WeBring Korean

How to get a Korean SIM and phone plan

A prepaid SIM needs only a passport and works on day one. A postpaid line in your own name needs an Alien Registration Card, but it is the one that unlocks identity verification for banking, deliveries and government apps — so plan to upgrade once your card arrives.

What to bring

  • Prepaid: passport only.
  • Postpaid: Alien Registration Card, passport, and a Korean bank account or card for auto-payment.
  • An unlocked phone; the shop may ask for its IMEI number.

Step by step

  1. 1.Decide prepaid or postpaid

    Prepaid (선불) is instant at the airport or any phone shop and is topped up in blocks of days or data. Postpaid (후불) bills monthly, needs the ARC, and gives you a permanent 010 number.

    Say it in Korean

    • 휴대폰 개통하러 왔어요.hyudaepon gaetonghareo wasseoyoI came to activate a mobile phone.
    • 유심만 사고 싶어요.yusimman sago sipeoyoI just want to buy a SIM card.

  2. 2.Choose a carrier

    SKT, KT and LG U+ run the networks, have stores everywhere and handle foreign customers smoothly. Budget carriers (알뜰폰, MVNO) rent the same networks for a fraction of the price and sign you up online with your ARC number and a Korean card; activation takes a day or two.

    Say it in Korean

    • 어떤 요금제가 좋아요?eotteon yogeumjega joayoWhich plan is good?
    • 가족 결합 할인 같은 것도 있어요?gajok gyeolhap harin gateun geotdo isseoyoIs there something like a family bundle discount?

  3. 3.Pick a plan and check the contract

    Compare data allowance, price per month and whether a contract (약정) is required. No-contract plans cost slightly more but have no early-termination fee (위약금) — better if you may leave within two years.

    Say it in Korean

    • 한 달에 얼마예요?han dare eolmayeyoHow much per month?
    • 약정 기간이 얼마나 돼요?yakjeong gigani eolmana dwaeyoHow long is the contract period?
    • 약정 기간이 끝났는지 확인해 주세요.yakjeong gigani kkeunnannneunji hwaginhae juseyoPlease check whether my contract period has ended.

  4. 4.Complete identity verification

    A postpaid line in your name enables phone-based identity checks (본인인증) used by banks, shopping sites and public apps. Prepaid lines on a passport often cannot do this.

    Say it in Korean

    • 본인 인증은 어떻게 해요?bonin injeungeun eotteoke haeyoHow do I do identity verification?

  5. 5.Switch carriers later without losing your number

    Number portability (번호이동) lets you move to another carrier and keep your number. Check any remaining contract or device installment first.

    Say it in Korean

    • 번호 이동을 하면 위약금이 발생하나요?beonho idongeul hamyeon wiyakgeumi balsaenghanayoIf I do a number transfer, will there be a cancellation fee?

  6. 6.Solve the everyday problems

    Running out of data, a slow connection or a lost phone are all handled at the carrier store or customer center — the phrases below cover the common cases.

    Say it in Korean

    • 데이터가 부족해요.deiteoga bujokhaeyoI don't have enough data.
    • 인터넷이 너무 느려요.inteoneti neomu neuryeoyoThe internet is too slow.
    • 인터넷이 자꾸 끊겨서 너무 불편해요.inteoneti jakku kkeunkyeoseo neomu bulpyeonhaeyoThe internet keeps disconnecting and it's really inconvenient.

Cost

Prepaid SIM
From roughly 30,000 KRW including some data
Budget carrier plan
Roughly 10,000–30,000 KRW per month
Big three carrier plan
Roughly 45,000–80,000 KRW per month

Watch out

  • Prepaid lines expire if you do not top up; you can lose the number.
  • Carriers can suspend a line when the visa on file expires — extend your stay first, then update the carrier.
  • A 24-month device installment is a debt; if you may leave Korea early, buy the phone outright.

Steps, fees and deadlines were checked against the sources below on 2026-09-12. Rules change — confirm with the office or company you visit. Sources: Seoulstart — Korea SIM card guide

Real questions from residents

Asked and answered by foreigners living in Korea on WeBring Connect.

Ask your own question

All 60 telecom phrases

Daily life in Korea runs on small, specific phrases. These 60 telecom expressions cover the situations residents face in practice, each with romanization and an English meaning (A2–B2). Examples include “휴대폰 개통하러 왔어요” and “어떤 요금제가 좋아요”. These 60 phrases are graded A2 20 · B1 20 · B2 20 on the CEFR scale and run from 9 to 48 characters.

