Seoul
The capital
Palaces, Bukchon's hanok streets and a subway that is genuinely world class. Restaurant queues are managed by app, including the ones with a two-hour wait.
South Korea eSIM
Land in Korea already connected
Order before you fly and your eSIM is waiting in your inbox. Scan the QR code, land at Incheon or Gimhae, and your phone finds a Korean network on its own — which you'll want immediately, because almost everything here runs through an app.
One of the most connected countries on earth
Korea has near-universal high-speed coverage, including throughout the subway tunnels, and the country is built on the assumption that everyone is online. Restaurant waiting lists, taxis, transport cards and ticketing all run through apps. Arriving without data is genuinely awkward here in a way it isn't everywhere.
South KoreaSK TelecomLG U+
South Korea plans
Pick the length of your trip
Every plan below covers South Korea. Choose the number of days you're away — the price is fixed, you pay once, and nothing renews afterwards.
Where to go
Compact, mountainous, and fast to cross
Seoul to Busan is under three hours on the KTX, which puts most of the country in reach of a single base.
Busan
The southern port
Beaches, the Gamcheon culture village and the best fish market in the country. Three hours from Seoul on the KTX.
Jeju
The island
A volcanic island with lava tubes, a walkable coastal trail and the haenyeo diving tradition. Korea's main domestic holiday destination.
Gyeongju
The old capital
Burial mounds, Bulguksa temple and a thousand years of Silla history. Often described as a museum without walls.
DMZ
The border
Day tours from Seoul to the Joint Security Area and the observation posts. Booked well ahead, with passport details and a dress code.
Seoraksan
The mountains
Granite peaks and temples in the northeast, spectacular in autumn. Trail conditions and cable car queues are both reported online.
On the ground
What you'll actually use it for
Getting around
Google Maps is deliberately hobbled in Korea — you'll want Naver Map or KakaoMap instead, and both are useless without a connection.
Reading the menu
Hangul is quick to learn to sound out and slower to understand. Camera translation covers the gap at a menu or a ticket machine.
Staying in touch
WhatsApp, FaceTime and Signal all run over data, so calls home cost nothing beyond the plan you've already paid for.
Backing up photos
Let a fortnight of pictures sync as you travel rather than praying your phone survives the trip home. This is the one that eats data, so save it for the evening.
When plans go wrong
A cancelled train, a closed road or a hotel that can't find your booking. All of it is easier to fix with a working connection than without one.
How it works
Set it up before you leave home
The whole thing takes about as long as printing a boarding pass, and it's far easier done on your own Wi-Fi than in an airport queue.
1
Choose your dates
Pick the plan that matches how long you're in South Korea.
2
Scan the QR code
It arrives by email as soon as you pay. Open your phone's mobile settings, add an eSIM, scan — done in under a minute, over Wi-Fi at home.
3
Switch it on in South Korea
Your plan starts when the eSIM first finds a network in South Korea, not when you bought it. Turn roaming off on your UK line and you're set.
FAQs
Before you book
Which networks does a South Korea eSIM use?
Our Korea plans roam onto SK Telecom and LG U+, two of the country's three networks. Korean coverage is among the best anywhere, including throughout the subway systems and along the KTX lines.
Does your Southeast Asia plan cover Korea?
No — that's a separate bundle covering Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand only. Korea has its own plan, which is what you'll see above.
What does “unlimited” actually mean?
You get 1GB of full-speed data every day. After that the connection carries on at a reduced 384kbps for the rest of that day, then resets the next morning. There's no hard cut-off and no overage charge, so you can't run up a bill.
Why do I need data more here than elsewhere?
Because Korea assumes you have it. Taxis, restaurant waiting lists, transport top-ups, ticketing and even some ordering happen through apps, and Google Maps is restricted so you'll need Naver or Kakao instead. It's a genuinely awkward country to navigate offline.
Isn't roaming with my UK network easier?
Easier, sometimes. Cheaper, almost never. South Korea sits outside most UK networks' inclusive roaming zones, so you're usually looking at a daily charge or per-megabyte rates that add up fast. Check your provider's rate for South Korea before you travel and compare it with a fixed one-off price.
Can I keep my UK number?
Yes. The eSIM runs alongside your existing SIM, so calls and texts still arrive on your UK number while your data goes over the local networks. Turn data roaming off on your UK line so nothing lands on your normal bill.
How much data do I need for a week?
For maps, messaging, translation and social media, most travellers use somewhere between 500MB and 1GB a day. These plans give you 1GB a day at full speed, which comfortably covers normal sightseeing. Streaming video or tethering a laptop will get through it faster.
Do I get a Korean phone number?
No, these are data-only plans. That covers maps, email, messaging and calls through WhatsApp, FaceTime or Signal. If you need a number that takes ordinary calls and texts, keep your UK SIM active alongside the eSIM.
Will my phone take an eSIM?
Most handsets released since 2018 will, including iPhone XR/XS and newer, Google Pixel 3 and newer, and Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer — as long as it isn't network locked. Look for “Add eSIM” or “Add data plan” in your mobile settings to check.
More destinations
Where else are you going?
Other destinations travellers pair with this one.
Joeun yeohaeng
Sort your connection tonight and forget about it. One scan now, and Korea is just somewhere your phone already works.