Network Get Connected 1 Fiyat

If you’re looking for the best Korea SIM card for tourists, we can help.

We’ve compiled a list of all the Korea travel SIM cards that can be pre-ordered and picked up at the airport.

In some Asian countries, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia to name just a few, it’s also possible to have the SIM mailed to your home or to collect it at the airport of departure.

We used a Korea data SIM card from KT Olleh ourselves and we can honestly say that it was a big advantage. 

Not only to use excellent navigational apps such as Naver apps, Google Maps is pretty useless in South Korea, we also loaded a lot of other Korean apps on our phone.  Thanks to these apps we could eat where the locals eat, translate Korean texts and it also became much easier to interact with Koreans. 

I’ve listed some of the apps we used further down in this article.

We cover all the important details about the various Korean Sim card for foreigners, as well as all the aspects that you need to keep in mind when you’re making your selection.

Read on to find the best Korea prepaid SIM card for you.

There is a really good chance that this post contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, we may receive a small commission (for which we are deeply grateful) at no extra cost to you.

Tip: Be sure to become a member of our brand new Korea Travel Planning and Tips Facebook group. The purpose of this group is to help you plan an amazing vacation to South Korea.  You can ask questions and exchange tips with fellow travelers.

Why buy a Korea prepaid SIM card

It’s easy to travel independently around Korea, especially if you can use your smartphone as your travel companion.

We used our data connection a lot in South Korea, the country has several very useful apps for tourists.

Here are the apps that we used the most during our road trip in South Korea: 

• XE currency provides real-time conversion rates between the South Korean Won and your home currency.  
• Kakao Metro guides you through Seoul’s spaghetti-like metro network.  The app also works in Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, and Daejeon.
• Kakao T, this app enables you to call and pay for a taxi similar to Uber.  You can also use it to rent an electric bike. 
• Mangoplate, information on nearby restaurants including reviews
• Papago, fast and accurate translation of South Korean to 13 languages including English,  French, German, Japanese and Chinese.  It works offline and the quality of the translations beats those of Google Translate.
• Emergency Ready, an app provided by the Ministry of Interior and Safety. The app contains information about shelters, police and fire stations.  The government will share updates in case of natural disasters such as typhoons. ( Google Play – Apple Store)
• Visit Korea, an app provided by the Korea Tourism Organization.  It contains opening hours, prices and lots of other useful information about the many sights of the country.  To get the app, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “KTO Mobile apps”
• If you go to Lotte World or Everland you can use the apps of those theme parks to check the waiting times at the attractions.

Roaming costs are insane and Korea prepaid SIM cards are relatively cheap.  This makes it a good investment, even if you won’t be using your data connection on a daily basis.

South Korea has the world’s best 4G network so it would be a shame not to use it when you visit the country.

Larger cities such as Seoul also count numerous WiFi hotspots.  We tested these with mixed results.  Our experience with these WiFi hotspots is described below.

Free WiFi in Korea

You can find over , public WiFi hotspots in Seoul alone. With this number, you would think that a data connection is a superfluous luxury but it is not.

First of all, it is a hassle to register your phone over and over again at each new hotspot that you come across.  If it would stop there it wouldn’t be such a big thing.

Some registration forms are in Korean only though, making the task extra tedious. And then, to make things worse, after you have finally deciphered the form, you’re sometimes met with the notice that they only accept Korean phone numbers.

We went through this process a few times only to decide that the low cost of a local tourist SIM card, or a pocket WiFi rental, is not worth all the effort registering your phone at each hotspot hoping that it will work. 

There’re free WiFi hotspots you can use, certainly those in hotels and restaurants, but you shouldn’t be blindsided by these huge numbers. 

Despite a large number of hotspots WiFi is certainly not omnipresent. There are places, such as train and metro stations, where WiFi would come in handy but where there are no hotspots. (some stations have hotspots but not all)

Since a local SIM card is not that expensive at all, it is highly recommended to get one. Just like at home, you can use your cell phone in Korea for all kinds of things, from calling taxis, finding your way on public transport, to finding good restaurants.

South Korea SIM cards – The top choices

KT Olleh and SK Telecom offer Korea travel SIMs. 