KoreanMeaning (EN)
휴대폰 개통하러 왔어요.hyudaepon gaetonghareo wasseoyoI came to activate a mobile phone.
어떤 요금제가 좋아요?eotteon yogeumjega joayoWhich plan is good?
와이파이 비밀번호 좀 알려 주세요.waipai bimilbeonho jom allyeo juseyoPlease tell me the Wi-Fi password.
한 달에 얼마예요?han dare eolmayeyoHow much per month?
유심만 사고 싶어요.yusimman sago sipeoyoI just want to buy a SIM card.
데이터가 부족해요.deiteoga bujokhaeyoI don't have enough data.
인터넷이 너무 느려요.inteoneti neomu neuryeoyoThe internet is too slow.
약정 기간이 얼마나 돼요?yakjeong gigani eolmana dwaeyoHow long is the contract period?
본인 인증은 어떻게 해요?bonin injeungeun eotteoke haeyoHow do I do identity verification?
이 폰 카메라 잘 나와요?i pon kamera jal nawayoDoes this phone's camera take good photos?
알뜰폰도 여기서 가입할 수 있어요?altteulpondo yeogiseo gaipal su isseoyo?Can I sign up for a budget carrier plan here too?
선불 유심 있어요?seonbul yusim isseoyo?Do you have prepaid SIM cards?
이심으로 개통되나요?isimeuro gaetongdoenayo?Can I activate the line with an eSIM?
자급제 폰도 개통돼요?jageupje pondo gaetongdwaeyo?Can you activate a phone I bought separately?
요금은 자동 이체로 해 주세요.yogeumeun jadong ichero hae juseyo.Please set the bill up on automatic bank transfer.
데이터 무제한 요금제 있어요?deiteo mujehan yogeumje isseoyo?Do you have an unlimited data plan?
인터넷과 티브이를 같이 신청할게요.inteonetgwa tibeuireul gachi sincheonghalgeyo.I would like to sign up for internet and TV together.
설치 기사님 언제 오세요?seolchi gisanim eonje oseyo?When will the installation technician come?
지금 해지하고 싶어요.jigeum haejihago sipeoyo.I would like to cancel the service now.
소액결제를 막아 주세요.soaekgyeoljereul maga juseyo.Please block carrier billing on my phone.
지금 쓰는 요금제가 좀 비싼 것 같아서 변경하고 싶어요.jigeum sseuneun yogeumjega jom bissan geot gataseo byeongyeonghago sipeoyoMy current plan feels a bit expensive, so I'd like to change it.
약정 기간이 끝났는지 확인해 주세요.yakjeong gigani kkeunnannneunji hwaginhae juseyoPlease check whether my contract period has ended.
번호 이동을 하면 위약금이 발생하나요?beonho idongeul hamyeon wiyakgeumi balsaenghanayoIf I do a number transfer, will there be a cancellation fee?
인터넷이 자꾸 끊겨서 너무 불편해요.inteoneti jakku kkeunkyeoseo neomu bulpyeonhaeyoThe internet keeps disconnecting and it's really inconvenient.
가족 결합 할인 같은 것도 있어요?gajok gyeolhap harin gateun geotdo isseoyoIs there something like a family bundle discount?
해외 로밍 요금제 추천해 주실 수 있어요?haeoe roming yogeumje chucheonhae jusil su isseoyoCould you recommend an international roaming plan?
스팸 전화가 너무 많이 와서 차단하고 싶어요.seupaem jeonhwaga neomu mani waseo chadanhago sipeoyoI'm getting too many spam calls — I want to block them.
고객센터 상담사 연결이 너무 오래 걸려요.gogaeksenteo sangdamsa yeongyeori neomu orae geollyeoyoIt takes too long to be connected to a customer service agent.
공유기 비밀번호 바꾸고 싶은데 어떻게 해요?gongyugi bimilbeonho bakkugo sipeunde eotteoke haeyoI want to change my router password — how do I do that?
휴대폰을 잃어버려서 분실 신고하러 왔어요.hyudaeponeul ireobeoryeoseo bunsil singohareo wasseoyoI lost my phone and came to file a loss report.
외국인등록증 만료일이 얼마 안 남았는데 그래도 가입할 수 있나요?oegugindeungnokjeung mallyoiri eolma an namanneunde geuraedo gaipal su innayo?My residence card expires soon, but can I still sign up?
이사를 가는데 인터넷을 새 집으로 옮길 수 있어요?isareul ganeunde inteoneseul sae jibeuro omgil su isseoyo?I am moving, so can I transfer the internet line to my new place?
