G works great in South Korea

s4yunkim · Apr 28, 2011

Definitive Answer

Hello all. I originally started browsing and posting on this forum almost 3 years ago because of the frustration of not being able to use my iPhone in Korea. Well, wouldn't you know, fate would have it that I now work at Korea Telecom (aka KT), the first carrier in Korea to carry the iPhone.

Partly because of this whole frustrating ordeal, I pushed to get a guide in English, written to help foreigners get cell phones in Korea, as well as guides on how to use non-Korean whitelisted phones in Korea (which only became available as of a few years ago).

Well, I pushed for the project and here it is. It's a continual work in progress and it's always being updated, so if you have comments or suggestions, let me know.

The site is the "KT Expat Blog" http://expatblog.kt.com/

and comments, suggestions, are always welcome via twitter at: @olleh_expats

I sincerely hope that it prevents the head scratching and frustration that I had to go through when I first got to Korea.

I hope that helps

solowmodel · Apr 28, 2011

s4yunkim said:
Hello all. I originally started browsing and posting on this forum almost 3 years ago because of the frustration of not being able to use my iPhone in Korea. Well, wouldn't you know, fate would have it that I now work at Korea Telecom (aka KT), the first carrier in Korea to carry the iPhone.

Partly because of this whole frustrating ordeal, I pushed to get a guide in English, written to help foreigners get cell phones in Korea, as well as guides on how to use non-Korean whitelisted phones in Korea (which only became available as of a few years ago).

Well, I pushed for the project and here it is. It's a continual work in progress and it's always being updated, so if you have comments or suggestions, let me know.

The site is the "KT Expat Blog" http://expatblog.kt.com/

and comments, suggestions, are always welcome via twitter at: @olleh_expats

I sincerely hope that it prevents the head scratching and frustration that I had to go through when I first got to Korea.

I hope that helps

Very nice!

When I'm in Korea I use a Galaxy S on SK. I'll switch to KT if you throw me an iPhone 4

JSpence · May 4, 2011

s4yunkim said:
Hello all. I originally started browsing and posting on this forum almost 3 years ago because of the frustration of not being able to use my iPhone in Korea. Well, wouldn't you know, fate would have it that I now work at Korea Telecom (aka KT), the first carrier in Korea to carry the iPhone.

Partly because of this whole frustrating ordeal, I pushed to get a guide in English, written to help foreigners get cell phones in Korea, as well as guides on how to use non-Korean whitelisted phones in Korea (which only became available as of a few years ago).

Well, I pushed for the project and here it is. It's a continual work in progress and it's always being updated, so if you have comments or suggestions, let me know.

The site is the "KT Expat Blog" http://expatblog.kt.com/

and comments, suggestions, are always welcome via twitter at: @olleh_expats

I sincerely hope that it prevents the head scratching and frustration that I had to go through when I first got to Korea.

I hope that helps

Just wanted to say thank you. I am finding the information on the English blog from KT very helpful, and they've even got an English Twitter account that answers questions! Awesome. I'll be bringing my iPhone 4 from AT&T from the US to Korea in two weeks, and am looking to have it unlocked so I can use it on KT service. From what I understand, this is only recently possible as of January this year (2011). I am going to tweet to the KT blog to make sure.

Thanks again for pushing for the English versions.

OceanView · May 4, 2011

JSpence said:
Just wanted to say thank you. I am finding the information on the English blog from KT very helpful, and they've even got an English Twitter account that answers questions! Awesome. I'll be bringing my iPhone 4 from AT&T from the US to Korea in two weeks, and am looking to have it unlocked so I can use it on KT service. From what I understand, this is only recently possible as of January this year (2011). I am going to tweet to the KT blog to make sure.

Thanks again for pushing for the English versions.

Please take notes and let us know how it goes.
I will be going in the Fall of this year and I am very interested to know your experiences.

Thanks

Sigitas909 · Jul 26, 2011

So after reading all of this information, i still have a few general questions that i need answered. I am heading to sKorea for a year and just bought a retail unlocked iphone4 from apple, specifically for korea (thinking that korea isn't on the CDMA network). So first off:

1/ Will my unlocked iPhone 4 work on any korean wireless network? If so, which one(s)?

2. How do i get a SIM card for my iphone once i'm in country? How do I get it to work in my phone? What is the process?

3. If my iPhone works, what limitations are there on the network, if any?

4. How much can i expect to pay for a plan with low min but unlimited data?

Just to be clear: I have an unlocked (NON CDMA) iphone4, it HAS been jailbroken, I will be there for a year, and I just paid about $700 for it (so I'd like to keep it. Also, if you're in korea and can hook me up next week, hit me up!!!
fsereicikas@gmail.com

Thanks in advance.