On top of that, a bunch of other providers have their own travel SIM’s that also work in South Korea and that can be picked up abroad.

Further down in this article we list all the SIM cards that we could find along with all the information you need such as the included data plan and the fair usage policy.

In this section, we share our top choices.  These are the best data-only SIM’s and the best SIM that support voice calls and text messages.

For short stays

This KT Olleh card offered by Klook is the best for all stays of 30 days or less where a data connection is all you need. 

The SIM comes with unlimited data and nothing is mentioned about a fair usage policy. There may be none but even if there is one you are safe to assume that the first 3GB of data each day will be at 4G/LTE speeds. 3 GB is more than enough for normal use.

If your plans change and you need to extend your rental you can do so online.

For longer stays

Most SIM cards have a maximum duration of 30 days.  If you want to stay in Korea for longer than 30 days you will either need to buy multiple SIMs, something that not all providers allow, or extend your rental. The easiest option is to go for this SIM from KT Olleh which can be used for up to 90 days.

There are options for data-lite and data-heavy users.  The data-lite plan has MB of fast data per month, the other plan offers 10GB of 4G/LTE data.  Once the treshold is reached both plans offer unlimited data at 3 Mbps speed.

Voice-calls and texts are also possible but require that you top-up your SIM.

For voice calls

All the SIM cards we cover in this article will allow calls with Skype or other similar tools but in some instances, it is still better to make a traditional phone call.  

To do so you will need to buy one of the KT Olleh SIMs that support voice+text.

These SIMs can be pre-ordered through Klook and Trazy. 

When pre-ordered through Klook you will need to top-up your SIM yourself.

The SIMs pre-ordered through Trazy will have a starting balance of KRW 11,, enough for about 42 minutes of domestic calling. You can add more credits if necessary.

Both options are similar in price. KRW 11, is about 7 USD at the time of writing and the preloaded SIM is also 7 USD more expensive than the other one. So you do not financially benefit by choosing the preloaded option, it is just a matter of convenience. You can start calling right away and you don’t have to worry about the top-up process.

At Klook you have to select the package option “data + domestic call and texts (extra topup)”.

In addition to voice calls the SIMs also offer unlimited data.  Trazy stipulates 3GB of data at high speed per day + unlimited data at 5Mbps.  Klook doesn’t mention a fair usage policy.  Assuming it is the same we can safely state that this is more than sufficient for most users.

Pocket WiFi or Data SIM Korea – what is best

Both are perfect options to stay connected.  

During our past journeys, we used both. 

A WiFi device might be somewhat easier because all you need to do is turn it on and connect to the broadcasted WiFi signal. It is, of course, an extra device to drag along.

Below are some pros and cons of each.

Pocket WiFi for Korea

The main reason to opt for a pocket WiFi device would be that you don’t need to switch SIMs and you don’t need to change any settings on your phone.  You just need to make sure that your data connection is disabled to avoid any nasty data roaming fees. 

This is great if you’re not really tech-savvy and another advantage is that friends, family, work relations and anybody else who has your phone number will be able to reach you as if you were home.

If you want people to be able to reach you at all times then this is probably the best option.

Another advantage is that you can share the internet connection. Some devices support just 3 simultaneous connections, others as much as Some smartphones have a hotspot function that does the same but in our experience, this function drains the phone’s battery pretty quickly.

The principal disadvantage of a pocket WiFi device is that it is one extra device that you need to carry around and that you will need to charge on a daily basis if you use it frequently.

Prepaid SIM card in Korea

The moment that you install the local tourist SIM in your phone people will no longer be able to reach you on your home carrier’s number.  This may be a blessing, it’s time for a vacation after all. 

If you don’t mind cutting the ties with the home front for the duration of your holiday then a SIM card is by far still the most convenient option if you’re traveling solo or if you will not be sharing the connection with anyone else.

Everybody will still be able to contact you on Skype, as well as other similar tools such as Google Hangouts, or if you prefer you can opt for a SIM which supports voice+data. 

If you opt for such a SIM you will get a local phone number which you could share with relatives at home.

Below is an overview of the different South Korean tourist SIM cards. We included all the important details to help you choose the one that best suits your needs.

