In Korea, your phone number is almost a key to everything: identity verification, opening a bank account, food delivery and other apps. Budget carriers called 알뜰폰 (alttul-pon, MVNO) lease the networks of SKT, KT or LG U+, so coverage is the same but prices are often 50-70% lower. This guide explains how to sign up online.
Postpaid or prepaid?
- Postpaid (후불): requires an alien registration card (ARC) and usually a Korean bank account for monthly autopay. Cheaper if you stay long term.
- Prepaid (선불): you top up in advance. Easier to open, even without an ARC or if you fail the credit check. It ends when you leave Korea.
According to some guides, if your legal stay has 60 days or less left, carriers usually refuse postpaid plans and you should use prepaid. Rules can differ by carrier.
What to prepare
- Original ARC. Your name must match the card exactly. F-5 holders use the permanent resident card, and F-4 holders may use the ARC or a domestic residence report certificate. A passport alone is not enough for the identity check on postpaid plans.
- A Korean payment method (a bank account for autopay, or a card if the carrier allows it).
- A digital certificate such as Kakao or Toss, if the carrier asks for it during self-activation.
Online sign-up steps
- Compare plans on the government-linked Altteulpon Hub (알뜰폰 허브, mvnohub.kr), which lists carriers side by side. Prices change often, so compare before choosing.
- Pick a carrier and plan (data, calls, texts, host network SKT/KT/LG U+). Some carriers have English websites. Check first that the carrier accepts foreigners and your nationality.
- Sign up on the carrier's website or app with your ARC details and payment method.
- Receive the SIM (USIM) by delivery, usually within 1-2 business days. Some convenience stores (CU, GS25 MVNO counters) can also hand it over.
- Self-activate (셀프개통). Follow the carrier's steps: identity verification, plan selection, insert the SIM and activate. Some carriers, such as LG Hello Mobile, let ARC holders activate a postpaid plan fully online with no call-center step.
- Test your new number for calls, texts and data.
About face verification: one guide says it currently mainly supports Korean resident ID cards and driver's licences, with ARC and passport support planned later. Foreigners may therefore use each carrier's standard identity verification. This step may change, so check the latest guide of your chosen carrier.
Reference prices
According to one guide, monthly starting prices are about 11,000 won (LG Hello Mobile, Mobing), 13,000 won (KT M Mobile) and 15,000 won (EG SIM). Plans of 10 GB or more typically run 15,000 to 25,000 won. These are reference figures and change often.
Important tips
- Sign up in your own name. Do not rely on a line registered to your landlord or employer, because the registered owner can cut service when you change jobs or move.
- Update your stay period with the carrier after a visa extension, as the line can be suspended when the stay expires.
- Before leaving Korea, cancel postpaid plans to stop further charges. Prepaid lines usually end when you leave, so ask the carrier if you want to keep the number.
- Check data terms: some plans slow down after the monthly data runs out.
- If you do not have an ARC yet, an airport prepaid SIM or a temporary eSIM can bridge the gap.
- Keeping your old number when switching carriers (번호이동) and the maximum number of lines per person differ by carrier, so ask before signing up.
Note: prices, conditions and verification steps vary by carrier and change over time. Check the website of the carrier you choose. This is not financial or legal advice.
Sources: SeoulStart, "Korea SIM Card Guide: Phone Plans for Foreign Residents (2026)"; Ezytel, "외국인등록증으로 휴대폰 개통하는 법"; Kimchi Mobile, "Korea MVNO for Foreigners 2026"; Moyoplan, foreigner MVNO activation. This English version was compiled by Cẩm Nang Hàn Quốc.