Also, As soon as i get there and get all of the wanted/need info, i'll be sure to post it!

s4yunkim · Jul 26, 2011

Answers!

[After writing this, I realize this is a very long post, but it's very detailed and useful information, I promise!!]

Hi there!

My name is Chris, and I run a lot of the foreign customer side of KT's services.

Korea, unlike the states, does most all of it's cell phone sales through "official retailers". This means that 95% of the stores you'll see on the streets are not actually stores set up by the telco's, but separate "companies" that resell the telco's products. This also means that there can be misinformation between the resellers, and when it comes to helping foreign customers, asking 5 different stores can mean getting 5 different (wrong) answers.

One of the ways we are dealing with this is by launching what we call "KT Global Stores". Some of these stores are directly run by us, and some are resellers, but we keep a check on all of them, making sure that they're up to date on procedures for foreign subscribers, as well as making sure they at least have someone who speaks English on their staff. (Often times they have speakers of other languages too, such as Chinese, Japanese, German, etc.)

The telco system in Korea is pretty tricky, but pretty easy once you have the right information. Let me take your questions one by one, and hopefully your experience will be as smooth as possible.

Sigitas909 said:
1. Will my unlocked iPhone 4 work on any korean wireless network? If so, which one(s)?

If it is an unlocked, 3G-capable iPhone, yes, it will work in Korea. There are 3 major wireless telco's in Korea, and each have their own brand name for their wireless service:

- Korea Telecom, "KT" (Also known as "olleh", formerly "SHOW")
- SK Telecom (Also known as "T")
- LG Telecom (Also known as "LG U+")

Since 3G WCDMA is only supported by KT and SK Telecom, those are the two networks your phone will work on. LG Telecom supports CDMA only (similar to Verizon).

Sigitas909 said:
2. How do i get a SIM card for my iphone once i'm in country? How do I get it to work in my phone? What is the process?

In Korea, getting wireless service (and by association, a SIM card), requires that the subscriber have a Citizen ID number, or an Alien Registration Number (in the case of foreign nationals). This applies to both prepaid and postpaid service, and is mandated by Korean Telecommunication Law. For this reason, unlike in the US and many other countries, it is not possible to just walk into a store and grab a prepaid SIM card.

The Alien Registration process takes about 3-4 weeks from the time of application, meaning it can take up to a month before you can freely sign up for a line of service.

Since there is no reason for a Korean citizen not to have a Citizen ID number, this is generally not seen as a problem by most companies, but it obviously creates a big inconvenience for visitors to Korea. Since the requirement is set by law, it's not possible to ignore it, but KT has created a way to deal with it.

With KT, it is possible to activate a prepaid line of service, with the only requirement being a passport. The service is usable for up to 90 days, which gives the subscriber plenty of time to get their Alien Registration Card (which is required for sojourns longer than 90 days anyway). Once you receive your Alien Registration Card, you can register it to the account and continue to use the prepaid line, or switch to a postpaid plan.

(Note that because of the way all Korean telecom systems are set up, it is not possible to keep your prepaid phone number when switching to a postpaid plan. This applies for all carriers. There are services that will forward your calls for free, but just thought I'd mention that if you want to switch to a postpaid line, you will need to change your number.)

Here is what you will do when you arrive in Korea:
1. Take your phone to a KT Global Store, locations here:
http://expatblog.kt.com/category/List%20of%20KT%20Global%20Stores
Coming straight from Incheon International Airport, it's probably easiest to go to the "Gwanghwamun" store.
You can get there by taking the Airport Railway to "Gimpo Airport Station", then transferring to Line 5 (Purple Line) and getting off at "Gwanghwamun" Station, Exit 2.

The store is also one of our flagship stores, so it looks very nice

2. Present your iPhone and your passport, and ask to get a prepaid line activated.

Note: Korean phone systems work on a whitelist system, meaning that any phone unknown to the network is automatically disallowed from getting service. (Opposite of how the US works.) This means that until recently, phones not produced in Korea were unable to be activated on a Korean network. This all changed earlier this year, meaning you can indeed use your US bought iPhone in Korea, but the customer service rep will have to request to have your phone added to the network, which can take around 30-60 minutes, give or take, depending on how the network is.

3. Receive a SIM card (also called a USIM card, but they are the same thing). Once inserted into your phone, your phone will be activated with a prepaid number, good for up to 90 days.

4. Apply for Alien Registration
Since you said you will be in Korea for a year, you will have to apply for Alien Registry.

5. Once you get your Alien Registration Card ("ARC"), sometime within the 90 day period, visit one of the KT Global Stores and ask them to change over your account to the ARC, and also mention if you want to keep using a prepaid plan, or go with a postpaid plan.

6. ...Success!