Network providers in South Korea

South Korea has the fastest 4G network in the world.  Regardless of which network you use,  you will surf at speeds that you probably can only dream of at home.

The three mobile operators in South Korea are LG U+, SK Telecom, and KT.  They all have an excellent coverage of the country. LG U+ is the winner with a coverage of 99,5% but both other operators also achieve a coverage of at least 95%.

The average download speed is a whopping 40 Mbps, SK Telecom even achieves 65 Mbps.  Upload speeds are lightning-fast as well. 

You will enjoy at least 10 Mbps with peaks to 15 Mbps with the networks of SK Telecom and LG U+.

All these figures just to show that you don’t need to worry too much about the operator when you choose your SIM card.

What you need to know and check before buying a Korean travel SIM

When you rent a Korean Pocket WiFi device you can be sure that it works. Before you buy a travel SIM you better check a few things to avoid some nasty surprises.

Here’s a checklist of the things to check before placing your order.

What you need to know before buying a SIM card for South Korea

Make sure to check these 3 things about your phone. 

Googling “technical specs X” where you replace X with the model of your phone should tell you everything you need to know.

Which size of SIM card do you need

Over the years the size of SIM cards has decreased.  Old models had the standard SIM, newer phones use the Micro-SIM and the Nano-SIM.

Almost all Korean travel SIM’s are so-called multi-size SIM’s which means they can be adapted to the required size.

You can’t do anything wrong with these multi-size SIMs but if the operator only offers Nano SIMs (like some do) you better check in advance if this is the right size for your phone.

To check what kind of SIM you need you can open your phone or you can check the technical specifications.

Is your phone unlocked?

Locked phones will not work in South Korea, they come with software that prevents them from being used on another network. 

If your phone is locked you might be able to unlock it by calling your phone carrier. 

Locking phones is not common in Europe but many US, Canadian and Japanese carriers lock phones that are bought through them.

Does your phone or pocket WiFi device works in Korea

If your phone is not compatible with the country’s network it will not work.

These are the network frequencies used by SK Telecom and KT Olleh, the two providers which offer tourist SIM cards in South Korea:

• 4G LTE Bands: Band 1(MHz), Band 3(MHz), Band 5(MHz), Band 8(MHz)
• 3G Bands: HSDPA MHz/HSDPA+

Make sure to check if your phone supports these frequencies.  The technical specs of your phone will show the supported frequencies or you could check this page for your telephone.

What to check before buying a South Korean SIM Card

There are of course important differences between the different SIM cards. Here we indicate what to look for when choosing your Korean SIM card.

Data or Data + Voice

Data-only SIM cards are by far the most common flavor among the tourist SIM cards. 

For most visitors, this type of SIM will be all they need. You can’t make any voice calls, and you cannot send text messages either, but you can still call and text using Skype, Whatsapp, Google Hangouts, and other similar apps. 

If you do need a local phone number you will need to choose a Data+Voice SIM.

Duration

All prepaid SIM cards can be used for a certain number of days.  This period starts when you activate the SIM. In some cases this period can be extended, it is not guaranteed so be sure to check whether extensions are possible when you order your SIM.  

If extensios are not possible you could see if it is possible to buy 2 cards. However, not all providers allow multiple cards to be purchased by the same person.

In any case, the maximum rental period is 90 days. For longer periods a residence card will be required.

Data allowance

Many SIM cards offer unlimited data but the fair usage policy (FUP) varies wildly among the different options.  A fair usage policy means that the speed will be throttled after a certain amount of data is used in a certain period of time, usually over the course of a day.

Some providers will cap the speed after 2 or 3 GB is used in one day.  This is, in our experience, relatively generous.  3GB is the equivalent of browsing the internet for 36 hours, streaming songs, or watching 6 hours of standard definition video.

Others only allow MB of high-speed data per day.  This is sufficient if you will only occasionally connect to the internet but you will quickly reach the limits of this subscription if you stream audio, video or often check your social media canals.

Once you reach the data limit the speed is reduced to either 3G or 2G.  A speed that may be workable to check some basic webpages but frustrating low if you’re used to 4G.

Sometimes the cards can be topped up to increase the FUP but this is an exception rather than the rule.