요금이 미납되어서 전화가 정지됐는데 어떻게 풀어요?yogeumi minapdoeeoseo jeonhwaga jeongjidwaenneunde eotteoke pureoyo?My line was suspended for an unpaid bill, so how do I get it restored?
한 달 동안 한국을 떠나는데 회선을 일시 정지할 수 있나요?han dal dongan hangugeul tteonaneunde hoeseoneul ilsi jeongjihal su innayo?I will be out of Korea for a month, so can I suspend the line temporarily?
인증 문자가 안 와서 은행 앱에 로그인을 못 하겠어요.injeung munjaga an waseo eunhaeng aebe rogeuineul mot hagesseoyo.The verification text never arrives, so I cannot log in to my banking app.
청구서를 영문으로 이메일로 받아 볼 수 있을까요?cheongguseoreul yeongmuneuro imeillo bada bol su isseulkkayo?Could I receive the bill in English by email?
통신사 멤버십 할인은 어디에서 쓸 수 있어요?tongsinsa membeosip harineun eodieseo sseul su isseoyo?Where can I use the carrier membership discounts?
유심을 새 휴대폰으로 옮기면 바로 쓸 수 있나요?yusimeul sae hyudaeponeuro omgimyeon baro sseul su innayo?If I move the SIM card to a new phone, can I use it right away?
태블릿에도 데이터를 나눠 쓸 수 있는 요금제가 있나요?taebeullisedo deiteoreul nanwo sseul su inneun yogeumjega innayo?Is there a plan that lets me share data with my tablet?
명의를 제 이름으로 바꾸려면 무엇이 필요해요?myeonguireul je ireumeuro bakkuryeomyeon mueosi piryohaeyo?What do I need to transfer the account into my name?
약정 위약금과 단말기 할부 잔액을 합쳐서 정확히 얼마인지 계산해 주실 수 있나요?yakjeong wiyakgeumgwa danmalgi halbu janaegeul hapchyeoseo jeonghwakhi eolmainji gyesanhae jusil su innayoCould you calculate exactly how much it would be when combining the cancellation fee and the device installment balance?
이 요금제가 정말 저에게 맞는지 사용 패턴을 보고 분석해 주세요.i yogeumjega jeongmal jeoege manneunji sayong paeteoneul bogo bunseokhae juseyoPlease analyze whether this plan really fits me by looking at my usage pattern.
단말기 보상 프로그램 조건이 생각보다 까다로운 것 같은데, 자세한 안내 부탁드려요.danmalgi bosang peurogeuraem jogeoni saenggakboda kkadaroun geot gateunde, jasehan annae butakdeuryeoyoThe device trade-in program conditions seem stricter than expected — please give me a detailed explanation.
데이터 사용 내역을 분석해서 다음 달부터 자동으로 요금제가 바뀌게 할 수 있나요?deiteo sayong naeyeogeul bunseokhaeseo daeum daerbuteo jadongeuro yogeumjega bakkwige hal su innayoCan you set it so my plan automatically switches starting next month based on my data usage analysis?
어제 응대해 주신 직원 분이 약속한 혜택이 청구서에 반영되지 않았어요.eoje eungdaehae jusin jigwon buni yaksokhan hyetaegi cheonggusoe banyeongdoeji anasseoyoThe benefit promised by the employee who served me yesterday isn't reflected on the bill.
5G 커버리지가 우리 동네까지 잘 들어오는지 미리 확인할 수 있는 방법이 있을까요?obi keobeoriiji uri dongnekkaji jal deureooneunji miri hwaginhal su inneun bangbeobi isseulkkayoIs there a way to check in advance whether 5G coverage reaches my neighborhood?
외국인 명의로 가입할 때 제출 서류가 매번 바뀌는 것 같아 답답합니다.oegugin myeonguiro gaipal ttae jechul seoryuga maebeon bakkuineun geot gata dapdapamnidaIt's frustrating that the documents required for foreigners to sign up seem to change every time.
결합 상품으로 묶었을 때 실제 절감액이 얼마나 되는지 시뮬레이션 해 주실래요?gyeolhap sangpumeuro mukkeosseul ttae silje jeolgamaegi eolmana doeneunji simyulleisyeon hae jusillaeyoCould you simulate how much I'd actually save if I bundled my plans?
제 요금제로는 해외에서 데이터가 안 터지는 경우가 많아 출장마다 불편합니다.je yogeumjeroneun haeoeeseo deiteoga an teojineun gyeonguga mana chuljangmada bulpyeonhamnidaWith my plan, data often doesn't work overseas, which is inconvenient on every business trip.
