If you walked into an SKT, KT or LG U+ shop in your first week in Korea, you are probably paying ₩60,000 to ₩90,000 a month for a line that would cost ₩20,000 to ₩35,000 on an alt carrier (알뜰폰) using the very same towers. This guide explains what each option costs in 2026, what a foreigner needs to sign up, why phone verification (PASS) fails for so many newcomers, and the exact steps to move your number without losing it.
Get a prepaid SIM for your first weeks, then, once your Alien Registration Card (ARC) arrives, open a postpaid line in your own name registered to your ARC number. For most people the best value is an alt carrier plan at ₩20,000 to ₩33,000 with 10 to 15 GB plus unlimited slow data. Keep your number with number portability. The ARC-registered line is also the key that unlocks Toss, KakaoBank, Danggeun and government sites.
- Alt carriers (알뜰폰) rent SKT, KT or LG U+ networks: same coverage, often half the price
- Postpaid needs: ARC, passport, and a Korean bank account or card in your name for autopay
- Prepaid needs: passport only, but from 2026 you may hold only one passport-based line
- Face verification for new lines started 6 July 2026 for Koreans; an ARC version is planned for late 2026
- Number portability takes 1 to 3 days and your old plan cancels automatically
- Big-3 unlimited 5G starts around ₩85,000 to ₩89,000 in the 2026 lineups
Your three options, side by side
| Prepaid (선불) | Big-3 postpaid | Alt carrier postpaid (알뜰폰) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can get it | Anyone with a passport | ARC holders (some stores: 90+ days of stay left) | ARC holders |
| Typical price | ₩20,000–55,000 per 30 days | ₩39,000–129,000 (SKT 2026 lineup) | ₩11,000–33,000 |
| Data | 5–11 GB then slow | 6 GB to unlimited | Usually 10–15 GB then 1 Mbps unlimited |
| Phone verification (PASS) | Fails on most apps | Works | Works |
| English help | Shop staff, apps | Dedicated foreigner stores and hotlines | Mostly online; some multilingual malls |
| Best for | First 1–8 weeks, short stays | People who want a subsidised phone or family bundles | Everyone else |
What the big three charge in 2026
All three carriers rebuilt their lineups in mid-2026 after the Ministry of Science and ICT pushed for cheaper 5G and a slow-speed allowance on every plan. The headline numbers now look like this.
| Carrier (2026 lineup) | Cheapest plan | Mid-tier | Unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|
| SKT 라이트 / 베스트 (from 2 July 2026) | ₩39,000 for 6 GB (₩27,830 on a converted legacy plan) | ₩59,000 for 24 GB + 1 Mbps; ₩69,000 for 110 GB + 5 Mbps | ₩89,000 to ₩129,000 |
| LG U+ Simply 2.0 (from 1 June 2026) | ₩28,000 for 300 MB | 14 GB, 95 GB and 125 GB tiers | ₩85,000, no speed cap |
| KT 초이스 / 베이직 | 18 plans in two families, all with a 400 kbps slow allowance | — | Roughly ₩69,000–100,000 by third-party comparisons |
Since the handset subsidy law (단통법) was repealed on 22 July 2025, shops may offer different subsidies depending on your plan and whether you port a number, so quotes vary from store to store. The contract discount for bringing your own phone (선택약정) still exists; ask for it by name if you are not taking a subsidised handset.
What alt carriers charge
Alt carriers buy capacity from the big three and sell it without shops, which is where the saving comes from. Representative 2026 postpaid plans reported by comparison sites: KT M Mobile 11 GB plus 1 Mbps with unlimited calls for about ₩22,000; SK 7Mobile 15 GB plus 1 Mbps for about ₩25,300; LG Hello Mobile 7 GB plus 400 kbps for about ₩19,800. The smallest plans start near ₩11,000. The official comparison site is mvnohub.kr (알뜰폰허브); filter by network if you know which of the three has the best signal in your building.
Two alt carrier channels matter for foreigners. LG U+ runs the 알닷 mall, which has let foreigners self-activate online in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Russian since March 2025, taking about five minutes with an ARC. KT has prepaid brands aimed at foreigners (Chingu Mobile at about ₩20,900 for 11 GB, EG SIM at about ₩33,000) that sell on a passport and let you keep the number when you upgrade to postpaid after your ARC arrives. Prices here are from 2026 comparison guides; confirm on the carrier page before you sign.
What a foreigner needs to sign up
Postpaid (후불)
- Alien Registration Card (or residence card for overseas Koreans) and your passport.
- A Korean bank account or Korean-issued card in your name for automatic payment. This is why most people cannot go postpaid in week one: the bank wants the ARC, and the carrier wants the bank account.
- Your name typed exactly as printed on the ARC, in capital letters, surname first. A single space or hyphen difference will later break phone verification on every app.