In our below overview you can see all the details about the fair usage policy and if the card can be topped-up we also mention this.

Pick up

Some SIM cards are shipped (for free) but most SIMs need to be collected at the airport. 

• Make sure to write down or print out the details of the pick-up location as well as the opening hours. (you will not be able to access the internet until after you’ve picked-up your SIM)
• In some cases, the order page or the confirmation mail includes a small map that shows where to pick up your SIM.  As you will not have internet until after you have collected your SIM it is a good idea to print this map or you could store it locally on your phone.  
• Not all collection points are open 24/7.  Make sure to check if the location will be open at the time you arrive and bear in mind that you will need to pass migration. It’s also best to provide a little margin in case your flight ends up being delayed.
• Above is a picture of the counter at Incheon Terminal 1B (it can be found near exit 6 in the arrivals hall. The counter at Terminal 1A looks similar and is near Exit At terminal 2 the pick-up counter is between Exit 2 and 3.
  Other locations:
  • Gimpo Airport: Arrivals hall, Exit 1
  • Busan Gimhae: Arrival hall, Exit 3
  • Busan Harbor: Passengers terminal, 2nd floor of the arrivals hall, Exit 4

Korea SIM card with airport pick-up

Preorder your Korea SIM card online

Here’s an overview of the different prepaid Korean SIM cards you can preorder online. The overview is organized by provider. 

For each, we list the most important details, if you need more information you can click on the associated links.

The advantage of ordering your Korean SIM card in advance

If you have just come from a long-haul flight, you are probably drowsy and not in the best shape to make a decision about which SIM you need. 

For this reason, we advise you to pre-order your South Korea SIM card online and have it sent to your home address or ready for pick-up at the airport.

Another advantage of ordering online is that you can take all the time you need to compare the different options. 

Korea SIM cards with pick-up at Seoul and/or Busan airport

KT Olleh (data or data + international calls & texts)

KT, short for Korea Telecom, is South Korea’s largest telephone company. Olleh is the brand name used for cellular broadband services. 

You can choose a data-only SIM or a prepaid SIM card that also supports outgoing voice calls and text messages.  

SIM cards from KT can be pre-ordered online from:

All SIMs, including the data-only SIMs, support incoming calls and text messages.  These are always free. Only the single-day card that can be ordered through Trazy does not come with a local Korean number.

All SIM cards can be recharged and extended online.  You have to do this before they expire.

• Size: Multi-size SIM cards (Normal, Nano and Micro).  The SIM can be adapted to work in any mobile phone.
• Network: KT Olleh
• Duration: 1 day (only available on Trazy), 5 days, 10 days or 30 days
• Pick-up:
  • Not all websites offer all pick-up options.
  • Make sure to check the opening hours of the pick-up locations, most are not open 24/7.
  • When you order with Klook you can choose between  Seoul Incheon airport terminal 1 & 2
  • GetYourGuide offers Incheon, Busan, and Gimpo airport + 2 downtown Seoul locations. (Hongdae & Myeong-dong)
  • At Trazy you can select to pick up the SIM at Incheon, Gimpo, or Busan airport. They also have pick-up locations at the Hongik University Subway station and the Myeongdong Subway station.
• Activation: The SIM card will be activated at the counter.  If, for some reason, the SIM would not work a refund will be arranged.  Data-only SIM’s can be activated at a later date if you prefer. If you want to activate your prepaid SIM on a later date you will need to inform the staff at the moment of pick-up.
• Topping Up: Is only required if you want to make voice-calls or send text messages.
• Price: $

GetYourGuide: Data-only SIM ( top-up for voice calls possible )

• 5 days: KRW 35,
• 10 days: KRW 47,
• 20 days: KRW
• 30 days: KRW 90,

Klook: Data-only SIM( top-up for voice calls possible )

• 5 days: KRW 24,
• 10 days: KRW 34,
• 20 days: KRW
• 30 days: KRW 64,

Pay attention to select the correct service type when you order

 Trazy: data-only SIM

At the time of writing there’s an ongoing promo. The first price is the promo price, the second is the regular price.

