Best eSIM for South Korea: SK Telecom, KT or LG U+, apps, unlimited plans and prices compared

Which South Korea eSIM fits your trip?

Most visits start in Seoul and continue to Busan, Gyeongju or Jeju. A South Korea plan covers the whole country, including Jeju Island; the choice depends mainly on how long you stay and how you use your phone:

• A week in Seoul: 5 to 10 GB covers maps, translation, messaging, social media and photo uploads for typical use. A plan with 1 GB a day at full speed works too.
• Two weeks with Busan, Gyeongju or Jeju: 10 to 20 GB, or an unlimited plan with 2 GB a day or more, leaves room for video calls and navigation on long days out.
• South Korea and Japan on one trip: compare a Korea–Japan or Asia plan with two country plans (see below).
• A longer stay for study or work: a local SIM with a Korean number is often more practical than a travel eSIM, because many local services ask for a Korean number.

How much data typical activities use is explained in our guide to how much data you need for travel.

SK Telecom, KT or LG U+: which network is best in South Korea?

South Korea has three mobile networks, all with nationwide 4G and 5G. Travel eSIMs connect to one or more of them, and providers write the names in different ways:

In practice the differences between the three are small. Cities, motorways, high-speed KTX lines and the Seoul subway, including underground stations, have strong coverage on all of them, and Jeju is well covered too. Gaps are limited to some mountain trails in national parks such as Seoraksan or Hallasan and to boat trips to smaller islands. Many plans in our database list two networks; with those the phone can switch if one is weak.

5G: South Korea launched 5G in 2019 as one of the first countries, and all three operators run it across the cities. Many travel eSIMs for Korea are labelled 5G, which means they can use it where the provider's roaming agreement allows it. On 4G you can still do everything a traveller usually needs.

Maps, taxis and verification: what works with a travel eSIM in Korea

A data-only eSIM is enough for most visitors, but Korea has a few peculiarities that are worth knowing before you choose a plan:

• Maps: Google Maps has long worked only partly in South Korea: public transport routes are available, but walking and driving directions have been restricted because of rules on exporting map data. Most visitors use Naver Map or KakaoMap instead; Naver Map has an English version.
• Taxis and delivery: taxi apps such as Kakao T and food delivery apps are widely used. Some sign-ups or payments need a Korean phone number or a Korean card, so check before you rely on them; hailing a taxi on the street or at a rank works without an app.
• Verification by SMS: some Korean websites and apps send codes only to Korean numbers, and identity checks for certain services require a number registered in your name. A tourist number does not always pass these checks.
• Translation: Papago or Google Translate with Korean downloaded for offline use helps with menus, signs and conversations.
• Wi-Fi: free Wi-Fi is common in the subway, cafés and public places, but a mobile plan is what keeps maps and messages working while you are on the move.

If you need a Korean number for a specific service, the few plans in our database that include calls or a number, or a local SIM card, are the options; for everything else a data-only plan with your home number for SMS codes is enough.

South Korea eSIM prices: the cheapest plan for every data amount

Each row shows the cheapest plan we track for that amount of data with at least a week of validity. A few points help you compare:

• Compare the price per GB, not just the price of the package; a larger package often costs only a little more.
• Check the validity: some packages run for 10 or 12 days rather than a week or a month. Match the validity to your trip, because two small packages usually cost more than one larger plan.
• Check the networks: plans that list SK Telecom and LG U+ give the phone a choice; plans with one network work well in Korea too, because all three have dense coverage.
• Regional plans can appear in the table when they are the cheapest option for South Korea. They also work in the other countries they list.

Some providers offer discount codes for a first purchase; current ones are on our promo codes page.

Unlimited data in South Korea: what happens after the daily allowance

Unlimited plans for South Korea almost always have a daily allowance at full speed, after which the speed drops until the next day. In our database the most common rules are 1 GB a day followed by 384 kbps, and 2 or 3 GB a day followed by 1 or 2 Mbps. A notable group of plans drops to 128 kbps after 1 or 2 GB, and for some plans the provider does not state the speed after the allowance.

At 1 to 2 Mbps after the allowance, maps, messaging and social media keep working well, and even video calls are possible at lower quality. At 384 kbps, maps and messaging still work but pages and photos load slowly. At 128 kbps you can send text messages, but maps and most apps become very slow. If you use a lot of data on some days, check the speed after the allowance before you buy; the cheapest unlimited plan is not always the most usable one. The right-hand column of the table only counts plans with at least 2 GB a day at full speed.

Hotspot: most South Korea plans in our database allow you to share the connection; a few exclude it, and for many the provider does not say. Our South Korea comparison page shows what each provider states. How fair-use rules work in general is covered in our guide to unlimited eSIM plans.

South Korea and Japan on one trip: combined or separate plans?

Seoul and Tokyo or Osaka are a popular combination, and many providers sell plans that cover both. In our database nearly every Asia plan that includes South Korea also includes Japan, and over a dozen providers offer smaller packages for just Korea and Japan, sometimes with one or two neighbouring countries.

• One plan for both countries saves you from installing and switching between two eSIMs, and one data allowance covers the whole trip. It works as soon as you land in the second country.
• Two country plans are often cheaper when you spend most of the trip in one country, or when you need little data.
• Check the networks in both countries: a combined plan does not always use the same networks as the country plans of the same provider.
• Adding China or Taiwan: many Asia plans include them too. Mobile internet in mainland China has its own rules, explained in our China eSIM guide.

Plans for Japan are compared on our Japan page and in the best eSIM for Japan guide; regional plans are on our Asia eSIM page.

Travel eSIM, local SIM or pocket Wi-Fi from Incheon airport?

At Incheon airport you will see counters for prepaid SIM cards and for pocket Wi-Fi rental. The three options compare like this:

For most travellers a travel eSIM is the simplest option. A local SIM makes sense if you need a Korean number, and a pocket Wi-Fi if a group wants to share one connection. How to keep your home number active next to the eSIM is explained in our dual SIM guide.

Set up before you fly to South Korea

1. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to your home carrier; our compatibility guide shows how.
2. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi a day or two before departure. Our guide on when to activate an eSIM explains when the validity starts.
3. Install the apps you will need before you leave: Naver Map or KakaoMap, a translation app with Korean downloaded for offline use, and your messaging apps.
4. After landing, switch the travel line on, choose it for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line. Keep your home SIM for calls and SMS, with its data roaming off.
5. If nothing connects, our troubleshooting guide lists the usual fixes in order.

Step-by-step installation instructions are in our guides for iPhone and Android.