Sigitas909 said:
3. If my iPhone works, what limitations are there on the network, if any?

Since there is no real difference between the iPhones released in Korea and the US, you shouldn't notice any differences in functionality!

Sigitas909 said:
4. How much can i expect to pay for a plan with low min but unlimited data?

For unlimited data, you will have to go with a minimum 55,000 won plan.
The plan is called "i-Value", and includes:
* 200 Voice minutes
* 300 Text messages (Includes SMS/LMS/MMS)
* Unlimited 3G data
* Unlimited WiFi hotspot usage at any of over 50,000+ KT WiFi Hotspots nationwide (There are even hotspots on moving subway cars and boats that go up the Han river!)

There are a number of different rate plans that you can go with, and for that it's probably best to talk to one of the representatives at the Global Store so you can find one best tailored to your needs. Here is a list of the most common rate plans: http://expatblog.kt.com/category/Rate%20Plans

You can get more information by digging around the KT Expat Blog at http://expatblog.kt.com.
If you have issues during the process, you can give the foreign language customer service center a call: 02-2190-1180, or shoot me a message on twitter @olleh_expats.

Have a safe flight, and welcome to Korea!

--Chris
Manager, Marketing Strategy Team
KT

ck16 · Sep 12, 2011

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your comprehensive post. Your post has been the most helpful I've read to date regarding obtaining a prepaid SIM card in South Korea.

I have two further questions regarding obtaining a prepaid SIM card:

- Will KT provide a prepaid SIM to visitors staying for one month and therefore not applying for an Alien Registration Number
- Will KT allow the use of a HTC Desire on their network? (WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz and GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz)

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
Chris

s4yunkim said:
[After writing this, I realize this is a very long post, but it's very detailed and useful information, I promise!!]

Hi there!

My name is Chris, and I run a lot of the foreign customer side of KT's services.

...

s4yunkim · Nov 9, 2011

Sorry, didn't see this post for a while:

ck16 said:
- Will KT provide a prepaid SIM to visitors staying for one month and therefore not applying for an Alien Registration Number

Yes, the ability to sign up for a prepaid plan with a passport has no connection to whether or not you plan to undergo Alien Registry.

ck16 said:
- Will KT allow the use of a HTC Desire on their network? (WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz and GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz)

Yes, as along as it is an unlocked phone, and supports the 2100mHz WCDMA band, it will work on our network.

If you have any other questions, please direct them to @olleh_expats on twitter, where you're more likely to get a much faster response.

japlady · Nov 19, 2011

Mac user moving to Korea

Chris, thank you SO much for this post, I've been searching info on this for days ... including your twitter feed. You really need to past this as an FAQ on your twitter.

So essentially,

1) my iphone with 3G or better (iphone 4 or 4S) will work, as long as I

2) get it to one of the 5 KT Global (olleh) stores in Seoul (one of which is on the Kyunghee campus where I'll be working), where they will add me to the IMEI registration (FOR FREE, the absurd fee being a thing of the past),

3)but I need to also bring my passport for the temporary 3 month prepay sim card

4) when I get my 'alien registration' card I can then go back to the store for a longer term prepay sim, but it will be a different phone number.

YES?

Now here's a different question;

5) I am a dedicated mac user, I have a macbook, an ipod touch, an iphone, etc, and I'll be working at Kyunhee U. where they have something called Wibro (which I'm told is different from WiFi).

Will the KT global store also be able to provide me with a mac compatible USB Wibro modem? How much will it cost? Would it be cheaper and more useful to just try to access KT wifi hotspots (or are those actually wibro)?

6) if I have other wifi things, like my ipod touch, or my macbook... what do I need to do to get wifi for that? I know Seoul is massively wired, but is it just lots of hotspots that I need a login to access or is it free wifi, or are there in essence so many hotspots if your signed up for KT wifi at this point that whole city is essentially under an umbrella of signal?

Thanks!!!

(please twitter me or email me or something when you respond so that I don't miss it)

s4yunkim said:
[After writing this, I realize this is a very long post, but it's very detailed and useful information, I promise!!]

Hi there!

My name is Chris, and I run a lot of the foreign customer side of KT's services.

Korea, unlike the states, does most all of it's cell phone sales through "official retailers". This means that 95% of the stores you'll see on the streets are not actually stores set up by the telco's, but separate "companies" that resell the telco's products. This also means that there can be misinformation between the resellers, and when it comes to helping foreign customers, asking 5 different stores can mean getting 5 different (wrong) answers.

One of the ways we are dealing with this is by launching what we call "KT Global Stores". Some of these stores are directly run by us, and some are resellers, but we keep a check on all of them, making sure that they're up to date on procedures for foreign subscribers, as well as making sure they at least have someone who speaks English on their staff. (Often times they have speakers of other languages too, such as Chinese, Japanese, German, etc.)