• 1 day: KRW 5, – KRW 6,
• 5 days: KRW 24, – KRW 27,
• 10 days: KRW 33, – KRW 38,
• 20 days: KRW – KRW 60,
• 30 days: KRW 62, – KRW 71,

Trazy SIMIncluding 11, KRW for voice calls

• 1 day: KRW 5, – KRW 6, (data-only, no voice calls supported)
• 5 days: KRW 35, – KRW 38,
• 10 days: KRW 44, – KRW 49,
• 20 days: KRW – KRW 71,
• 30 days: KRW 73, – KRW 82,

KT Olleh (data + unlimited domestic calls & texts)

This SIM is interesting if you won’t be making international phone calls. The calling rate of this SIM card is cheaper.

You are able to receive an unlimited number of international and domestic phone calls and text messages and you can call for minutes to domestic numbers.  You’re also able to send domestic text messages.

The data plan is unlimited.  There is a fair usage policy.  Your speed will be throttled to Kbps after you’ve used 10Gb of data.

The SIM card can be extended once for a maximum of 30 days.  The price to extend the duration of the SIM is KRW 3,/day.  

• Size: Multi-size SIM cards (Normal, Nano, and Micro).  You get a Nano SIM card with an adapter to the Micro and Normal format.
• Network: KT Olleh
• Duration: 5 days, 7 days,10 days, 15 days, or 30 days
• Pick-up:  The SIM card can be collected at Seoul Incheon airport terminal 1. Make your way to the CU convenience store on the 1st level between arrival gates D & E.  The card can be picked up 24/7. 
• Activation: Somebody is available on-site from 12 PM to 6 PM to help with the activation.  You can also register and activate the card yourself.
• Topping Up: Topping up is not possible.
• Price: $

Trazy:

At the time of writing there’s an ongoing promo. The first price is the promo price, the second is the regular price.

• 5 days: KRW 24, – KRW 29,
• 7 days: KRW 29, – KRW 33,
• 10 days: KRW 34, – KRW 39,
• 15 days: KRW 43, – KRW 50,
• 30 days: KRW 63, – KRW 73,

KT Olleh (longer stays)

This SIM card can be used for stays from 30 to 90 days.  It comes in 4 flavors.  3 variants have an initial duration of 30 days and can be extended twice for another 30 days. Maximum two extensions are possible, up to 90 days, unless you have a Residence Card. 

The extensions can be done online, a manual with the steps to do so will be provided together with your SIM.

The fourth SIM is valid for 90 days out of the box.

Let’s have a look at the different options in detail:

day data-lite SIM – KRW 36,(Normal price KRW 45,)

This SIM card offers:

• Unlimited domestic calls and text messages
• All incoming calls are free
• MB of high-speed 4G/LTE data.  Once this has been consumed you will get unlimited data at a limited speed of 3Mbps.
• Extend this SIM for another 30 days at KRW 36, (2 extensions MAX)

day data-heavy SIM – KRW 58, (Normal price KRW 67,)

This SIM card offers:

• Unlimited domestic calls and text messages
• All incoming calls are free
• 10 GB of high-speed 4G/LTE data.  Once this has been consumed you will get unlimited data at a limited speed of 3Mbps.
• Extend this SIM for another 30 days at KRW 36, (2 extensions MAX)

day data-max SIM with limited calls – KRW 43, (Normal price KRW 48,)

This SIM card offers:

• minutes of local calls, additional calls cost won/sec
• local text messages, additional messages cost 22 won/message
• All incoming calls are free
• 15 GB of high-speed 4G/LTE data.  Once 15GB has been consumed your speed is throttled to 3Mbps until the end of your contract.
• The SIM cannot be topped-up. When additional costs are incurred these will shorten the duration of your contract.
• Extend this SIM for another 30 days at KRW 39, (2 extensions MAX)

day Prepaid SIM card – KRW 39, – KRW 74,(Normal price KRW 62, – KRW , )

This SIM card offers:

• This is a prepaid SIM card. You can choose from a prepaid balance of KRW 50, or KRW , to start. The card can be topped up during your day period.
• The balance is used towards messages, calls, and data
• These are the rates
• All incoming calls are free
• The possibility to make international calls

The following details apply to all 4 plans:

• Size: Multi-size SIM cards (Normal, Nano, and Micro).
• Network: KT Olleh
• Duration: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days 
• Pick-up:  The SIM card can be collected at the KT Office near Hongik University Station or the Myeongdong Subway station.   Pay close attention to the opening hours of the pick-up locations.
• Activation: The SIM card will be activated instantly.
• Topping Up: Only the day SIM card can be topped up.
• Price: $

KKDay Short-Term SIM

This SIM card can be used for a duration of 1 day, 5 days, 10 days, 20 days, or 30 days. The 1-day variant does not have a Korean Phone Number, all other options can also be used to make calls. You will need to top-up the card if you plan on doing so.

