When you travel to Korea, getting a SIM card or Wifi router in is one of the most important things that all travelers need. Should I buy Korea sim card (unlimited data), or just rent a Wifi Egg in Korea? What is the best SIM card in Korea for your visit? Actually, there are many free WIFI hotspots in Korea, but many times the connection isn’t so stable. And it’s painful to look for wifi manually, and connect again to a different wifi every time you go, true?
First-time visitors or not, internet connection is obviously important because we all need it to check public transport timetables, platforms, and stations. And FYI, Google Maps has very limited uses in South Korea, so we recommend you to use Naver Map and KakaoMap to get around in Korea. As for us, we always use KakaoMap because it’s very accurate, easy to use, and we can simply write our destination in English in the application. Most importantly, KakaoMap shows the fastest routes in Korea (including which platform gives access to the nearest exit after getting off the train). Click here to download KAKAOMAP to your smartphone!
There are 3 major telecom companies in Korea (KT, SKT, and LG) but my local friend in Korea recommended us to use “KT Telecom” because this operator offers extensive data coverage in Korea. If you want to get connected 24/7 in Korea, there’s a perfect SIM card with unlimited 4G LTE data usage; available in 3 choices: 5-day, 10-day, and 30-day (ideal for short-term visitors & business travelers who only need data). Even though the sim card is only for data (no voice calls), we can still make phone calls using data on Skype/WhatsApp/LINE/or the KakaoTalk apps to communicate with our friends and family.
Where can I pick up my SIM Card?
– Incheon Int’l Airport: KT Booth at the arrival hall (1st Floor) near Gate 4 and Gate 5 (open from 07:00-22:00), between Gate 10 and Gate 11 (open from 06:00-22:00) or between Gate 6 and 7 (open 24 hours daily)
– Seoul: Office near Hongik University Station Exit 2.
–Gimpo Airport, Gimhae Airport (Busan) or Jeju Airport, please check the opening hours here
Click here to see recent price list of the KT Telecom SIM Card.
Below is a comparison table of the data only SIM card options on October 2017:
If you’re traveling alone, it’s easy just to buy the unlimited SIM CARD just for yourself. We experienced that using a Wifi router is way cheaper in Korea, especially when you’re traveling together with many friends. See the pictures below to get a clear idea of how much money we can save from renting the Wifi Egg at Incheon Airport.
How to rent Unlimited 4G Portable WI-FI in KOREA?
Based on our experience, Sim Card for data in Korea is very expensive, ranging from 25,000 Won (equal to IDR 325K) and only for five days in Korea. After conducting a survey, we finally decided to rent a WIFI Egg from Jakarta and booked for it via Kkday. We opted for the South Korea Unlimited 4G Portable Wi-Fi rental for 15 days. After we settle the payment, they sent a confirmation letter to our email so we could pick up the wifi egg on arrival at Gimhae International Airport in Busan. The location of picking up from Wifi Egg can vary depending on the airport of your arrival in Korea.
NOTE: Remember to print out the confirmation letter before leaving Jakarta, and prepare to pay 200,000 Won for the deposit when you pick up the Wi-Fi at the airport. Deposit will be refunded at the time of return.
Click here if you’re interested to rent a wifi egg from KKday.
THE COMPARISON OF USING
UNLIMITED DATA SIM CARD VS RENTING WIFI EGG IN KOREA:
SIM CARD 10 DAYS
38,500 Won = IDR 520,000,-
equal to IDR 52,000,-/day
2 simcards for 2 persons
Total cost = Rp. 1,040,000,-
WIFI EGG via KKDAY for 15 DAYS
1,245$NTD = IDR 615,000,-
equal to IDR 41,000,-/day
1 WIFI EGG for sharing (tethering)
Total cost = Rp. 615.000,-
Overall, renting a Wifi Egg is a great option if you want to save more for your internet connection. Hopefully this article can help you decide to get a sim card or Wifi egg when you want to travel to Korea. If you have better recommendations, don’t hesitate to share it with us on the comments below. Thank you for reading!
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I’m still compiling the full itinerary for your reference, meanwhile here’s some stories of our fun experience of our SOUTH KOREA trip October – November 2017 as follow:
~ [KOREA] JEJU Island 3 Days Itinerary Guide – Best Places to Eat & Top Attractions
~ [KOREA] Ihwa-Dong Mural Village in Seoul, Famous K-Drama Filming Location
~ [KOREA] Playful Raccoons and Welsh Corgi at Blind Alley Cafe, Seoul
~ [KOREA] Mr Holmes Bakehouse, The Famous Cruffin in SEOUL
~ [KOREA] Cuteness Overload at Line Friends Store & Cafe Flagship Store at Garosugil, Seoul
~ [KOREA] Best Local Food Must Try in Busan, Korea
~ [KOREA] Autumn at Nami Island (NAMISEOM) Travel Guide
~ [KOREA] Kakao Friends Biggest Store & Ryan Cafe at Gangnam, Seoul
~ [KOREA] Rent Korean Traditional Dress Hanboknam and Explore Gyeongbokgung
~ [KOREA] Food Guide – Top 15 Food Must Try in Seoul
~ [KOREA] Things To Do in Gamcheon Culture Village, Busan
~ [KOREA] Oryukdo Skywalk Busan, Walking in The Sky (오륙도 스카이워크)
~ [KOREA] Busan Complete Itinerary Guide – Top Things to do & Best Places tp Eat