Korea SIM and eSIM guide for visitors: buy, activate, top up

Should I get an eSIM or a physical SIM in Korea?

Start with your phone rather than the price list. To check eSIM compatibility, dial *#06# on the phone's keypad; if an EID appears, the phone supports eSIM (eSIM is not supported on Google Pixel or OPPO devices). If no EID appears, look at a physical SIM or a rented pocket Wi-Fi router instead.

Price is not what separates the two at KT: its physical SIM and its eSIM are listed at the same price for each plan length that both are listed in. The table sets the published prices side by side, together with the LG U+ data-only eSIM, which is listed in shorter lengths.

"Not listed" means the carrier page checked for this guide did not publish a price for that length. It does not mean the length cannot be bought.

The real differences lie in what each product does and where you can buy it:

• KT's physical SIM: Unlimited data with a daily 11GB high-speed allowance; after 11GB per day, speed drops to 5Mbps and resets every midnight.
• KT's data eSIM: The Data eSIM is data-only, with no outgoing call or SMS capability; unlimited data with speed control, and the expiration date can be extended.
• KT's voice eSIM, with calls and texts: The voice eSIM (with call/SMS) is available on site only at the KT roaming center in the airport.

Can I make calls and send texts on a visitor SIM or eSIM?

It depends on the product, so decide this before you buy. The KT data eSIM covers data only, as the list above shows. If you need calls and texts on an eSIM, KT's voice eSIM includes them, but it is sold only at the airport counter, so it cannot be set up before you fly.

KT's physical SIM can carry calls and texts too. Its voice and text credit is added as a top-up, and the ranges are shown in the section on extending a plan further down.

Texts sent from the LG U+ data-only eSIM are charged at ₩55 each.

If a restaurant, tour operator or host is likely to phone you, the voice products are the ones to look at.

What documents do I need to buy a Korean SIM or eSIM?

Both carriers' rules name a passport. For KT's visitor SIM: Exclusively for foreigners visiting Korea; requires a passport or alien registration certificate. KT's eSIM carries the same foreigner-only condition. This is a prepaid product exclusively for foreigners visiting Korea.

LG U+ asks for a little more at the counter. A passport and a credit card with the same name as shown on the passport are required for on-site rental. The card is held as a deposit rather than charged. A credit card is authorized for 1,111 KRW without being charged as the deposit at the airport counter; the same name as the passport is required. If you hand over a debit card instead, the deposit is ₩70,000.

Both carriers limit how many products one person can buy. At KT the cap is 1 voice SIM and up to 4 data SIMs per person. LG U+ sets its own limit. A single passport holder can purchase up to 3 SIM cards.

KT's rule for its visitor SIM also accepts an alien registration certificate in place of a passport, as stated above. No other document, such as a hotel booking or a return ticket, appears in the requirements checked for this guide. SK Telecom's document rules are not covered by the pages checked for this guide.

Can I order a SIM or eSIM before I fly and collect it at the airport?

Yes, at both KT and LG U+.

At KT: Reserve and pay online in advance, then pick up the SIM at the KT roaming center at the arrival airport after identity verification. Keep an eye on the dates, because the clock starts at purchase. The SIM must be used within 90 days after purchase, otherwise it expires with no refund.

At LG U+ an advance booking is optional. No prior reservation is required; pocket Wi-Fi, SIM or eSIM can be rented on the day of arrival by visiting an LG U+ Customer Center, though booking in advance provides additional benefits. There is no courier option: LG U+ does not offer a delivery service for pocket Wi-Fi or SIM rentals; pickup at an airport customer center is required.

LG U+ eSIM orders are tied to the airport counters in the same way. Pick it up at Incheon, Gimpo, or Gimhae Airport. The card deposit described above applies at pickup.

You can buy the LG U+ eSIM before you travel, but it is picked up at one of those airports and used in Korea. An eSIM can be purchased in advance before visiting Korea, but it can only be used once in Korea and must be activated within its validity window, since it cannot be used after the period expires. Its activation window is set out separately: The data eSIM must be activated within 60 days after purchase. For its data eSIM, LG U+ adds: No refund after payment for data eSIM.

Plan the pickup around your landing time. If you land late in the evening, choose a counter that is still open when you reach the arrivals hall (see the counter list below).

How do I buy and install KT's data eSIM?

Start with where you can buy it. The Data-only eSIM can be purchased both on site and online, unlike the voice eSIM which is only sold on site at the airport roaming center. When you pay online, note the card rule: Payment with credit or debit cards issued in Korea is not accepted.

Installation is done with a QR code. Install the eSIM by scanning a QR code; installation is available within 90 days of purchase but must happen within 30 days of purchase or it is automatically terminated with no refund.

Treat that code as single-use. An eSIM can be installed only once; deleting it after installation means no new QR code is issued and the eSIM cannot be extended. In practice this means installing it once, on the phone you will travel with, and leaving the profile in place until the trip is over.

