Buying a SIM card or eSIM in Korea: where, what ID and what it costs
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
Visitors can buy a prepaid physical SIM (USIM) or an eSIM from Korean carriers. The official tourism site says USIMs are sold at carrier roaming centers inside Incheon, Gimpo, Gimhae and Jeju airports and at some convenience stores, and eSIMs are bought online and set up by scanning a QR code. KT's own page shows the cheapest data plan at ₩6,500 for 1 day and ₩143,000 for 90 days, and asks for a passport or alien registration card as ID.
Step by step
- Check your phone. The service needs the phone's country lock to be off, and may not work with every device model or frequency band. For an eSIM, confirm your phone supports eSIM before you buy. Ask your home carrier about the country lock.
- Choose physical or eSIM. A USIM goes into your phone and can be bought at airport roaming centers, at select convenience stores and retailers, or online and picked up at the airport. An eSIM is bought online and installed by scanning a QR code.
- Decide whether you need calls and texts. On KT's page, incoming calls and texts are free, but only after an identity check (entry check) at the KT roaming center in the airport. Outgoing calls and texts need a top-up. A data-only eSIM cannot be topped up for voice service, and the page lists outgoing calls and texts as not available for it.
- Buy. KT: reserve and pay in advance, then pick up the SIM at the roaming center at your arrival airport after ID check. Pay with a card issued outside Korea, since KT says it does not accept Korean-issued credit or debit cards. Buying an eSIM online: make sure the details you enter match your passport, or the eSIM may be restricted.
- Bring ID. KT lists the requirement as an ID card, meaning a passport or certificate of alien registration.
- Install and activate. eSIM: scan the QR code within 30 days of purchase or it is terminated with no refund. It can be installed only once, so do not delete it afterwards. USIM: after inserting it you may need to restart the phone up to 5 times for it to be recognized.
- Extend or top up if needed. Extensions are in blocks of 5, 10, 20 or 30 days; voice top-ups run from KRW 5,500 to 55,000. The total of rental and extensions cannot exceed 90 days.
Where to buy
| Place | What the official page says |
|---|---|
| Airport roaming centers | Incheon, Gimpo, Gimhae and Jeju International Airports have roaming centers run by Korean network operators. They sell prepaid USIMs and give pickup for cards ordered ahead. |
| Convenience stores | CU, GS25, 7-Eleven and Emart24 sell physical USIMs, but stock varies by branch, so check the store's website or app first. |
| Online | Buy an eSIM online and scan the QR code, or buy a USIM online and pick it up at the airport. |
The tourism site names the carriers' roaming sites: roaming.kt.com (KT), www.sktroaming.com (SK Telecom) and www.lguplus.com (LG U+). It also lists a Korea SIM site, krsim.net. Prices and locations are on the operators' own pages.
KT prepaid prices (one carrier, one price list)
KT's English pages for its prepaid SIM and eSIM show one price list (VAT included). The Data plan has unlimited data with speed control; "Data & Voice" adds about 60 minutes of calls; "Data & Travel" has 0 call minutes (top-up needed) and comes with a free transportation card. We did not fetch SK Telecom or LG U+ prices, so this table is not a comparison.
| Period | Data | Data & Voice | Data & Travel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | ₩6,500 | — | — |
| 2 days | ₩12,000 | — | — |
| 3 days | ₩18,000 | ₩23,500 | ₩16,200 |
| 4 days | ₩23,000 | ₩28,500 | ₩20,700 |
| 5 days | ₩27,500 | ₩33,000 | ₩24,700 |
| 6 days | ₩31,500 | ₩37,000 | ₩28,400 |
| 7 days | ₩35,000 | ₩40,500 | ₩31,500 |
| 10 days | ₩38,500 | ₩44,000 | ₩34,600 |
| 15 days | ₩55,000 | ₩60,500 | ₩49,500 |
| 20 days | ₩60,500 | ₩66,000 | ₩54,400 |
| 30 days | ₩71,500 | ₩77,000 | ₩64,300 |
| 60 days | ₩107,200 | ₩112,700 | ₩107,200 |
| 90 days | ₩143,000 | ₩148,500 | ₩143,000 |
In the eSIM page's own comparison, the voice eSIM is bought on site at the airport roaming center only, while the data-only eSIM can be bought on site or online. The limit per person is 1 voice SIM and up to 4 data SIMs.
Where the official pages are unclear
| Topic | What we found |
|---|---|
| Date of the tourism page | The VISITKOREA page shows 03/27/2023 at its top and "last updated on September 11, 2026" at its foot, so its text may be older than the second date. |
| ID rule | The tourism page does not state an ID rule. KT's page does (passport or alien registration card), and says calls and texts need the entry check at the airport center. |
| "Available online" vs "pick up at the airport" | KT's SIM page asks you to reserve and pay online, then collect at the airport. KT's eSIM page says the data eSIM can be bought online and the voice eSIM on site only. |
Limits to know
- KT's SIM is for foreign tourists staying up to 90 days and can be used for at most 90 days from first activation. A SIM must be used within 90 days of purchase or it expires with no refund.
- KT SIM does not support personal authentication, and is available only in Korea. Calls are restricted if used for illegal spam calls.
- eSIM purchases cannot be cancelled or refunded once completed. If you delete an eSIM from the phone you cannot extend it, and no new QR code is provided.
- Identity verification is available for only one contract number per passport.
Common questions
Can I buy a SIM in Korea without a passport?
KT's page lists an ID card (passport or alien registration certificate) as the requirement. The tourism page names no ID rule.
Do I get a Korean phone number?
KT says all its numbers start with 010. Calls and texts need the airport entry check.
The KT pages print no revision date; they were read on 2026-10-19 with the built-in browser. Carrier prices change, and the carrier's page wins over this page.
Official sources
- VISITKOREA (Korea Tourism Organization) — Electricity & Communications — USIM vs eSIM, airport roaming centers, convenience-store chains, carrier site names; page foot says last updated September 11, 2026 (checked 2026-10-19)
- KT Roaming — Prepaid SIM (English) — price list, ID requirement, 90-day limit, extension and top-up; no revision date (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
- KT Roaming — eSIM (English) — eSIM options, online vs on-site purchase, QR installation within 30 days; no revision date (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
Prices change. If an official page shows a different number from this page, the official page wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.