Getting a smartphone in South Korea should not be taken lightly. Keep reading to learn why.
Your Phone Number Becomes Your ID for Many Online Systems
In South Korea, your phone number becomes like a personal ID number. Your phone number allows you to access nearly all of the services available in South Korea from banking to verifying vaccination records. Your phone number becomes how you verify your identity for nearly everything while living in South Korea. If a person’s phone number does not get set up correctly it can mean no access to important online support or the inability to set up a bank account.
Changing your number may cause you many large hassles so choosing the correct provider is important. This became especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic when smartphone numbers provided the structure for creating the contract-trace system used in South Korea. After that time, it became increasingly important to have a phone number clearly registered and linked to an FRC.
If you do not have a phone tied to your Foreign Registration Number with your name correctly written to match your FRC, then life becomes VERY difficult. Suddenly you have no access to any of the easy online systems that other residents and citizens have in South Korea. Everyone else is living an easy life while you struggle with the most simple tasks.
Additionally, your phone provides many other important areas of support for ex-pat mental health.
Your Phone Provides Access to Language Support
Your phone provides you with access to 1330 (a free English support hotline/chat), Papapago, and Google Translate. These services provide you with the ability to navigate much of Korea without speaking Korean. These services also require data. Having unlimited data helps ensure that you stay connected to the language tools and support systems that make life easier.
Your Phone Links You to Family and New Friends
Additionally, ex-pats in Korea live off of KakaoTalk, Whatsapp, and other chat systems. Having the right smartphone ensures that you can easily connect with new friends and stay in touch with old ones. Being an ex-pat means putting in the extra effort to keep old relationships strong and building new ones. Don’t skimp on communication.
Surviving and Thriving the First 30-45 Days
The first 30-45 days when you may be waiting to complete your health check, get your FRC, and open a bank account remain the most complicated. To make this transitional time less complicated, consider getting a temporary SIM card at the airport or ordering one online. This will allow you to function relatively comfortably in Korea as you want for your residency to be established. You can learn more about short-term SIM cards on Trazy.
Where to Buy a Smartphone
New arrivals may choose to buy a phone new from a store or second hand. Getting either a used or new smartphone in South Korea can feel stressful. So, be sure to research, ask many questions, and register one with our FRC carefully.
Primary v. Secondary Retail Cell Phone Shops
Choose the cell phone shop carefully. There are two main types of shops: Primary and Secondary retailers.
- Choose a primary retailer. This means the store is owned and managed by the telecom company you chose to contract with.
- Avoid choosing a secondary retailer when possible. Secondary retailers may charge additional fees, often do not fully understand the contracts, make more mistakes, and offer less support.
Second-Hand Cell Phone Shops & Facebook Groups
Second-hand cell phone shops and phones for sale on Facebook groups across Korea. Buying from such places may provide deep discounts on phones but may not provide the support you need to fully register your phone with your FRC so that you easily integrate into the online systems in South Korea.
The choice to go this route may be very enticing and it might be the right choice for some. However, remain emotionally prepared to deal with many unforeseen inconveniences which may impact quality of life. Go into this with the knowledge that many uncomfortable experiences may occur that make it feel like a poor choice.
Choosing a Korean Smartphone Service Type
Korea offers both pay-as-you-go SIM cards and smartphone contracts registered to your FRC. Length of stay, need for a new phone, and other personal choices may impact each person’s final choice. Read the following information and then consider what works for your needs.
Korean Telecom Options
There are three large Telecom providers in South Korea:
- SK Telecom [T-world]
- KT Telecom [Olleh]
- LG Telecom [U+])
Choosing the right provider means asking others in your area. Different providers may work better in different parts of the country.
Pre-paid Phones
Pre-paid and monthly sim card options exist. Such sims still need to be linked to your FRC number in order to work as ID verification for banking and social systems such as registering your COVID-19 vaccinations. Such choices may include many inconveniences such as disruption in service and limited data.
Smartphone Contract Options
If you choose to get a new phone in South Korea, the contracts for a new phone go for 2-3 years. These contracts roll the cost of the phone into the monthly bill. These long contracts also offer large discounts over time. To cancel the contracts early you pay back part of the discount that you received and may need to pay off the remainder of the phone.
Many people sign up for a 24-month contract to buy a new cell phone and get the monthly rate discounts. Such 2-year plans offer such things as unlimited data and/or unlimited calling and text messages. Such plans may cost between 66,000 KRW and 88,000 KRW.
Contract Discount Types
If you decide to choose a smartphone contract you should also know about different ways to get additional discounts.
Bundle With Your Internet Service Provider
If you pay for your cable and internet you can bundle these with a smartphone contract to get an additional discount. For example, many of our volunteers bundle their KT smartphone contract with their high-speed internet and premium cable packages for large discounts. For educators whose employers pay for their internet and cable or hold the contracts on the internet and cable, this discount may not be an option.
Friendship Buddle Packages
Foreign residents from the same country living in South Korea can bundle their services to get discounts. KT offers this unique way to pool resources and save money. Such plans may save up to 11,000 KRW per month per person.
Common Documents Needed
When visiting the telecom store you should take the following documents:
- Passport
- FRC Card
- Bankbook (for setting up auto payments)
Things to Know
The following list changes often and there may be many other things you need to know. However, the following four issues occur more often than others.
Some stores struggle with serving international residents, especially in more rural areas. Setting up a smartphone service for foreigners can be complicated. Some stores, especially Secondary Retailers may not know how to do it. Thus, they may not be helpful when you arrive in the shop. Skip them and find another.
The name on your smartphone contract must be EXACTLY the same as the one on your FRC which needs to EXACTLY match your passport. If you do not, the programs which verify your identity will not work and many frustrations may ensue.
Different visa types have different restrictions regarding contracts. Telecom agencies have different plan restrictions based on different visa types.
It may take hours to set up your phone contract and activate the service. Since all kinds of hurdles may arise when setting up your contract and you want to understand many things clearly, give the process at least 3 hours of space. That may sound like a lot but you may thank us later.
The phone needs to be registered to your FRC and not another family member. You do not want a phone registered to your employer or to a spouse or uncle. The be used as verification of identity online, a person must have the phone registered to their own FRC number. This means another person can not open the phone contract without you there.
Korean Residency Quest Quiz
Life is fun and games. Master the knowledge related to your Korean Residency Quest and earn points toward rewards and prizes like South of Seoul Swag, invites to special events, and more!
Founded in 2015, the South of Seoul team consists of volunteers on three continents working together to support English-speaking people traveling or living in South Korea. South of Seoul volunteers work with organizations and individuals across South Korea to improve equitable access to information across South Korea. Much of South of Seoul’s information focuses on Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
Blogs published under the authorship of “South of Seoul” include blogs compiled by multiple volunteers to improve access to standardized information unrelated to individualized personal experiences.
