Three carriers · the passport step · Jeju has no counter
South Korea SIM cards for tourists
Korea sells tourists a genuinely unlimited SIM for about $20. It also asks for a passport, sells it at a 45% premium at the airport, and stopped selling it at Jeju altogether. Here is the whole picture.
If you buy through a link on this page I earn a commission from GigSky, Airalo, Saily or Yesim, and it never changes your price. I earn nothing from LG U+, KT or SKT, so when I tell you a Korean carrier beats what I sell, there is no angle. The rates are published here.
The three Korea tourist SIM cards are all genuinely unlimited and that is where the similarity ends
Korea is the one country I cover where the carriers' own tourist product beats every travel eSIM on the thing travelers care about most. All three sell uncapped data. No 3GB-a-day throttle, no fine print about "fair usage". The differences are in how you pay, what number you get, and how much paperwork stands between you and a working phone.
| Carrier | Price | Data | Number | Passport step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LG U+ tourist SIM / eSIM lguplus.com/korea-sim | 1 day ₩6,500 (≈$4.70) 3 days ₩18,000 (≈$13) 5 days ₩27,500 (≈$20) | Unlimited, "no speed cap" in the carrier's own words, 5G and LTE | 010 number included; calls are an add-on, ₩264/min (≈$0.19) | Data-only eSIM: QR by email, no counter. Data+voice: show your passport at the Incheon, Gimpo or Gimhae counter |
| SKT via krsim.net official SKT partner | 1 day $3.90 (4G) 7 days $20.70 (4G) / $23.20 (5G) 30 days $42.40 / $45.00 | Unlimited, no fair-use policy, up to 200 Mbps on 5G | 010 number on plans of 2 days or more; the 1-day plan is data only | Passport registration online at krsim.net/esimreg after landing, 08:00 to 22:00 KST, or at an SKT airport booth |
| KT tourist SIM / eSIM roaming.kt.com and resellers | 3 days ₩18,000 (≈$13) 5 days ₩24,700 (≈$18) 30 days ₩64,300 (≈$47) | Reseller listing says 3GB/day then 5 Mbps on the "unlimited" pack | Without a call-credit top-up (minimum ₩5,500, ≈$4) you get a receive-only 012 number, not a 010 | Passport required at purchase or activation |
LG U+ and SKT figures from the carriers' own pages on September 7, 2026. KT's roaming site renders its eSIM prices in JavaScript I could not read, so the KT row is a 2026 reseller list and the 012-number detail is a 2024 traveler report; treat both as reports, not carrier terms. Won converted at about ₩1,380 to the dollar.
Three things in that table matter more than the prices. First, LG U+ is the only one that will email you an unlimited data-only eSIM with no ID step at all, which makes it the best local deal in the country for a data-only trip. Second, the SKT 7-day plan at $20.70 is what I would point anyone at who wants a Korean number for a week, because you register from your hotel bed rather than in a queue. Third, the KT "unlimited" is the only one of the three with a daily cap, at least on the reseller listing I could read, and its default number is a 012 you cannot call out from. The carrier-by-carrier page goes deeper on all three.
Where to buy a SIM card in South Korea as a visitor counters, hours, and the store that is not a shortcut
The airport counters are the real answer for a physical SIM. Every other route either needs Korean ID, needs a Korean bank card, or takes two business days. Hours below are from carrier and airport listings; the ones marked "reported" come from traveler write-ups in 2026 rather than an official page.
| Airport | SKT | KT | LG U+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incheon T1, arrivals 1F | Hall F near Exit 13, 24 hours. Hall A near Exit 2, 06:00 to 22:00 | Hall F, 24 hours. Hall A, 06:00 to 22:00 | Hall F, 24 hours. Hall A, 06:00 to 22:00 (reported) |
| Incheon T2, arrivals 1F | Between Gates 6 and 7, 24 hours (reported; one 2026 source says it moved near Gate 3 in March, so ask at information) | Near Gate A, 24 hours | Near Exit 4, 24 hours. Near Exit 7, 06:00 to 22:00 (reported) |
| Gimhae (Busan), international 1F | 06:00 to 22:00 (reported) | Between Exits 2 and 3, 06:00 to 22:00 | 06:00 to 22:00 (reported) |
| Gimpo (Seoul domestic and short-haul) | Not confirmed | 06:30 to 23:00 | Not confirmed |
| Jeju | No carrier counters since the end of June 2026. See below. | ||
The Hall F desks at T1 and the T2 desks are the ones that matter, because US flights land at Incheon late. A 22:00 closing time at the Hall A desks is not a problem if you walk to Hall F; it is a problem if a guide told you Hall A and you are standing there at 23:30.
The price of the counter. One 2026 traveler wrote up paying ₩45,000 (≈$33) at an airport booth for the same 7-day plan that was ₩25,000 (≈$18) online, roughly a 45% markup. That is a single report, not a survey, but it lines up with what the carriers themselves publish: LG U+'s 5-day at ₩27,500 is the online price, and the booth has no reason to undercut it. If you want a carrier SIM, order the eSIM version online before you fly and use the counter only for the passport check if your plan needs one.
