A physical Korea SIM replaces the card in your phone, so our suggested order is to check your phone, then pickup, then price and number features.
Last checked: November 6, 2026
We read the official English pages of SK Telecom, KT, LG U+ and Incheon Airport for this article. We have not bought a SIM, put one in a phone or visited an airport counter.
Key takeaways
- Our suggestion is to choose a physical SIM only if your phone has a SIM tray and has no country lock.
- SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ all describe airport pickup, and LG U+ says it does not deliver.
- The data plans below list unlimited data, but call and text charges depend on the plan.
- A Korean number does not guarantee every app’s verification: KT and SK Telecom exclude personal authentication, and LG U+ excludes banking and government identity checks.
- If the SIM fails, restart the phone, check the carrier’s guide and call the carrier’s foreign-customer line.
In this guide
- Who a physical SIM suits
- Where to collect it
- What it costs
- A Korean number and app verification
- What to bring and who can buy
- If the SIM does not work
- Is there a free SIM card?
- FAQ
- Sources and what we checked
Who a physical SIM suits
Our suggestion is to consider a physical SIM if your phone cannot use an eSIM, or if you would rather collect a card at the airport than scan a QR code. SK Telecom says its SIM product “lets you keep using your own phone by replacing the physical SIM card.” If you remove your home SIM to insert the Korean card, our suggestion is to ask your home carrier how to receive texts sent to your home number.
Your phone also needs to be free of a country lock. KT says “the country lock on your device must be turned off.” LG U+ says to ask your home carrier to remove a country lock before you arrive in Korea. SK Telecom gives the same condition.
If your phone supports eSIM, read our Korea eSIM guide first. For a shared router, see our pocket Wi-Fi checklist.
Where to collect it
All three carriers describe airport pickup. SK Telecom says SIM products “must be picked up at the airport roaming center.” KT tells you to collect the SIM at your arrival airport after you reserve and pay in advance. LG U+ says it does not offer delivery.
LG U+ also says you may visit a customer center on the day of arrival without a reservation. We did not find a walk-up rule on the KT or SK Telecom pages.
The Incheon Airport facilities listing shows Terminal 1 roaming centers for all three carriers. It lists SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ near Arrival Hall F on the west side of the first floor, open 24 hours, and near Arrival Hall A on the east side, from 06:00 to 22:00. We read only the Terminal 1 entries.
LG U+ and SK Telecom also list Terminal 2 pickup, and LG U+ says hours are subject to change with flight schedules. Our suggestion is to check your terminal and arrival time on the carrier page before you fly. For the trip into the city, see our airport transfer guide.
What it costs
These are the prices shown on the official pages on November 6, 2026, in Korean won. The SK Telecom rows are its LTE plans.
| Plan | Price | What the page says about calls |
|---|---|---|
| LG U+ SIM, 1 day | ₩6,500 | Incoming calls and texts; outgoing needs voice minutes |
| LG U+ voice minutes | ₩5,500 per 20 minutes | Domestic call minutes, chosen with the data plan |
| KT data SIM, 7 days | ₩35,000 | Incoming after an entry check; outgoing needs a top-up |
| KT data and voice SIM, 7 days | ₩40,500 | About 60 minutes of calls |
| SK Telecom LTE data-only SIM, 1 day | ₩6,500 | Data only |
| SK Telecom LTE voice and text SIM, 2 days | ₩12,000 | Incoming free; outgoing after a top-up |
| SK Telecom LTE SIM with palace pass, 3 to 90 days | From ₩18,000 | Voice and text; the pass bundle is described below |
KT says its prices include VAT and that speed drops to 5 Mbps after 11 GB in one day.
These are each carrier’s listed prices, not a market-wide comparison or a ranking. LG U+ says an online-only discount code is available and lists its voice SIM as airport only. We did not find the discount amount, or a separate airport price on the KT and SK Telecom pages.