The duration of the card can be extended up to 90 days.

• 1 day: KRW 5,
• 5 days: KRW 25,
• 10 days: KRW 35,
• 20 days: KRW 58,
• 30 days: KRW 65,

KKDay Long-Term SIM

This SIM card can be used for 30 days. The duration can be extended twice, up to 90 days.

It comes with a credit of 11, KRW that can be used for outgoing calls and messages. You can reload the card in increments of 11, KRW.

Korea SIM cards with pick-up at Jeju airport

SK Telecom

SK Telecom is the country’s largest wireless operator.  They have a roaming desk at Jeju international airport where you can collect your SIM card. The cards can be pre-ordered at Klook and Trazy.

The SIM cards support incoming calls and text messages but you cannot make voice calls or send text messages.  All incoming calls and texts, both domestic and international, are free.  

• Size: Multi-size SIM cards (Normal, Nano and Micro).  The SIM can be adapted to fit in any mobile phone.
• Network: SK Telecom
• Duration: 1 day, 3 days (only on Klook), 5 days, 10 days, 20 days (only on Klook) or 30 days (only on Klook)
• Pick-up:  The SIM card can be collected at Jeju international airport, at the SKT Roaming desk on the 1st floor in the arrivals hall, open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM.
• Activation: To activate the SIM, install it in your phone and restart your phone.  We advise doing this at the counter. If the activation would not work you can arrange a full refund.  It is also possible to activate the card at a later date.
• Topping Up & Extending: This is not possible.
• Fair usage policy: If you use more than 1GB in 24 hours your speed will be capped to 3G ( Kbps) for the remainder of the day.
• Price: $

Trazy: 

• 1 day: KRW 6,
• 5 days: KRW 27,
• 10 days: KRW 38,

Klook: 

• 1 day KRW 5,
• 3 days KRW 15,
• 5 days KRW 24,
• 10 days KRW 33,
• 20 days KRW 54,
• 30 days KRW 62,

Prepaid SIM cards for Korea with pick-up abroad (via Klook)

Here are a few extra options for those who live in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, China, or India.

The following providers offer SIM cards that are either shipped to your home or that can be collected at your airport of departure.

These SIM cards are sometimes cheaper than the local SIM cards.  A disadvantage is that nobody can assist you with the activation or the settings on your phone.  In the unlikely event that you would encounter problems, you will need to rely on phone or e-mail support.

Use an eSIM to stay connected in Korea

It will require a modern phone, but if your phone supports it, an eSIM might be one of the easiest, most hassle-free ways, to stay connected in Korea.

Phones that support eSIMS typically allow to have multiple network connections at once. This means that there’s no need to switch SIM cards. You can leave your physical SIM in your phone and all you need to do is scan the QR code to connect to the other network. From that point on you can switch back and forward between your 2 SIMs using your phone’s menu.

To take it one step further. Some phones support to have 2 active networks. You could keep your own SIM for voice calls and only use the Korean eSIM for data. This would be the best of both worlds. Your friends and family can still reach you on your familiar phone number while you avoid nasty roaming fees when browsing the internet in Korea.

eSIM from Airalo

Airalo eSIMs are available for a duration of 10 or 30 days and come with unlimited data packages.

These are data-only contracts so voice calls are not supported.

