All about South Korea > Life in Korea
CELL PHONE FAQ
Rilakuma:
Thanks to waygook.org member confusedsafferinkorea for providing much of the information here.
Can I use a phone brought from home in Korea?
Certainly possible, but the phone must be unlocked and it's certainly not a painless process. The cost is now free. Check this link to see if the phone can work in Korea:
http://expatblog.kt.com/71
If the phone can work, but hasn't received radio wave authorization in Korea, you must register it with the KCC. This link shows you how to check if your device has received radio wave authorization:
http://expatblog.kt.com/43
Also check out this FAQ about activating non-Korean phones:
http://expatblog.kt.com/37
To register your phone with the KCC, here are the steps:
1. Buy unlocked phone (or unlock a locked phone
2. Register your foreign device on the "Korea Communications Commission" website (You will also need a digital certificate known as a 공인인증서/개인인증서 in order to complete this process. These can be issued to you from your financial institution, free of charge. Apparently it is instantly available via online banking, but you might need a Korean to find it.)
3. Print the certificate out once you have done registering
4. Bring your ARC, foreign device registration certificate, necessary phone information, bank book to a BIG telecom/cellphone stores (not local small stores), bigger stores knows better. For guaranteed service, go to a Global KT store (the list is here: http://expatblog.kt.com/176)
*You MUST save the digital certificate (공인인증서) on the computer that you will be using for registering your phone! Once the file is saved if can not be removed or duplicated. So I recommend that you save it in a USB.
Go to this link to help you navigate the KCC web site:
http://expatblog.kt.com/41
How does pricing work for phones in Korea?
Non-smartphones have a base plan of 12,000 KRW. One-year contracts on non-smartphones is possible. Here is KT Olleh's standard rate plan:
http://expatblog.kt.com/85
Smartphone plans are obviously pricier, and if you don't buy the phone outright, the price of phone is paid over two or three years (no interest). In addition, certain monthly discounts are given if you purchase the phone this way.
Here's an example:
http://expatblog.kt.com/5
More examples of plans here: http://expatblog.kt.com/178
Only two-year contracts are offered on smartphones. If you terminate early, you'll pay the remaining balance of the phone (and any discounts you received will be withdrawn) plus a termination fee, up to 50,000 KRW. Here's an example:
http://www.mobileboo.com/?page_id=40 (Scroll down to "Can I terminate a contract...")
Mobileboo has received positive reviews:
http://waygook.org/index.php/topic,14322.0.html
I plan to travel; will my Korean phone roam overseas?
Possibly. Call your provider to confirm and inquire about the roaming charges. (Check the bottom of this post for your provider's contact info.)
If it'll work, you'll simply have to turn on the phone in the country and then you'll be able to make/receive calls and text messages using the same phone number you use in Korea.
KT roaming info:
http://expatblog.kt.com/category/Service%20Guide%20%28English%29?seq=32
I bought a phone in Korea and want to use it with my provider back home. Will it work?
Possibly, but if there's any chance for it to work, it must be unlocked. All carriers provide unlocked phones except LG Telecom.
Waygook.org member confusedsafferinkorea and his wife bought an HTC Desire HD and iPhone 4 in Korea and they both worked in the Phillipines by simply inserting a Phillipine SIM card.
Of course, this is likely to vary country to country. Contact your home cell phone provider to confirm.
Which provider is the best? KT Olleh, SK, LG?
As an oligopolistic industry, there is likely very little difference in pricing, and expats appear to be satisfied regardless of the provider:
http://waygook.org/index.php/topic,19712.0.html
Also check out http://www.mobileboo.com. It's an all-English service that apparently offers cheaper rates (through SK) on iPhones and Galaxies. They also allow you to break a two year contract easily.
Is there a way of getting just a prepay sim card?
Yes, simply go to any LG, KT, etc. store. However, if you were given a second-hand, NON-prepaid phone, inserting a pre-paid SIM card won't work.
Is it possible to get a cell phone without an ARC card?
Some dealers will give you a phone with just your passport, but not a smart phone. Otherwise, check out thearrivalstore.com. According member hbtunes, the contract is for six months, after which you can extend the contract a month a time. The fees are $125 (deposit) and $60 for a new phone, basic phone. The deposit is given back to you after you return the phone.