KT does not take an eSIM back once it is paid for, so buy when your dates are firm. eSIM purchases are non-cancellable and non-refundable once the purchase is completed.

Where are the SIM counters at Incheon Airport?

The carrier counters in the airport listings used here are on the first floor of Terminal 1, spread between Arrival Hall A and Arrival Hall F.

KT. KT roaming center pickup counters at Terminal 1, 1F Arrival floor: near Arrival Hall A (opposite Exit 2), and near Arrival Hall F (opposite Exit 13). The Hall A counter keeps hours of 06:00–22:00. The Hall F counter has longer hours: KT Roaming Center open 24 hours near Arrival Hall F on the west side of 1st Floor, Terminal 1.

SK Telecom. SK Telecom Roaming Center open 24 hours near Arrival Hall F on the west side of 1st Floor, Terminal 1. A second SK Telecom counter, on the east side near Arrival Hall A, keeps hours of 06:00–22:00. The roaming centre's phone number is 02-6343-9000. The pages checked for this guide list no SK Telecom visitor SIM or eSIM products, prices or document rules, so call or ask at the counter if you want to compare it with KT and LG U+.

LG U+. LG U+ Roaming Center open 24 hours near Arrival Hall F on the west side of 1st Floor, Terminal 1.

Pocket Wi-Fi. Wifi dosirak pocket Wi-Fi counter near Arrival Hall F on the west side of 1st Floor, Terminal 1, with opening hours of 06:00–22:00.

KT, SK Telecom and LG U+ each list a round-the-clock counter near Arrival Hall F. For a late arrival at Terminal 1, that means you can still collect a pre-ordered KT SIM there, or visit the LG U+ counter without a reservation.

The counter listings used here describe Terminal 1. If you land at Terminal 2, or fly into Gimpo or Gimhae, check the carrier's own counter list before you count on a walk-up purchase. For LG U+ the picture is broader: LG U+ customer centers are located at Incheon Airport, Gimpo Airport, and Gimhae Airport; no delivery service is offered.

Can I top up or extend a prepaid SIM without a Korean bank account?

None of the requirements KT lists for its visitor plans involves a Korean bank account, and the payment rule points the other way. Payment with credit or debit cards issued in Korea is not accepted.

KT's physical SIM can be extended. The SIM period can be extended by 5, 10, 20 or 30 days; voice/SMS top-up ranges from KRW 5,500 to 55,000. There is a ceiling on how far that can go. The total period of rental and extensions combined must not exceed 90 days from the initial activation date. KT's data eSIM can have its expiry date extended too, as noted in the first section.

The KT pages checked for this guide do not spell out where an extension or top-up is paid for. Ask at the roaming counter when you collect the SIM, or call KT's foreign-customer line on +82-2-2190-0901 (free from any KT mobile phone, press 6 for foreign customer).

For LG U+ products, extensions and top-ups go through its customer line: 010-3998-1004.

When does a pocket Wi-Fi router make more sense than a SIM?

A router lets several phones and other devices share one connection, which can suit a group or a family travelling together. Up to 10 devices can be connected simultaneously to a Pocket Wi-Fi.

LG U+ applies its usual document and deposit rules to router rentals. A passport and a credit or debit card in the same name as the passport are required for on-site rental; credit cards are not charged but used for deposit hold, debit card deposits are prepaid and auto-refunded.

The trade-off is the return trip. LG U+ sets its router against its own SIM and eSIM on this point: A data SIM or eSIM does not need to be returned once paid off at purchase, unlike a rented pocket Wi-Fi device which must be returned and settled. You can hand the router back at a different airport from the one you rented it at. The device can be returned at any LG U+ customer center at Incheon, Gimpo, or Gimhae airport, even if it is not the one where it was originally rented. Charges are settled at that point. Payment can be made using cash or credit card upon return. If you keep it longer than planned, each extra day costs ₩4,400.

What if my eSIM stops working or I can't reach a counter?

You deleted the eSIM profile. Neither carrier will reissue it, as covered above for KT. LG U+ is just as firm: Once an eSIM is activated in a device, it cannot be reinstalled or reissued. If the line is misbehaving, call the carrier before you remove anything.

You landed after a counter closed. At Terminal 1, walk to the Arrival Hall F end, where the round-the-clock counters are. If you are at another terminal or airport, check the carrier's own counter list.

You lost your phone at the airport. Mobile phones, tablet PCs and smartwatches are stored for one month, then transferred to the Mobile Phone Lost & Found Center (1566-4300).

You need help at the airport. The airport help desk is on 1577-2600 (international: 82-2-1577-2600), and it is staffed 07:00–22:00.

KT or LG U+ products need sorting out after you leave the airport. Use the carrier numbers in the top-up section above.