The telco system in Korea is pretty tricky, but pretty easy once you have the right information. Let me take your questions one by one, and hopefully your experience will be as smooth as possible.

If it is an unlocked, 3G-capable iPhone, yes, it will work in Korea. There are 3 major wireless telco's in Korea, and each have their own brand name for their wireless service:

- Korea Telecom, "KT" (Also known as "olleh", formerly "SHOW")
- SK Telecom (Also known as "T")
- LG Telecom (Also known as "LG U+")

Since 3G WCDMA is only supported by KT and SK Telecom, those are the two networks your phone will work on. LG Telecom supports CDMA only (similar to Verizon).

In Korea, getting wireless service (and by association, a SIM card), requires that the subscriber have a Citizen ID number, or an Alien Registration Number (in the case of foreign nationals). This applies to both prepaid and postpaid service, and is mandated by Korean Telecommunication Law. For this reason, unlike in the US and many other countries, it is not possible to just walk into a store and grab a prepaid SIM card.

The Alien Registration process takes about 3-4 weeks from the time of application, meaning it can take up to a month before you can freely sign up for a line of service.

Since there is no reason for a Korean citizen not to have a Citizen ID number, this is generally not seen as a problem by most companies, but it obviously creates a big inconvenience for visitors to Korea. Since the requirement is set by law, it's not possible to ignore it, but KT has created a way to deal with it.

With KT, it is possible to activate a prepaid line of service, with the only requirement being a passport. The service is usable for up to 90 days, which gives the subscriber plenty of time to get their Alien Registration Card (which is required for sojourns longer than 90 days anyway). Once you receive your Alien Registration Card, you can register it to the account and continue to use the prepaid line, or switch to a postpaid plan.

(Note that because of the way all Korean telecom systems are set up, it is not possible to keep your prepaid phone number when switching to a postpaid plan. This applies for all carriers. There are services that will forward your calls for free, but just thought I'd mention that if you want to switch to a postpaid line, you will need to change your number.)

Here is what you will do when you arrive in Korea:
1. Take your phone to a KT Global Store, locations here:
http://expatblog.kt.com/category/List%20of%20KT%20Global%20Stores
Coming straight from Incheon International Airport, it's probably easiest to go to the "Gwanghwamun" store.
You can get there by taking the Airport Railway to "Gimpo Airport Station", then transferring to Line 5 (Purple Line) and getting off at "Gwanghwamun" Station, Exit 2.

The store is also one of our flagship stores, so it looks very nice

2. Present your iPhone and your passport, and ask to get a prepaid line activated.

Note: Korean phone systems work on a whitelist system, meaning that any phone unknown to the network is automatically disallowed from getting service. (Opposite of how the US works.) This means that until recently, phones not produced in Korea were unable to be activated on a Korean network. This all changed earlier this year, meaning you can indeed use your US bought iPhone in Korea, but the customer service rep will have to request to have your phone added to the network, which can take around 30-60 minutes, give or take, depending on how the network is.

3. Receive a SIM card (also called a USIM card, but they are the same thing). Once inserted into your phone, your phone will be activated with a prepaid number, good for up to 90 days.

4. Apply for Alien Registration
Since you said you will be in Korea for a year, you will have to apply for Alien Registry.

5. Once you get your Alien Registration Card ("ARC"), sometime within the 90 day period, visit one of the KT Global Stores and ask them to change over your account to the ARC, and also mention if you want to keep using a prepaid plan, or go with a postpaid plan.

6. ...Success!

Since there is no real difference between the iPhones released in Korea and the US, you shouldn't notice any differences in functionality!

For unlimited data, you will have to go with a minimum 55,000 won plan.
The plan is called "i-Value", and includes:
* 200 Voice minutes
* 300 Text messages (Includes SMS/LMS/MMS)
* Unlimited 3G data
* Unlimited WiFi hotspot usage at any of over 50,000+ KT WiFi Hotspots nationwide (There are even hotspots on moving subway cars and boats that go up the Han river!)

There are a number of different rate plans that you can go with, and for that it's probably best to talk to one of the representatives at the Global Store so you can find one best tailored to your needs. Here is a list of the most common rate plans: http://expatblog.kt.com/category/Rate%20Plans

You can get more information by digging around the KT Expat Blog at http://expatblog.kt.com.
If you have issues during the process, you can give the foreign language customer service center a call: 02-2190-1180, or shoot me a message on twitter @olleh_expats.

Have a safe flight, and welcome to Korea!

--Chris
Manager, Marketing Strategy Team
KT

s4yunkim · Nov 20, 2011

Hello there ^^

I saw your questions on twitter, and I responded to them (as well as those here) via twitter, but just for the same of thoroughness, I'll answer them briefly here:

1) my iphone with 3G or better (iphone 4 or 4S) will work, as long as I

Yes.