A Korean number and app verification
KT says all its phone numbers start with 010, and that voice and text work only after an entry check at its airport roaming center. SK Telecom says data works without passport verification, but incoming voice and text need it, and it offers online verification from 8:00 to 22:00 after you clear immigration. LG U+ lists a “010 Korean phone number” and says voice items need passport verification at the airport counter.
Getting a number is a different step from passing an app’s identity check. KT says its SIM “does not support the personal authentication.” SK Telecom says personal authentication and payment-related SMS reception are not available. LG U+ says SMS verification for restaurant and taxi reservation apps is available with voice and text, but identity verification for banking or government services is not supported. LG U+ also says SMS verification is not available on data-only service.
We did not test any app. Our advice is to read the app-specific guides before you pay for a number: KakaoTalk verification, NAVER sign-up and the number section of our Korea eSIM guide.
What to bring and who can buy
KT lists a passport or certificate of alien registration as the requirement. LG U+ says you need to upload your passport. SK Telecom’s voice and text plan page says holders of a Republic of Korea passport cannot purchase that product. It also says dual nationals can use data only, with voice and SMS restricted.
Purchase limits differ: KT lists one voice SIM and up to four data SIMs per person, LG U+ three per passport holder, and SK Telecom five per person. KT and SK Telecom say cards issued in Korea are not accepted for payment. We did not find an age rule on the pages we read.
KT says its product is designed for tourists staying within 90 days, and SK Telecom says travelers staying 91 days or more cannot complete passport verification. We did not find an exchange-student plan on these pages, so our suggestion is to ask the carrier before you buy. For foreign residents in Korea, LG U+ lists 114 for U+ customers and 080-851-1004 for non-U+ customers.
If the SIM does not work
KT’s guide says to insert the card with the phone off, then turn the phone on with Wi-Fi and airplane mode off and the data network on. It says to restart until you see signal bars. It adds that “the phone is likely locked” if there is still no service after turning it on and off more than three times. If “KT” shows as the carrier but data fails, KT says to check the APN setting, and its guide lists lte.ktfwing.com. That APN belongs to KT, so our advice is not to enter it for another carrier’s SIM.
LG U+ suggests resetting network settings, with the iPhone and Android menu paths on its page. It then points you to its support number, 010-3998-1004. SK Telecom says calls to its roaming customer center, 02-6343-9000, work whether or not passport verification is done.
The LG U+ Terminal 1 customer center lists Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:00, with lunch from 12:00 to 13:00. KT lists +82-2-2190-0901 for foreign customers; press 6, Monday to Friday, 9AM to 6PM Korea time, excluding holidays. SK Telecom lists 82-2-6343-9000. Some general steps match our eSIM troubleshooting guide.
Is there a free SIM card?
We did not find an official free tourist SIM program on the carrier and airport pages we read. The SIM itself is priced on each page. Some paid plans include extras. LG U+ lists a free T-Money card for plans of three days or more. SK Telecom’s three-to-ninety-day Royal Palace Pass SIM bundles list a free transportation card and a palace pass. The pass allows one entry to each site within 12 days of first use, and registration and use end on December 31, 2026.
FAQ
Can I get a Korean phone number with a SIM card?
KT says all its numbers start with 010, and LG U+ lists a 010 number. Our advice is to read the exact plan page before paying.
Can I buy a Korea SIM card at the airport?
LG U+ says you may visit a customer center on arrival without a reservation. KT and SK Telecom describe paying in advance and collecting at the airport.
Will a Korean SIM pass KakaoTalk or NAVER verification?
We did not test either app. The carrier limits above apply, so our advice is to read our guides above first.
Sources and what we checked
We read the official KT SIM page, KT SIM guide, KT customer center page, SK Telecom SIM page and LG U+ customer center page on November 6, 2026. We read the KT and SK Telecom pages, and LG U+’s voice-minute options, in a fresh browser without logging in or entering anything. Official wording, our advice and unresolved points are separated throughout.