장기 가입 고객인데도 신규 가입자와 혜택 차이가 너무 큰 것 같아요.jangi gaip gogaeginde do singyu gaipjawa hyetaek chaiga neomu keun geot gatayoEven as a long-term customer, the benefit gap with new subscribers feels too wide.
선택 약정 할인이랑 공시 지원금 중에 어느 쪽이 더 이득인지 비교해 주시겠어요?seontaek yakjeong harinirang gongsi jiwongeum junge eoneu jjogi deo ideuginji bigyohae jusigesseoyo?Could you compare whether the monthly contract discount or the handset subsidy works out better for me?
알뜰폰으로 옮기면 통화 품질이나 속도가 지금보다 떨어지는지 궁금합니다.altteulponeuro omgimyeon tonghwa pumjirina sokdoga jigeumboda tteoreojineunji gunggeumhamnida.I am wondering whether call quality or speed will get worse if I switch to a budget carrier.
설치 기사님이 방문하실 때 집에 사람이 꼭 있어야 하는지 미리 알고 싶어요.seolchi gisanimi bangmunhasil ttae jibe sarami kkok isseoya haneunji miri algo sipeoyo.I would like to know in advance whether someone has to be home when the technician visits.
해지하면 남은 단말기 할부금을 한 번에 다 내야 하는지 확인 부탁드립니다.haejihamyeon nameun danmalgi halbugeumeul han beone da naeya haneunji hwagin butakdeurimnida.Please confirm whether I have to pay off the remaining phone installments all at once if I cancel.
온라인으로 가입하면 대리점보다 사은품이 적다고 들었는데 정말인가요?ollaineuro gaipamyeon daerijeomboda saeunpumi jeokdago deureonneunde jeongmaringayo?I heard that signing up online comes with fewer freebies than at a store, is that true?
계약서에 적힌 속도와 실제 측정 속도가 계속 차이가 나서 기록을 남겨 두었습니다.gyeyakseoe jeokin sokdowa silje cheukjeong sokdoga gyesok chaiga naseo girogeul namgyeo dueotseumnida.The speed written in the contract and the speed I actually measure keep differing, so I have kept a record.
출국할 때 로밍 대신 현지 유심을 쓰면 한국 번호로 오는 문자는 어떻게 되나요?chulgukal ttae roming daesin hyeonji yusimeul sseumyeon hanguk beonhoro oneun munjaneun eotteoke doenayo?If I use a local SIM abroad instead of roaming, what happens to texts sent to my Korean number?
건물 배선 문제로 설치가 안 된다고 하는데 다른 방법이 있을까요?geonmul baeseon munjero seolchiga an doendago haneunde dareun bangbeobi isseulkkayo?They say installation is impossible because of the building wiring, so is there any other option?
제 명의로 모르는 회선이 개통돼 있는지 조회해 볼 수 있을까요?je myeonguiro moreuneun hoeseoni gaetongdwae inneunji johoehae bol su isseulkkayo?Could you check whether any lines I do not know about are registered under my name?
요금 청구 주기와 실제 사용 기간이 달라서 첫 달 요금이 왜 이렇게 나왔는지 모르겠어요.yogeum cheonggu jugiwa silje sayong gigani dallaseo cheot dal yogeumi wae ireoke nawanneunji moreugesseoyo.The billing cycle does not match my actual usage period, so I do not understand why the first month cost this much.

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Frequently asked questions

How many Korean telecom phrases are on this page?
This page lists 60 telecom phrases in Korean, each with romanization and an English meaning.
What level are these Korean telecom phrases?
They span A2–B2 on the CEFR scale (A2 20 · B1 20 · B2 20), which suits beginner to intermediate learners.
Can I hear how these Korean phrases are pronounced?
Yes — every phrase on this page has a play button with audio. The free WeBring Korean app adds quizzes and spaced-repetition review.
How many of these telecom phrases are questions?
33 of the 60 end in a question mark; the other 27 are statements.
What speech endings do these Korean phrases use?
55 end in the polite -요 form and 1 in the formal -습니다 form; the rest use other endings.