Convenience stores. CU, GS25, 7-Eleven and emart24 do sell prepaid USIM kits from KT, LG U+ and the MVNOs, which is why the shelf in my hero photo exists. What the shelf does not tell you is that the kit is inert until you activate it through an app or phone line with passport data, MVNO activation runs one to two business days, some kits refuse foreign ID verification outright, and no store sells an eSIM. For a US tourist it is a route that looks convenient and is not. I would not plan on it.
Jeju airport has no SIM card counter anymore and most guides have not caught up
This matters because a lot of US itineraries fly into Incheon, connect straight to Jeju, and only then start looking for data. If that is you, the choice is made for you: install a travel eSIM at home, or buy an LG U+ or SKT eSIM online and have it on the phone before the connecting flight. The Jeju counter is not a fallback.
Coverage on the island itself is not the issue. All three carriers run 4G and 5G across Jeju including the Hallasan trails, per published maps and traveler reports. The issue is only that nobody at the airport will sell you a line.
Airalo is the only travel eSIM I can link that names its Korean network, and it is SK Telecom, Opensignal's Best Network in Korea for December 2025. 5GB for 7 days is $10.00 and it is on the phone before you board. Con: at 10GB it costs $1.21 more than GigSky.
See Airalo’s Korea plans Read the Airalo reviewCan foreigners get a SIM card in Korea? Yes, with a passport and the rules tightened twice this year
Korea has registered every mobile line to a real identity for years. What changed in 2025 and 2026 is how tightly, and it lands on tourists in three specific ways.
| Rule | What it says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Prepaid on a passport | Visitors staying 90 days or less can open a prepaid line with a passport only. Postpaid needs a residence card. | Every tourist SIM is prepaid. Bring the physical passport, not a photo of it. |
| One line per passport (since December 2025) | Passport-based lines cut from two per person to one, an anti-burner measure after a 2025 National Assembly audit found foreign-name burner phones had risen from 474 in 2019 to over 71,000 in 2024. | You get one Korean number. LG U+ and krsim still advertise up to three data-only eSIMs per passport; I could not reconcile that with the ministry rule, so assume one voice line. |
| Face authentication at activation (phased from July 2026) | Mandatory for Korean IDs since March 2026; the ministry's June 30 notice extends it across all carrier and MVNO channels from July 6. Foreign IDs, via a passport NFC read cross-checked against the immigration entry record, are targeted for the second half of 2026. | Not confirmed live for passports as of September 2026. If it arrives, expect the airport counter to scan the passport chip and your face rather than just photocopy a page. |
| Data-only travel eSIM | A foreign roaming contract. No Korean line is opened in your name. | No passport, no counter, no face scan, no one-per-person limit. This is the whole reason the travel-eSIM category exists in Korea. |
The honest summary: if you want a Korean 010 number, you will do KYC after landing, either at a desk or online through krsim between 08:00 and 22:00 Korean time. If you only want data, nothing on this table applies to you. Whether you actually still need a 010 number in 2026 is a separate question, and the answer has changed.
Physical Korean SIM, carrier eSIM or travel eSIM the decision table
| Carrier physical SIM | Carrier tourist eSIM | Travel eSIM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you get it | Airport counter, not Jeju | Emailed QR before you fly | Emailed QR before you fly |
| Passport step | Yes, at the counter | Data-only LG U+: none. Any 010 plan: after landing | None |
| Working when you land | No | Yes | Yes |
| Data | Unlimited, uncapped (LG U+, SKT) | Unlimited, uncapped (LG U+, SKT) | Capped: 3GB/day Airalo, 3.5GB/day GigSky, 5GB/day Saily, or a fixed bucket |
| Typical 7 to 10 days | ≈$20 to $33 (counter markup) | $20.70 (SKT 7d) | $17.79 (GigSky 10GB/30d) |
| Korean 010 number | Yes | Yes on most plans | No |
| Keeps your US number live | No, it takes the slot | Yes | Yes |
| Works on a phone with no eSIM | Yes | No | No |
| Network you get | The carrier you chose | The carrier you chose | Airalo says SKT; Saily, GigSky, Yesim publish nothing |
| Pays this site | Nothing | Nothing | 12% to 20%, published |
The row that surprises people is the data row. In most countries the travel eSIM is the generous option and the local SIM is the stingy one. Korea inverts it. The carriers hand tourists uncapped data because their networks can take it: the official 2025 quality evaluation put average 5G downloads at 974 Mbps nationwide. That is why the unlimited page on this site ends up recommending a product I cannot sell.
The row that decides it for most people is the passport row. A long-haul flight into Incheon lands at 17:00 or 23:00. Standing in the Hall F queue with a passport for a plan that costs $3 less than the one already on your phone is a bad trade unless you need what only the carrier gives you.
