What cell phones and plans available in korea?

2021-04-07T22:20:58-04:00

My son just graduated from AIT and is headed to Korea...he is going to Camp Carroll. His sponsor mentioned about taking an unlocked phone with him as he will get ripped off at the post exchange...my question for you is what have any of you who have been stationed there do for cell phones and service plans? His mom is stressed out that she wont be able to contact him....she is already upset that we haven't seen him since he left for basic due to friggin Covid. Now another year away. I told her that's how the Army works, and unfortunately, Covid has screw it up even worse. x

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2021 11:02 PM

2021-04-07T23:02:46-04:00

He can bring a phone from the States and it should work fine as long as it is unlocked and he can get a plan there. The plans are reasonable

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2021 11:04 PM

2021-04-07T23:04:21-04:00

Also WiFi is everywhere in Korea she probably won’t have an issue reaching him.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2021 11:20 PM

2021-04-07T23:20:01-04:00

Korea has LG and KT for cell carriers. I brought my iPhone from the US with me and bought a SIM card and plan from the PX. It works perfectly fine. I am able to FaceTime with my family with no issues. The Korean phones are more expensive because they make you buy the phone and pay it off within the one year we are here. So if you buy the most expensive it may cost a couple hundred a month to pay it off. I know if he and his mom both have apple they can text all day without it charging extra normal calling can be done but it will cost extra after so many minutes. They will be able to keep in touch while they are away.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2021 12:19 AM

2021-04-08T00:19:43-04:00

I believe I had KT, no difference really from LG. They come with WiFi hotspots that are insanely good you don’t really even need to buy WiFi separately. You will need an unlocked phone (so paid off). My wife and I had no issues texting/calling to and from my Korean numeric number. iPhone to iPhone in the states to korea will still be iMessage compatible.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 13 at 2024 5:57 AM

2024-11-13T05:57:29-05:00

Taking an unlocked phone is definitely the way to go for Korea. It gives way more flexibility, and it’s usually cheaper than getting locked into a local plan right away. Once he's got an unlocked phone, there are a few good options for getting set up with service.

If you’re looking for something quick and straightforward, you might want to check out Simify https://simify.com/en-au/collections/bali , which offers international SIM cards. It’s a handy choice if he wants to have everything set up before he arrives, without worrying about language barriers or the hassle of setting up a local contract.

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