Data for Seoul, Busan, Jeju and the KTX between them, installed before you fly. South Korea runs on apps that Google does not cover — and the Asia plan carries the same eSIM on to Japan, Taiwan and the rest of the region.
The South Korea plan covers South Korea only.
The same 10 GB in a package that keeps working past South Korea.
20 other countries share the package with South Korea. A few of them:
What's included, when it starts, and how to get connected.
Incheon is efficient and far from the city, and almost everything after immigration — the train, the taxi, the map — assumes a working phone with Korean apps on it.
Check whether the K-ETA electronic travel authorisation applies to your passport this year; the exemptions have changed more than once, and the official site is the only place to apply. Install your onesim eSIM over Wi-Fi, leave the line off, and install Naver Map or Kakao Map — Google Maps cannot give walking or driving directions in Korea.
After landing, open Settings → Mobile Data, select the onesim line for mobile data and turn data roaming on for that line only. Keep your home SIM in the phone with its roaming off, so your own number still receives the verification texts that Korean services will not send to a data-only line.
The AREX express train reaches Seoul Station in about 45 minutes; the all-stop train is cheaper and around an hour. Airport limousine buses go directly to most districts and hotels and are the easy choice with luggage. Buy a T-money card at a convenience store in the terminal: it pays for the subway, buses and taxis across the country.
Kakao T is the taxi app; its international version takes foreign cards. Subway and bus fares are tapped with T-money. Naver Map handles transit and walking better than anything else, and Papago translates menus from the camera. All of it needs data — which is the point of installing the eSIM before you land.
The KTX high-speed line runs from Seoul Station to Busan, Daegu, Gyeongju and Gwangju. Book on the Korail app or site; Friday evening and Sunday trains fill days ahead, and holiday weeks weeks ahead. Jeju is a flight, and the Seoul–Jeju route is one of the busiest in the world, so fares are low and frequent.
Korea is close to cashless, and foreign cards are accepted in shops, restaurants and taxis. The exceptions are street-food stalls and some traditional markets. ATMs marked Global accept foreign cards. Tipping is not done.
Cherry blossom comes to Seoul in early April, autumn colour peaks in late October to early November, and both are the busiest weeks for hotels. Late June to July is the rainy season and August is hot and humid. Chuseok, the autumn harvest holiday, shuts a lot of the country for three days and fills every train.
Shoes come off in homes, in many guesthouses and in some restaurants with floor seating. The oldest person at the table starts eating first, and both hands are used to give or receive anything. Convenience stores are open all night and sell better food than the name suggests.
Answers about data, coverage and setup for South Korea.
Korean law restricts the export of detailed map data, so Google Maps shows the places but cannot give walking or driving directions. Naver Map and Kakao Map do, in English, and both need mobile data to route you — which is what the package is for. Install one before you fly and set its language to English on the first screen.
No — onesim is data-only, and a Korean number is not something a visitor needs. Naver Map, Kakao Map, the international Kakao T taxi app, Papago and messaging all work on data alone. A few Korean services insist on a local number for sign-up; those are built for residents, and a visitor works around them with the international versions of the apps or by asking the hotel.
Yes. South Korea and Japan are both on the Asia plan, with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of the list: one package, one allowance, and the phone picks up a Japanese partner network when you land. Check the country list on this page for every stop on the route before you buy.