• Size: eSIM card.
• Network: LG U+ (LTE)
• Duration: 10 or 30 days
• Pick-up: You will find all the information in the e-mail or the app.
• Activation: You can activate the eSIM when you want to start using it. You will need a WiFi connection to activate it.
• Topping Up: Not possible. You have unlimited data with a fair usage policy. After using 3GB of data at LTE speeds your speed will be limited to 5mbps.
• Price: $

Use our exclusiveWAPITI10OFF promo code to get an additional 10% off your Airalo eSIM.

eSIM from Frewie

You can choose from a duration of 14 or 30 days and data packages of 15 GB or 30 GB. Once your data threshold is reached your speed will be downgraded to kbps. If you want to continue surfing at high speed you can top-up your SIM.

These are data-only contracts so voice calls are not supported.

• Size: eSIM card. You will receive a QR in the mail to activate your SIM
• Network: KT Olleh & SK Telecom
• Duration: 14 or 30 days
• Pick-up: the QR code to install the SIM on your phone will be mailed to you after your order. The QR code remains valid for 45 days from the moment that you ordered it.
• Activation: The SIM card will be activated at the moment that you scan the QR code. You will need a WiFi connection to activate it.
• Topping Up: Is possible.
• Price: $

Buying a SIM card in Korea

Your options are limited if you’re already in South Korea when you’re reading this but it is still possible to get a local SIM. 

You will either need to head back to an airport or you can visit the KT center near Hongik University Station in Seoul.

At the airport

It’s a bit unfortunate, but unless you’re still in Seoul, the only way to buy a SIM is to go back to the airport. You can buy your SIM there but in most cases, pre-ordering using one of the links above will be cheaper.

In Seoul

To be honest, we were surprised by how few options there are to get a SIM card as a foreigner.  Except for the airports the only place you can go to is the KT Center in downtown Seoul near the Hongik University Station.

The office is about a 3 minutes walk from the subway station (take exit 5).  It’s open daily from 9 AM until 6 PM.

This is the address: Link Korea, 2F, Floren B/D, Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Korea

You can head to the office and buy your SIM card on the spot or you can pre-order it online which will grant you a small discount.

Activating your Korea Sim

We have always used KT SIMs when we were in Korea and never had any problems activating them. The last time we used this Prepaid SIM from Link Korea (see picture above).

It’s usually sufficient to insert the SIM in your phone and restart it. You may need to wait a while or restart the phone a second time if it doesn’t work the first time. If you don’t want to restart your phone you can enable/disable airplane mode a number of times.

We also have our own mobile WiFi hotspot and could use the SIM with the hotspot. The correct settings to use the SIM in a hotspot can be found here.

Our package always contained a small ejector tool to open the SIM slot of our phones along with instructions on how to set up the SIM card. Below are images of the instructions for both Apple and Android.

Conclusion

We have always used one of the KT Olleh SIMs in Korea and it turned out to be invaluable. We used Naver maps during our road trip as well as many other local apps.  The connection was always stable and very fast.

Previously, when there were no tourist SIM cards, we managed to discover a country without them, but since the introduction of these SIMs it has become much easier to discover off-the-beaten-path locations. 

It helps to travel deeper and get a better, less touristy experience of South Korea.

All information is accurate at the time of writing (March ).

We will regularly update this article but if you notice any changes we would appreciate it if you let us know so we can update our post.

Enjoy South Korea!

What are the minimum requirements to support stacking?

You need at least two units to configure a stack

The uplink network ports will be configured for stacking and the proper interconnecting small form-factor pluggable (SFP) cables support the stack channels. A list of supported SFP adapters is available in the CBS datasheets. For more information on SFP modules supported on CBS, refer to the article on Cisco Business Switches: SFP Modules.

The minimum firmware version should be MRv (or later)

While MRv provides stacking capabilities, only MRv provides the option to create a Hybrid Mode stack which allows the largest interoperability between CBS models. Click if you need guidance performing a firmware upgrade.

What is the difference between Native Mode and Hybrid Mode?

Native Mode stacking

• Requires that all models in the stack be compatible based on its internal hardware.
• If your backbone is a heavy bandwidth, multi-protocol, and high-density environment, Native Mode will provide the best optimized configuration for internal resource allocation needed for satisfying high-demand network services.