Who should buy a local Korea SIM card instead of a travel eSIM three cases, and everyone else
Dial *#06#. If no EID appears, nothing on the eSIM side of this site applies to you. Walk to the LG U+ or KT desk in Hall F at Incheon, hand over the passport, and you will have uncapped data in fifteen minutes. Do not fly to Jeju first.
Coupang and Coupang Eats still verify against a Korean carrier SMS in September 2026, and some Kakao Pay flows do too. SKT via krsim at $20.70 for 7 days gives you the number and lets you register online after landing. Know that a tourist 010 passes one-time codes but not full 본인인증 identity certification, which needs a residence card.
Tethering a laptop, uploading video, streaming in the hotel. Every travel-eSIM "unlimited" is a daily cap, the biggest being Saily's 5GB. LG U+'s data-only eSIM has no cap, no passport step, and costs ₩27,500 (≈$20) for five days. I earn nothing when you buy it. It is still the right call.
Your phone takes an eSIM, you need data for maps, Papago, KakaoTalk and photos, and you would rather not queue after fourteen hours in the air. GigSky 10GB for 30 days is $17.79 with a free 100MB trial and no card required. The full comparison is here.
GigSky pays this site the highest rate of any brand here, 20%, so weigh that. It is also the cheapest linkable 10GB in Korea at $17.79 and the only one with a free trial. Con: it does not publish which Korean network it uses, and it sells nothing above 10GB.
See GigSky’s 10GB Korea plan Read the GigSky reviewKorea SIM card questions short answers
Which SIM card is best for tourists in Korea?
For uncapped data with no ID step, the LG U+ data-only tourist eSIM: ₩27,500 (≈$20) for five days, emailed as a QR code, truly unlimited. For a Korean 010 number, SKT via krsim.net at $20.70 for seven days, registered online after landing. If you only need a few gigabytes and want zero paperwork, a travel eSIM like GigSky at $17.79 for 10GB is cheaper and already installed when you land. I earn nothing on the two Korean carriers. Prices checked September 7, 2026.
Can foreigners get a SIM card in Korea?
Yes. Visitors staying 90 days or less can open a prepaid line with a passport alone; postpaid needs a residence card. Since December 2025 it is one passport-based line per person. Face authentication at activation is being phased in from July 2026 and is targeted for foreign passports in the second half of the year, though as of September 2026 it is not confirmed live. A data-only travel eSIM opens no Korean line and needs no ID at all.
Can I use my US phone in South Korea?
Almost certainly. Korea runs LTE and 5G on bands US phones support, and any unlocked iPhone from the XS onward or Pixel and Galaxy from the last several years will take a Korean or travel eSIM. Dial *#06# and look for an EID to confirm eSIM support. If your phone is carrier-locked, ask your US carrier to unlock it before you fly; a locked phone will roam on your US plan at $10 to $12 a day but will not accept a Korean line.
What is the cheapest SIM card in Korea?
For a single day, LG U+ at ₩6,500 (≈$4.70) or SKT via krsim at $3.90, both unlimited. For a week, SKT at $20.70 or LG U+ at ₩27,500 (≈$20) for five days. Among travel eSIMs, GigSky sells 1GB for $2.99 and 10GB for $17.79, and Yesim sells 1GB for a whole month at $3.00. Avoid buying at the airport counter if you can: one 2026 report put the booth price of a 7-day plan at ₩45,000 (≈$33) against ₩25,000 (≈$18) online. Checked September 7, 2026.
Can I buy a Korea SIM card at Incheon airport?
Yes, 24 hours a day. In Terminal 1 arrivals, SKT, KT and LG U+ all have desks in Hall F (near Exit 13) that never close, plus Hall A desks open 06:00 to 22:00. In Terminal 2, KT is near Gate A and SKT and LG U+ have 24-hour desks too. Bring your passport. Expect to pay more than the online price. And note that Jeju airport, the usual next stop, has had no carrier counter since the end of June 2026.
No queue at Hall F, no passport, $17.79
Ten gigabytes over thirty days, installed on your phone in the US and live when the doors open at Incheon. Your US number keeps working beside it. If you need uncapped data or a 010 number, the carrier routes above are better and I earn nothing on them; this is the pick for everyone who does not.
See GigSky’s Korea plansSources & freshness: LG U+ tourist SIM prices and terms from lguplus.com/korea-sim, and SKT eSIM prices and the registration procedure from krsim.net, both read on September 7, 2026. KT prices are a 2026 reseller listing because roaming.kt.com renders prices in JavaScript I could not read; the 012-number detail is a 2024 traveler report. The prepaid-on-passport rule and the one-line limit are from a Ministry of Science and ICT release of December 24, 2025; face authentication from ministry notices of March and June 30, 2026. The Jeju closure was reported by Newsway on May 12, 2026. Airport counter hours are from carrier and Incheon listings, with "reported" rows from 2026 traveler write-ups. The 45% counter markup is one traveler's 2026 account. Travel eSIM prices from esimdb and each brand's Korea page on September 7, 2026. How we test.