2) get it to one of the 5 KT Global (olleh) stores in Seoul (one of which is on the Kyunghee campus where I'll be working), where they will add me to the IMEI registration (FOR FREE, the absurd fee being a thing of the past),

Yes, but there are actually 7 Global Stores in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, the locations of which you can find here: http://expatblog.kt.com/category/List%20of%20KT%20Global%20Stores

3)but I need to also bring my passport for the temporary 3 month prepay sim card

Yes.

4) when I get my 'alien registration' card I can then go back to the store for a longer term prepay sim, but it will be a different phone number.

Yep

5) I am a dedicated mac user, I have a macbook, an ipod touch, an iphone, etc, and I'll be working at Kyunhee U. where they have something called Wibro (which I'm told is different from WiFi).

Will the KT global store also be able to provide me with a mac compatible USB Wibro modem? How much will it cost? Would it be cheaper and more useful to just try to access KT wifi hotspots (or are those actually wibro)?

6) if I have other wifi things, like my ipod touch, or my macbook... what do I need to do to get wifi for that? I know Seoul is massively wired, but is it just lots of hotspots that I need a login to access or is it free wifi, or are there in essence so many hotspots if your signed up for KT wifi at this point that whole city is essentially under an umbrella of signal?

Yes, we do have mac compatible USB WiBro Modems, but most people usually go for something we call an "Egg".

WiFi is available in hotspots (over 100,000 of them in Korea, in fact) and that service is called olleh WiFi. They are numerous enough that you can generally get it anywhere you are in Seoul (you can actually get continous WiFi from the street to the subway station to the subway car, even in motion). You can register a single device for 8,000 Won (around $7-8) a month, or you can get a package that lets you use it with multiple devices, depending on your needs.

WiBro, also commonly known as WiMax, is kind of like cell phone signals, but much faster. It used to be that you would plug in a USB modem to your laptop so your computer could access the WiBro network, but now-a-days most people use the thing I mentioned earlier called an "Egg", which is a small palm-sized device that receives the WiBro signal and rebroadcasts it as a general WiFi signal, so rather than only being able to use it with your laptop, you can use it with any device that can use WiFi (including your iPhone, iPod, game devices, kindle, etc). The modem and the "egg" are usually the same price, so most people opt for the "egg".

There are always promotions going on that give you the WiBro Egg/Modem for free in exchange for 1 year of continued service, as well as a heavy discount (sometimes up to 50% discount) on the monthly rate plan (which, depending on the amount of data you need, can be from 10,000 won/$10 to 40,000/$40). These are always coming and going but are usually available throughout most of the year. Once you figure out which method works better for you, you can get a more accurate estimate of your costs based on your needs by visiting a Global Store.

Also, I'm not sure when you'll be in Seoul, but winter just started (meaning the high dropped to about 40 deg F/4.5 deg C), so bring warm clothes!!

Hope that helps!

Chris Kim
Manager, Expat Marketing Team
KT (Korea Telecom)

meltedd · Jan 31, 2012

Mac User upgrading to iPhone 4

Hi there, thanks for replying to my tweet.

Last year I registered my 3GS with olleh KT and it worked fine. I subsequently upgraded to iOS5 while here. FYI, I'm on an i-Value plan.

Went home for the holidays and swopped my 3GS for an iPhone 4, which already has the iOS5 on it. Today when I tried to get a usim card at the global store, they told me that foreign iPhones with iOS5s can no longer be registered, meaning I couldn't get my sim card.

If I somehow manage to downgrade my os back to iOS4 (jailbreak?), can the phone be registered? Does this mean that if I were to buy the iPhone 5 when it comes out here, that I would not be able to register for phone service anywhere else but in Korea?

Please help! Stuck with a white elephant of an iPhone 4 and a really crappy second hand phone

Shadowbech · Feb 1, 2012

meltedd said:
Hi there, thanks for replying to my tweet.

Last year I registered my 3GS with olleh KT and it worked fine. I subsequently upgraded to iOS5 while here. FYI, I'm on an i-Value plan.

Went home for the holidays and swopped my 3GS for an iPhone 4, which already has the iOS5 on it. Today when I tried to get a usim card at the global store, they told me that foreign iPhones with iOS5s can no longer be registered, meaning I couldn't get my sim card.

If I somehow manage to downgrade my os back to iOS4 (jailbreak?), can the phone be registered? Does this mean that if I were to buy the iPhone 5 when it comes out here, that I would not be able to register for phone service anywhere else but in Korea?