Check the web site for more details (thearrivalstore.com).
Phones can also be rented at the airport using your passport.
More questions?
English service:
KT Telecom: 02-2190-1180, 1583
http://expatblog.kt.com/category/Service%20Guide%20(English)
http://expatblog.kt.com/
SK Telecom: 080-252-5011
http://www.sktelecom.com/eng/
http://www.mobileboo.com --> Galaxies and i-products for foreigners via SK
LG Telecom: 1544-0010 (press # for English Service)
http://www.lgtelecom.com/jsp/eng/home_service1.jsp?A=2&B=2&C=1
___________________________________
I just successfully got my AT&T carrier locked iPhone 4 from the US to work on olleh in South Korea. I was skeptical at first, but I was willing to try any method to not buy another iPhone.
iPhone 4
OS: 4.3.3
Baseband: 03.10.01
Jailbroken
Used: Gevey Ultra sim, sim card interposer
I had to buy the Gevey sim from eBay as there is no store that sells it in SK (as far as I know). Cost $24.95 for the sim and $27 for USPS International Express mail.
Recently Korea Telecom allowed for IMEI registration of foreign phones at the carrier locations. So, when I went to sign up for service they automatically register your new olleh sim card (5,500 krw) and your IMEI number.
Update:
The calling service works fine, but the 3G and SMS MMS was not working. You have to manually add olleh's settings to use the 3G.
Settings>General>Cellular Data Network
APN: alwayson.ktfwing.com
username:
password:
MMS-
APN: alwayson.ktfwing.com
username:
password:
MMSC: http://mmsc.ktfwing.com:9082
Proxy MMS:
MMS Port:
climber:
Do you think it would work for the iPhone 3? Does it need to be jailbroken?
Rilakuma:
I'm no expert on iPhones. Though, I did a lot of research for the iPhone 4 and specific baseband. As of yet, the iPhone 4 with 3.1 ~ 5.1 basebands do not have a software unlock, the hardware unlock with the Gevey sim is the only choice for these particular iPhone 4s.
iPhone 3G is a different story. The Dev Team developed unlocks for iPhone 3GS and back and also certain basebands of iPhone 4. So, many are unlockable, but it doesn't mean it will work in SK.
AT&Ts network is different from Korea's. So, I read that the only way a US iPhone will work in SK is if it has 3G. I could be wrong...
* To do a software unlock you must first jailbreak it. There are so many videos that show to unlock your phone from the AT&T carrier lock on you tube.
* To do a hardware unlock with Gevey you must jailbreak it (was what I read, don't know if it is reaaally necessary for the Ultra sim though...).
Remember, the Gevey sim does not permanently unlock your phone; once removed, the phone believes it is still bound to AT&T.
griddable:
I don't know about this Gevey SIM, but I have an iPhone 3G (not 3GS), which has been jailbroken and unlocked. I was able to use this phone with local SIM cards in every country I've tried (China, Japan, Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia) but nooooot in Korea.
The first time I came the guy pretty much refused to try to get it working, and insisted on selling me a little cheapass prepaid instead.
The second time I had my Korean friend talk to the people at olleh and they gave it a good effort. Things were looking optimistic until they called about 20 minutes later to say that it couldn't be done. They said that had it been a 3GS, it might've worked. I'm thinking about waiting for the new one to come out and upgrading.
Rilakuma:
I know in Korea foreign phones are a new thing. Korea Telecom has gotten more lenient on their rules on cell phones and networks.
For example, they used to have a whitelist of approved IMEI numbers. That list only included IMEI numbers of phones sold in South Korea. I heard in recent past that they allowed for registration of foreign IMEI numbers, but it cost as much at 300,000 krw. Now, they allowed me to register my foreign IMEI number right at the Olleh store! I also heard that this only applies to phones that are sold in Korea. So, if you want to bring over a phone like the Blackberry you will have a tough time getting someone competent enough to help you. Only in the last couple years they have begun selling iPhones in Korea.
I just think you can't expect everybody in the SK, Olleh, and LG carrier companies to know what's going on all the time. I had to make about 4 trips to the store until I could get enough information to get it to work. The first person told me flat out that it was not possible. I would have sold this phone and bought another one if I failed. But, I kept researching until I was sure for myself.
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