South Korea is more popular than ever. Tourism there has been skyrocketing in recent years, and travel sites have been scrambling to keep up. Where should you go in South Korea? How can you stay connected once you’re there?
South Korea is a relatively small country, but it’s absolutely packed with cultural attractions and unique experiences. Gyeongbokgung Palace is the most commonly visited site in South Korea. The most beautiful? Namiseom Island. And be sure you don’t miss out on Korea’s exciting music scene!
Most people who visit South Korea stay in Seoul because it’s essentially the epicentre of the country. There are many interesting districts to choose from and the most exciting activities in South Korea are close by.
Keeping connected in South Korea is a slightly tougher question. Your cell phone likely won’t work there without swapping out the SIM card and buying some travel data. To do this, you can purchase a local or a global SIM. Local SIM’s can be a bit cheaper, but they don’t have all the advantages of a global SIM.
Local SIM’s
South Korea isn’t the easiest country to set up a local SIM card, but you can do it. Prompts from a South Korean SIM will not be in English, so you will need to have good Korean language skills or be able to ask the store employee to set the card up for you. It is not uncommon for South Korean data to take several days to be viable on your phone, so be sure to get one as soon as possible. In fact, you can actually buy a local SIM at the airport as soon as you land.
South Korea has multiple options for service providers. As long as you have your passport with you, you can purchase a local SIM card from any of them.
- SK Telecom is the largest provider in South Korea. Their coverage is good and they usually offer short-term plans made especially for tourists and travellers.
- Kt Olleh is South Korea’s second largest provider. Their SIM cards are cheaper and they still have good coverage. In fact, their download speeds are often better than SK Telecom.
You can refill the data on your local SIM card at any authorized retailer, and there’s a good chance the employees will know at least some English. However, it’s best to stick to the official phone stores to make sure there’s a phone-savvy employee on hand to assist you. (Pro-tip: South Korean stores are the least crowded in the morning, so try to time your visits to avoid crowds and long wait times.)
Global SIM’s
The possibility of a local SIM not working for the first few days of your trip can be a deal breaker for a lot of people. So it is recommended that you go with a global SIM if you need guaranteed service for the entirety of your trip. Global SIM cards are designed for travelling and work in all major countries. They can be a bit more expensive at the start, but they’re often worth the investment.
Global SIM’s have some worthwhile benefits over local SIM’s.
Reusable
You only need to purchase one global SIM for all your travelling needs. A global SIM will work as well in Germany as it does in Russia. So even if you never plan on returning to South Korea, you can still get some more use out of your SIM card.
Purchase Data Online
Data for local SIM’s must be purchased on pre-paid cards found in various stores. A global SIM sets you up with a data account that you can top off online whenever you need to.
Pre-trip Activation
Global SIM’s can be purchased and set up before you leave for your trip. This ensures that you can give out your new international phone number to anyone who needs to contact you while you’re away.
Long Distance Calls
Many global SIM’s have good deals on calling and texting back home while you’re abroad. Answering a long distance call with a local SIM can result in huge charges depending on your provider.
Many companies sell global SIM’s, so you can afford to be a little picky. Each provider will have a slightly different country list, so make sure they offer reliable coverage and fair prices for the regions you plan on visiting. And double check that you can carry over your data from trip to trip. BNESIM is a good choice for people travelling as a family or a group because they offer free data use between people using their SIM’s. They also don’t place any blackout dates on your data, so you never have to worry about your plan expiring before you have a chance to use it all.
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