여행 The short answer
Get an eSIM if your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. It's the least hassle: you set it up at home, land with data, and keep your own SIM in the phone. Get a pocket WiFi if a couple, a group of friends or a family wants to share one connection, or if someone's phone can't take an eSIM.
Get a physical SIM if your phone has no eSIM, or if you want a Korean number for calls and texts. Stay on your home roaming plan for a short trip, when keeping your usual setup matters more than the cost. Check the current price of each option on the store page before you decide.
Our picks at a glance
Paid links · Store and booking links in this guide are affiliate links: when you buy or book through them, K for All earns a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability change, so check the store before you buy. How we pick: we compare official information, specs, prices and published reviews; we haven't personally tested every product.
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1Best for most travelers with an unlocked, eSIM-ready phone
Korea 5G eSIM
A data-only eSIM for all of South Korea, with plans from 1 to 30 days and hotspot sharing. You install it before you fly, and its days only start counting once it connects to a Korean network. Klook gives a full refund if you cancel before the eSIM connects.
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2Best for groups, families and phones that can't take an eSIM
KT 4G pocket WiFi (airport pickup)
One router connects up to 3 devices, and its battery lasts up to 8 hours. You collect it at a Korean airport counter with your voucher, your passport and a credit card in your name; debit cards aren't accepted. Stay longer and you pay for the extra days when you return it, which has to be in Korea.
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3Best if you want a Korean number or your phone has no eSIM
KT prepaid SIM card (Incheon pickup)
Pick it up at KT counters in the Incheon Terminal 1 and 2 arrival halls, or at Gimpo or Gimhae, with your voucher and passport. Choose data only, or add domestic calls and texts by topping up at the counter. It won't work on a carrier-locked phone, so test the SIM before you leave the desk.
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4Best for choosing an exact data amount, from 1GB to unlimited
Ubigi South Korea eSIM
A data-only eSIM from Ubigi, a brand of Transatel (NTT), that uses the SK Telecom and LG U+ networks in Korea. Plans run from 1GB for 7 days (US$3) to unlimited data for 30 days (US$49), and the best seller is 10GB for 30 days (US$14). The plan starts when you arrive in Korea, and you can share data with your other devices. Prices as of October 30, 2026.
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5Best for short trips that need unlimited data, from 3 days
Nomad South Korea eSIM
A travel eSIM from Nomad (LotusFlare) for South Korea. Fixed-data plans run from 1GB for 7 days to 50GB for 30 days, and unlimited plans last 3, 5, 7 or 10 days, with prices from US$4. It can connect to the SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ networks, supports hotspot sharing, and starts once it connects in Korea; activate it within 60 days of buying. Plans as of October 30, 2026.
eSIM: check your phone first
An eSIM is a digital SIM built into your phone. You buy it online and scan a QR code to set it up, so VisitKorea advises checking that your phone supports eSIM before you pay. The phone also has to be unlocked: Apple notes that to use two carriers, your carrier must unlock your iPhone.
Install the Klook eSIM at home while you're on Wi-Fi. Its days only start once it connects to a Korean network, so you can set it up well ahead. When you land, pick the eSIM for mobile data and switch on data roaming. Your home SIM stays in the phone, so you keep your own number alongside it.
This eSIM is data only, so it doesn't come with a Korean phone number. It does allow hotspot sharing, which helps with a laptop or a travel partner's phone, but sharing all day uses a lot of battery, so carry a power bank.
- Check eSIM support and lock status in your phone's settings, or ask your carrier.
- Install before you fly; the plan starts when it first connects in Korea.
- Cancel before it connects and Klook refunds you in full.
Pocket WiFi: one connection for the whole group
A pocket WiFi is a small router you carry around. The KT unit sold on Klook connects up to 3 devices at once and its battery lasts up to 8 hours, so it suits people who stay together all day. It also helps with older phones, tablets and carrier-locked phones, since they only need to join a Wi-Fi network.
The catch is the logistics. You pick it up at an airport counter with your passport and a credit card in your name (debit and dual-type cards are refused), charge it every night, and return it before you leave Korea. Whoever carries it is everyone's internet, so if your group splits up, the others go offline. Korean outlets are 220 V with two round holes, so pack an adapter for the charger if you need one.
Physical SIM: when you want a Korean number
VisitKorea notes that a SIM card can give you mobile data or a local mobile number. Physical USIM cards are sold at the roaming centers in major airports and at some branches of CU, GS25, 7-Eleven and Emart24, though stock varies by store. You can also buy one online and pick it up at the airport.
As of October 2026, the KT prepaid SIM on Klook is collected in Terminal 1 near Arrival Hall F (open 24 hours) or Arrival Hall A (06:00–22:00), and in Terminal 2 near Arrival Hall A (24 hours). Choose the calls-and-texts option if you want to phone restaurants, guesthouses or a guide from a local number. On a single-SIM phone it replaces your home SIM, so your usual number is off while it's in.
Home roaming and free Wi-Fi
Roaming on your home plan needs no new SIM and keeps everything as it is. Ask your carrier what it charges per day in Korea before you go. If you land without a plan, Incheon, Gimpo, Gimhae and Jeju airports have roaming centers where you can register your phone for roaming, buy a SIM, rent a Wi-Fi egg or even rent a smartphone.
Free public Wi-Fi is available in most public places in Korea, and AREX Express trains to Seoul Station have free Wi-Fi on board. Treat it as a backup rather than your main connection for maps and taxis on the street. Whatever you pick, set it up before you land so you can check your route into the city from the arrivals hall.
FAQ
Is an eSIM or a pocket WiFi better for Korea?
For one person with an unlocked, eSIM-ready phone, an eSIM is simpler: there's nothing to pick up, charge or return. A pocket WiFi makes more sense when several people want to share one connection all day, or when a phone can't use an eSIM.
Does my phone need to be unlocked for a Korean eSIM or SIM?
Yes. Apple says your carrier must unlock your iPhone before you can use two carriers, and the KT SIM sold on Klook doesn't work on carrier-locked phones. Check with your carrier before you buy. A pocket WiFi works either way, because your phone only joins its Wi-Fi.
Can I keep my own number with a Korea eSIM?
Yes. Your home SIM stays in the phone and the eSIM handles data, so your number stays active alongside it. Your home carrier may still charge for calls and texts on that number while you're abroad, so check its rates.
Where do I pick up a SIM card at Incheon Airport?
At the carrier counters on the arrivals floor. For the KT SIM sold on Klook, as of October 2026 they are near Arrival Hall F (24 hours) and Arrival Hall A (06:00–22:00) in Terminal 1, and near Arrival Hall A (24 hours) in Terminal 2. Bring your passport and voucher.
Do I need a Korean phone number as a tourist?
Not for maps, translation and messaging apps, which run on data. Get a SIM with domestic calls and texts if you expect to phone restaurants, hotels or guides in Korea, or want a local number to give them.
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Sources (9)
VisitKorea – Electricity & CommunicationsApple Support – Using Dual SIM with an eSIMKlook – Korea 5G eSIM termsKlook – KT pocket WiFi pickup termsKlook – KT prepaid SIM pickup locationsUbigi – South Korea eSIM data plansUbigi – South Korea 25GB 30 days plan (networks, activation)Nomad – South Korea eSIM plans (networks, activation, FAQ)AREX – Express train