Please help! Stuck with a white elephant of an iPhone 4 and a really crappy second hand phone

If you purchased an iphone 4 that came with stock iOS5 right out of the box, there is no way to downgrade that and you will be stuck at iOS5.

On the side note, if you are in Korea when the next generation releases, then just buy it there, because they do country unlocking (carrier unlocking) and you can dial 114 on your phone and request an unlock. I know that Olleh does this but I'm not sure about SK

centeredki69 · Mar 8, 2012

Olleh/nespot hotspot wifi only access please help clarify!

Hello, my wife and I will be in Korea for the month of may 2012. We would like to access the Olleh/nespot wifi hotspots in Seoul, subways, GS marts, Emarts and any other areas offered. We have 4 iOS devices we would like to use.

1 iPhone 4s, 1 iPhone 3GS and 2 wifi iPad2..

Our phones are not unlocked so I understand we would not be able to connect them to the Korean 3G cell network using a Korean sim card.
That is fine. We only want unlimited access to the wifi hotspots.

1. I have read there are single device or multi device wifi hotspot plans around 8,800 to 15,000 depending on how many devices.

2. I also have read that a alien registration number or Korean ID number is needed to sign up. My wife is a Korean national so we have the Korean ID.

3. I also understand KT registers our device MAC address which allows us access.

4. Is Olleh also Nespot?

Any verification on the accuracy of this post would help me greatly. Also step to take when arriving such as the correct store or phone number to call if all this is possible.

Thank you

Mizzrt99 · May 20, 2012

Prepaid plan

Hi,

I will be going to Korea for exchange from August to December this year. I am subscribed to Singtel (Singapore) and using a samsung Galaxy S II. I was wondering if it is possible to purchase a prepaid mobile plan from KT and then using my own mobile phone during the period of my stay.

In addition, what are the plans avaliable for prepaid?
Please advise. Thank you

davyid24 · May 22, 2012

Confused!

s4yunkim said:
Since 3G WCDMA is only supported by KT and SK Telecom, those are the two networks your phone will work on. LG Telecom supports CDMA only (similar to Verizon).

I know this post is a year old, but hope you still frequent this forum.

From my understanding WCDMA is different from GSM.
I have an iPhone 4 from ATT that utilizes GSM.
Will I still be able to purchase a prepaid SIM card from either KT or SK Telecom? Do these companies support WCDMA as well as "regular" GSM?

Shadowbech · May 22, 2012

davyid24 said:
I know this post is a year old, but hope you still frequent this forum.

From my understanding WCDMA is different from GSM.
I have an iPhone 4 from ATT that utilizes GSM.
Will I still be able to purchase a prepaid SIM card from either KT or SK Telecom? Do these companies support WCDMA as well as "regular" GSM?

As long as you have an unlocked iphone it will work. I can confirm that it does, because currently I am in South Korea and am using a Pre-paid plan on my unlocked iPhone, and I am on Olleh (Kt), I am currently on AT&T in U.S.

Although there is no GSM in Korea, it uses UMTS 2100 as their frequency so it will definitely work.

----------

Mizzrt99 said:
Hi,

I will be going to Korea for exchange from August to December this year. I am subscribed to Singtel (Singapore) and using a samsung Galaxy S II. I was wondering if it is possible to purchase a prepaid mobile plan from KT and then using my own mobile phone during the period of my stay.

In addition, what are the plans avaliable for prepaid?
Please advise. Thank you

Not sure if you will read this but yes you can get a prepaid mobile plan, as long as you have some sort of an ID (passport will work). There is no plan for prepaid. Once you get a sim card from KT or SK, you will have to charge it to use it. So say you charge 10,000 won into the sim card, you can then use it to make phone calls, texting, and using data. However using data will eat that money up pretty fast. Also if you are out of money on that sim card, after 14 days, the sim card will be inactive and you will lose the number. As long as you have money into that sim card you should be fine. They do eventually expire, from 60 days to a year, depending on how much you charge it.

F.Y.I: All incoming text, and calls are free and won't count toward your pre-paid rate.

Here is the link to the pre-paid rate.

jerrykim16 · May 23, 2012

HEY I"M KOREAN I CAN HELP YOU ALOT... !!

yes is my answer

lalaniali · Jun 5, 2012

You are my HERO!

s4yunkim said:
Hello all. I originally started browsing and posting on this forum almost 3 years ago because of the frustration of not being able to use my iPhone in Korea. Well, wouldn't you know, fate would have it that I now work at Korea Telecom (aka KT), the first carrier in Korea to carry the iPhone.

Partly because of this whole frustrating ordeal, I pushed to get a guide in English, written to help foreigners get cell phones in Korea, as well as guides on how to use non-Korean whitelisted phones in Korea (which only became available as of a few years ago).