- Some stores ask for proof of employment or enrollment, and some limit the contract to the time left on your visa.
Prepaid (선불)
A passport is enough. From 2026 each person may hold only one passport-based line (it was two), part of the crackdown on fraud phones opened in foreigners’ names. Convenience-store SIMs cost about ₩10,000 to ₩30,000 and airport SIMs ₩30,000 to ₩60,000.
The 2026 face-verification rule, and what it means for you
From 6 July 2026, Korean customers opening or porting a line at the big three and at alt carriers must pass a face check against their ID. Foreigners were excluded at launch because the system reads Korean ID cards; an ARC-based face check is planned for the second half of 2026 and a passport-chip version is being developed. In the meantime the rules for foreigners tightened in a different way: the one-line limit for passport-based SIMs, a planned one-person-one-line rule, and in-person verification at LG U+ for postpaid. If an online alt carrier sign-up is refused, that is usually why; go to a KT Global Store or an LG U+ foreigner branch instead.
Where to get help in English
- KT: about 180 foreigner-dedicated stores, a multilingual AI counsellor rolling out since June 2026, and the KT Global Service Center at 080-448-0100 (English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian; weekdays 09:00–18:00). A third of KT foreign sign-ups now happen in these stores.
- LG U+: foreigner branches with paperwork in 17 languages; hotline reported as 1899-0120 (English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog). Confirm the number on the LG U+ site.
- SKT: T world global pages; an English line is reported as 080-011-6000. Confirm before relying on it.
Switching and keeping your number (번호이동)
- Pick the new plan and make sure your current contract has no remaining handset instalment or early-termination fee you did not expect.
- Apply with the new carrier; they file the port request. You do not need to call the old carrier.
- The switch completes in one to three days, usually overnight. Your old plan ends automatically.
- Tourist and short-term SIM numbers are generally not portable, so do not build your life around a number from an airport SIM.
- After porting, re-verify in your banking apps once; the carrier record changes and some apps ask you to confirm.
Check which apps work once your line is in your name →
eSIM
All three carriers issue eSIM profiles for compatible phones, normally after an in-store ID check, and several alt carriers do too. Travel eSIMs (Airalo, Saily, Holafly and others) are fine for the first days but give you no Korean number, so nothing that needs verification will work on them.
A plan for your first three months
| When | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Airport or convenience-store prepaid SIM on your passport | You need data and a number for the ARC appointment and apartment search |
| ARC arrives (week 3–8) | Open a bank account, then a postpaid line on your ARC, or convert the prepaid line and have it re-registered to the ARC | This is the line that passes phone verification everywhere |
| Month 2–3 | Port the number to an alt carrier if you went Big-3 first | Same network, ₩20,000–40,000 a month saved |
| Before you leave Korea | Cancel in person or by app; settle instalments | Unpaid Korean phone bills follow you to collections and can block future lines |
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a postpaid plan before my ARC arrives?
SKT does not open postpaid on a passport. KT and LG U+ have done so in branch with extra checks, but since the 2025 fraud cases most stores say no. Use prepaid until the card arrives.
My phone verification fails even though I have an ARC.
Three usual causes: the line is still registered to your passport number, the name at the carrier differs from your ARC by a space or an order, or the line belongs to someone else (employer, friend). Fix it at a carrier store with your ARC. Our app checker lists each error message and its fix.
Is the network quality really the same on an alt carrier?
Yes for coverage and speed on the same network. What you lose is the shop, roaming add-ons and some family discounts. Customer support is by phone or app, often in Korean only.
Which network is best?
It depends on your building. Ask neighbours or colleagues which carrier works in your apartment and office, then choose an alt carrier on that network.
Can I pay a Korean phone bill with a foreign card?
Postpaid autopay needs a Korean account or card. Prepaid top-ups usually accept foreign cards online.
What happens to my line when my visa is extended?
Nothing automatic. If your contract was limited to your visa date, extend it at the carrier with the new ARC.
Bottom line
Prepaid for the first weeks, an ARC-registered postpaid line as soon as your card arrives, then an alt carrier plan at ₩20,000 to ₩33,000. The line in your own name is worth more than the saving: it is what makes the rest of Korean life work on your phone.
Related guides
- Which Korean apps work for foreigners, and PASS verification fixes
- Alien Registration Card guide
- Opening a bank account as a foreigner
- KakaoPay, Naver Pay, Toss and Apple Pay for foreigners
- Korean cards to show at the phone shop
※ Prices from the 2026 carrier lineups (SKT T world, 16 October 2026; LG U+ Simply 2.0, June 2026) and alt carrier comparison sites (May 2026), the Ministry of Science and ICT face-verification briefings (December 2025, June 2026) and the handset subsidy law repeal (22 July 2025). Checked 20 October 2026. Plans change monthly; confirm the exact price on the carrier site. General information, not advice.
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