Hybrid Mode stacking

• Allows the largest amount of interoperability between all the CBS stack models.
• If your environment is a lightly loaded network backbone, Hybrid Mode may be a perfectly acceptable solution for best flexibility and physical changes to the stack.
• Hybrid Mode forces internal resources to be allocated using the least common denominator. For example, if one model has a MAC table size of 16K and you have another, higher-performance model with a MAC table size of 64K, a stack using Hybrid Stack Mode will force the operating stack to 16K, thus limiting the availability of additional internal hardware resources.

What features are impacted in Hybrid Stack Mode?

The following table lists the features impacted in Hybrid Mode and the differences between two CBS sub-types.

What combination of switches determine the Stack Mode?

Trying to determine which switches to purchase for the mode you want to use?

Have you already purchased your switches and need to know which mode to select?

Use this stacking picker to easily determine the stacking operating modes.

How is stacking configured?

Stacking is relatively easy to configure. To configure stacking on a CBS switch, refer to the following articles:

What if there are connection problems?

Configuring a stack on Cisco Business switches is straightforward, but care must be taken to validate all end-to-end connections for successful deployment. If you encounter problems, check the following scenarios for resolution.

Unit fails to join the stack (These are the most common)

• All ports in default mode are uplink network ports.
• Verify all ports used to interconnect the stack to the failed unit are configured for the stack.
• Verify all ports used to interconnect the stack on the failed unit are configured for the stack.
• Swap out the stack cable to check for a fault in the cable.

Verify the stack-connecting ports and interconnecting cables have the same speed/negotiation capabilities.

• All CBS stack ports are 10G capable. Therefore, the focus should be on the type of interconnect cable/media used.

A topology error has occurred

While a chain topology can be created (with certain limits), a ring topology provides resilience in the case of a single unit failure and does not allow the failure to cascade down to the remaining units in the stack.

1. Potential faults in a ring topology include a failure to create a true single ring topology as intended.

You may have a functional stack, but you may not have the expected resilience if a single unit fails. If you remove a unit from the stack, do you lose contact with two members in the stack? This would indicate an improper single-ring topology. Validate your ring topology to ensure that each segment between stack units is operational.

Log in to the user interface (UI) of the switch. Navigate to Administration > Stack Management and check the status of stacking ports.

How to validate a single ring topology

• Verify that any unit in your stack has only two connected neighbors and that each of those neighbors is connected by a single cable. Start with a random unit in your stack and ignore one of the stack cables. Validate that there is only one connection to a new neighbor in the stack.
• Move down to the neighbor and verify that it connects ONLY to a NEW, unique neighbor.
• Continue to move down the stack until you reach the original unit you started with (this indicates that the ring has been closed).
• Any other remaining units that have not been traversed are improperly attached and outside of the ring.
• If you never reach the original unit where you started to validate the topology, you do not have a ring.

2. Failure to create a functional dual ring stacking configuration.

Some general tips when creating a dual ring stacking configuration:

• Requires 4x stack ports per switch
• Create the topology for dual ring by connecting pairs of ports to the next neighbor
• The use of the correct pair of ports connecting to the next neighbor is important

Diagnose the first ring of a dual ring topology.

• Remove the cables that make up the second ring and check if the stack is functional.
• Return to the single ring diagnostics before proceeding further.
• Fix any cable, port configuration related to the primary ring.

Diagnose the secondary ring of a dual ring topology.

• Reconnect the cables for the second ring.
• Remove the cables that make up the first ring and check if the stack is functional.
• Return to the single ring diagnostics before proceeding further.
• Fix any cable, port configuration related to the secondary ring.

Re-Insert all cables and the dual ring should be fully functional.

Stacking mode interoperability

If a unit refuses to join the stack even after the topology, cables, and port configuration have been validated, a change in stack mode may be required to overcome the failure.

Stack mode to support interoperability is available on MRv firmware and above.

Reconfigure ALL the stack ports to use Hybrid Mode instead of Native Mode based on the models listed in this document. Each switch participating in the stack must have its configuration changed (all or nothing). This should resolve any last problems with stack operation.

Conclusion

Now that you have a better understanding of stacking, expand and manage your network with ease!

Looking for more articles on your CBS switch? Check out any of the links below for more information.

IP Address SettingsStack SettingsStacking Mode SelectorSSH User AuthenticationSSH Server AuthenticationPassword RecoveryAccess CLI with PuTTYCreate VLANsReset Switch