Well, I pushed for the project and here it is. It's a continual work in progress and it's always being updated, so if you have comments or suggestions, let me know.

The site is the "KT Expat Blog" http://expatblog.kt.com/

and comments, suggestions, are always welcome via twitter at: @olleh_expats

I sincerely hope that it prevents the head scratching and frustration that I had to go through when I first got to Korea.

I hope that helps

Let me kick this off by saying that you, my friend have been helping countless numbers of people for over a year by starting this thread! And for this, we all (the people who are stressing about taking their unlocked phones to Korea) THANK YOU for your efforts.

Now I am just gonna ask you these questions as more of an UPDATE, just to make sure that after a year everything is still going smoothly

. ALSO since you started this post a few things have changed, the iPhone is now available on all major US carriers (unlocked on T-mobile), and I wanted to make sure that those of us who don't subscribe to AT&T can bring our phone over as well.

The FACTS:
>My wife and I are visiting Korea for the FIRST time and we will be staying for 3 weeks, arriving at Incheon Airport.
>I have an iPhone 4S Running on Firmware 5.1.1.
>I called Sprint's international dept and got it unlocked (legitimately) because our standing with Sprint has been good for over 90 days and we have no restrictions on our account.
>Once I plugged my phone into iTunes and did a restore (and put the back up data onto my phone) I got a screen in iTunes congratulating me for unlocking my phone.
NOTE: Even though I have Sprint, the phone has a SIM card tray on the side.

What I need to know:
>Do I still have to leave Incheon Airport to get to a KT location and have service started on my phone?
>How much do ALL the plans cost? I read about the 55,000W plan earlier but are there more options?
>Does it matter that I have a Sprint iPhone 4s?

Before I read into this subject too much I reserved an iPhone 4 from SK Telecom via website and they said that I could pick it up from Incheon. I am pretty sure that KT and LGU+ do the same thing. So does that mean I can use SK to just get a SIM in MY phone as well or is it KT that does this only?

ONCE AGAIN THANKS FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND SORRY FOR THE LONG POST!

Shadowbech · Jun 5, 2012

lalaniali said:
What I need to know:
>Do I still have to leave Incheon Airport to get to a KT location and have service started on my phone?
>How much do ALL the plans cost? I read about the 55,000W plan earlier but are there more options?
>Does it matter that I have a Sprint iPhone 4s?

Before I read into this subject too much I reserved an iPhone 4 from SK Telecom via website and they said that I could pick it up from Incheon. I am pretty sure that KT and LGU+ do the same thing. So does that mean I can use SK to just get a SIM in MY phone as well or is it KT that does this only?

ONCE AGAIN THANKS FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND SORRY FOR THE LONG POST!

Here is the rate of the plans: LINK.

Also if you click on the other link posted by s4yunkim, you can find the locations where they are located. I would recommend Itaewon location because that's where foreigners usually go to. If you are looking for a i-type plans, you will need a Korean ID or an Immigration ID to open a service, if you don't have one, that they won't offer you a i-type plans. You can use your passport, but you only have the pre-paid option, there is no separate data plan and they count toward the amount that it was charged on the pre-paid sim card. If you scroll a bit up, I did post a link to the pre-paid rate page so you might want to check that out. As long as device is unlocked it should work. Keep in mind that they will need your register your IMEI to the network.

I'm not too sure about the phones you reserved and picking it up at Incheon. I could be wrong but Incheon International Airport SK, Olleh, and LG stalls are rent-a-phone service type and are expansive.

I have an unlocked iPhone 4S which I purchased in U.S and I do have an account with AT&T as I consider U.S my home (U.S Citizen). Anyways, I brought my unlocked iPhone to Korea when to the Olleh place in Gwanghwamoon and was given the option of the pre-paid rate plan (my mom's cousin works at the Olleh headquarters and owns about 4 KT stores, but because I'm opening a new line he can't do anything because I would need a Immigration ID, which I don't have so pre-paid is the only option I had). Personally I would go with this route as it's cheaper and you only have to charge your sim card the amount you need instead of having to go with the i-type plan as it is a waste of money if you are only staying for 3 weeks.

xsdeus · Jun 30, 2012

Shadowbech said:
Here is the rate of the plans: LINK.

Also if you click on the other link posted by s4yunkim, you can find the locations where they are located. I would recommend Itaewon location because that's where foreigners usually go to. If you are looking for a i-type plans, you will need a Korean ID or an Immigration ID to open a service, if you don't have one, that they won't offer you a i-type plans. You can use your passport, but you only have the pre-paid option, there is no separate data plan and they count toward the amount that it was charged on the pre-paid sim card. If you scroll a bit up, I did post a link to the pre-paid rate page so you might want to check that out. As long as device is unlocked it should work. Keep in mind that they will need your register your IMEI to the network.

I'm not too sure about the phones you reserved and picking it up at Incheon. I could be wrong but Incheon International Airport SK, Olleh, and LG stalls are rent-a-phone service type and are expansive.

I have an unlocked iPhone 4S which I purchased in U.S and I do have an account with AT&T as I consider U.S my home (U.S Citizen). Anyways, I brought my unlocked iPhone to Korea when to the Olleh place in Gwanghwamoon and was given the option of the pre-paid rate plan (my mom's cousin works at the Olleh headquarters and owns about 4 KT stores, but because I'm opening a new line he can't do anything because I would need a Immigration ID, which I don't have so pre-paid is the only option I had). Personally I would go with this route as it's cheaper and you only have to charge your sim card the amount you need instead of having to go with the i-type plan as it is a waste of money if you are only staying for 3 weeks.

This is exactly the information I was looking for!

I'm studying abroad in Korea for the summer and brought my AT&T iPhone 4S. It's not unlocked yet as my plan won't end until July 20th, at which time I will request an unlock.

I'll be staying in Korea until the end of September and was looking for a way to use my phone. I believe your post helped answer most of my questions.

But one more question: is there a fee when you first buy the pre-paid sim card? I'll be using a normal phone (they call them feature phones here) with a pre-paid sim card until my iPhone can be unlocked late July/early August.

Shadowbech · Jun 30, 2012

xsdeus said:
But one more question: is there a fee when you first buy the pre-paid sim card? I'll be using a normal phone (they call them feature phones here) with a pre-paid sim card until my iPhone can be unlocked late July/early August.

Yes there is a fee when you buy the pre-paid sim. It costs about 5,500 won (for KT) I'm not so sure about SK so you may have to find out about SK. Just make sure you bring your passport with you.

xsdeus · Jun 30, 2012

Shadowbech said:
Yes there is a fee when you buy the pre-paid sim. It costs about 5,500 won (for KT) I'm not so sure about SK so you may have to find out about SK. Just make sure you bring your passport with you.

Cool, that sounds very reasonable. I'll most likely be going with KT (olleh, was it?). For some reason, my computer keeps advising against me going to the expatblog because of potential malware risks.. so I'll have to figure out where the closest KT global center is to either Sinchon station or Bucheon station.

(I just bought a retina macbook pro.. just trying to stay as clean as possible with it as long as I can :3)

Thanks Shadowbench!

Shadowbech · Jul 1, 2012

xsdeus said:
Cool, that sounds very reasonable. I'll most likely be going with KT (olleh, was it?). For some reason, my computer keeps advising against me going to the expatblog because of potential malware risks.. so I'll have to figure out where the closest KT global center is to either Sinchon station or Bucheon station.

(I just bought a retina macbook pro.. just trying to stay as clean as possible with it as long as I can :3)

Thanks Shadowbench!

Yea for some reason that site has issues. I can't excess it either. Anyways I know there is one in Gwanghwamoon Station exit 2 (right next to it), and that is where I got mine done. There is is 7 locations.

1. Gwanghwamoon Station
2. Gangnam Station
3. Hongik University (this would be your closest since it's few stops away from Sinchon station).
4. Itaewon
5. Jongno (Jonggak Station)
6.Kyunghee Univerisity
7. Noksapyeong

Hongik University (홍대) - KT Direct Store

Address: 162-1 Dongkyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Phone: (02) 322-4664
Languages Spoken: Korean, English, Chinese (Mandarin)

How to Get There: Take Seoul subway line 2 to Hongik University Station, exit 9. The store is located approximately 20 meters ahead from the exit.

If you need more information about other location then just PM me.

xsdeus · Jul 3, 2012

I'm getting really annoyed of the temporary phone I am using until my iPhone 4S can be legally unlocked. Is there a way to unlock an iPhone 4S running iOS 5.1.1? And if this is possible, would the process at the KT Global Center change at all (in terms of registering the IMEI of the phone, etc)?

sarino · Aug 8, 2012

Hi there,
i am going to visit Seoul for 10 days this mid Month, i am using Iphone 4 with IOS 5.1.1, and all i need when i am there is Internet Connection, and i think i am going to get a Prepaid SIM Card. anda i have a few question for that

- Is there any Data Plan for Prepaid Sim Card?such as Unlimited Data or Limited Data? and how much will it cost.

- If i'm not buying SIM Card, can i buy a wifi plan?

- After I arrive at Incheon in the Morning, i will then catch a flight to Jeju in the afternoon from Kimpo, so can u suggest the nearest place where i can buy a prepaid Sim Card as i am not familiar with Seoul. i is my first time to Seoul for Holiday..

Thank You So Much>>

iPhone 3G works great in South Korea

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