South Korea eSIM plans compared: 5 providers, 3 trip lengths
Choose your trip length, then read down: the pick is first, and each card says who the other four suit better.
UbigiBest overall
My pickPlan10 GB, 30 dayson SK Telecom, LG U+
Price$14.00
Per day$1.40
Take it for most trips, from a long weekend in Seoul to two weeks down to Busan and Jeju. For a week, 10 GB for 7 days costs $12.00.
What you actually get with Ubigi network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed, no daily cap
- Hotspot
- Allowed, with no restriction stated
- When the days start
- When you switch to the Ubigi line in South Korea, not when you buy
- If your trip changes
- Not stated by Ubigi
- Network
- SK Telecom and LG U+
- 5G
- Listed on both networks, on compatible phones
From Ubigi's South Korea plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 2, 2026.
NomadCheapest unlimited
Plan10 GB, 30 dayson SK Telecom, LG U+
Price$18.00
Per day$1.80
Take it for the lowest price on a plan that never cuts off, up to 10 days: 2 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps. Those plans add KT and 5G, while Nomad's fixed plans stay on 4G.
What you actually get with Nomad network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the unlimited plans, 2 GB a day, then 1 Mbps
- Hotspot
- Allowed
- If your trip changes
- Not stated by Nomad
- Network
- SK Telecom and LG U+. Unlimited plans add KT
- 5G
- Unlimited plans only. Fixed plans are listed as 4G
From Nomad's South Korea plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 2, 2026.
AiraloSK Telecom 5G
Plan10 GB, 15 dayson SK Telecom
Price$18.50
Per day$1.85
Take it if you already use the Airalo app. Its 10 GB runs on SK Telecom 5G and costs $4.50 more than Ubigi's, for half the days.
What you actually get with Airalo network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the unlimited plans, 3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps
- Hotspot
- Not stated by Airalo
- If your trip changes
- Airmoney, Airalo's in-app credit, not cash. A faulty eSIM is refunded in Airmoney or to your card in 7 to 10 business days.
- Network
- SK Telecom
- 5G
- Listed
From Airalo's South Korea plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 2, 2026.
SailyEasiest app
Plan10 GB, 30 daysnetwork not published
Price$18.99
Per day$1.90
Take it if you'd rather let an app handle the install. Its 10 GB costs $18.99, $4.99 more than Ubigi's, and Saily doesn't say which Korean network it uses.
What you actually get with Saily network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the "unlimited" plans, 5 GB a day
- Hotspot
- Not stated by Saily
- If your trip changes
- Full refund within 30 days if the plan is not activated.
- Network
- Not stated by Saily
- 5G
- Not stated by Saily
From Saily's South Korea plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 2, 2026.
HolaflyNo daily cap
PlanUnlimited, 10 dayson SK Telecom, LG U+
Price$36.50
Per day$3.65
Take it if you'll stream or post video every day. No daily speed limit is published for South Korea, though sharing with a laptop stops at 1 GB a day.
What you actually get with Holafly network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- No published daily cap
- Hotspot
- 1 GB a day
- If your trip changes
- Refund to your card within 6 months, in full if never activated, in 5 to 10 business days.
- Network
- SK Telecom and LG U+
- 5G
- Not stated by Holafly
From Holafly's South Korea page and refund policy, Nov 2, 2026.
Prices checked Nov 2, 2026, in US dollars. The provider's checkout shows today's price before you pay.
How much data do you need in South Korea?
10 GB covers two weeks of maps, messages and photos, and cafes and hotels fill in the rest. A few days in Seoul can run on less. For your exact trip, use the data calculator.
A light day: Naver Map, Papago, KakaoTalk
about 0.2 GBA busy day posting from Hongdae or Haeundae
up to about 1 GBTwo hours of HD video on the train to Busan
about 6 GBUnlimited data eSIM for South Korea
Ubigi sells no unlimited plan here. Among the other four, compare the full-speed amount per day: past it, the plan slows down until the next day.
| Plan | Full speed a day | Price | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomad | 2 GBthen 1 Mbps | $33.0010 days | Allowed |
| Airalo | 3 GBthen 1 Mbps | $35.0010 days | Not stated |
| Saily | 5 GB | $34.9910 days | Not stated |
| Holafly | No cap | $36.5010 days | 1 GB a day |
For 10 days, Nomad costs $33.00, Saily $34.99, Airalo $35.00 and Holafly $36.50. The gap is small, so pick by the daily limit: 2 GB at Nomad, 3 GB at Airalo, 5 GB at Saily, and none published at Holafly.
Working from a cafe in Seoul? Ubigi's 25 GB for 30 days costs $25.00, with no restriction stated on tethering, and it's the one to get. Holafly's hotspot stops at 1 GB a day.
Best eSIM for Seoul, Busan and Jeju
South Korea has three big mobile networks: SK Telecom, KT and LG U+. Four of these five eSIMs name SK Telecom, so the choice in Seoul comes down to price.
| eSIM | Networks in South Korea | 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | SK Telecom, LG U+ | Listed on both |
| Nomad | SK Telecom, LG U+; KT on unlimited | Unlimited plans only |
| Airalo | SK Telecom | Listed |
| Holafly | SK Telecom, LG U+ | Not stated by Holafly |
| Saily | Not stated by Saily | Not stated by Saily |
Ubigi, Nomad and Holafly give the phone LG U+ to fall back on if SK Telecom is weak somewhere between Seoul, Busan and Jeju, while Airalo has only the one network.
Best eSIM for Korea and Japan on one trip
Buy one eSIM per country and install both at home. Ubigi is the pick on both sides, at about $14.00 here and about $16.50 in Japan. When you land, set Cellular Data to the eSIM of the country you're in and switch the other one off.
Set up your South Korea eSIM before you fly
You land in Seoul the calendar day after you leave the US. Sort out the phone before that, while your Wi-Fi works and your carrier is easy to reach.
1A week before
Ask your carrier if the phone is unlocked
A locked phone can't load a Korean plan, and you won't be able to fix that from Incheon. A phone still on a payment plan is often locked. Not sure it takes an eSIM at all? Check your model.
2At home, before you leave for the airport
Add the eSIM and leave it switched off
Add it through the Ubigi app on your home Wi-Fi. The 30 days only start once you switch to its line in South Korea, so a long layover in Tokyo or Los Angeles uses none of them.
3At the gate at Incheon
Switch your data to the eSIM
Under Settings > Cellular, choose the eSIM for Cellular Data and turn its Data Roaming on. It should pick up SK Telecom or LG U+ before you reach immigration. Keep your US line on for texts, with its roaming off.
Don't let your US line wake up over Korean airspace. With Data Roaming still on when the phone finds a signal, one app refreshing in the background can start a $12 day pass. Turn it off before the long flight, and leave it off.
Screen by screen: set up an eSIM on iPhone or on Android.
Before you go to South Korea
Download Naver Map before you land
Google Maps' navigation doesn't work in South Korea, so it won't guide you on foot or by car. Korea's tourism board points visitors to Naver Map, which has an English version with walking, transit and driving routes.
Carry some won for your T-money card
The transit card for subways and buses is sold at convenience stores like GS25, CU and 7-Eleven. You top it up there or at a subway station. Bring cash for it, since a foreign credit card may not work for the top-up.
Incheon has free Wi-Fi
If the install didn't finish at home, join the AIRPORTWIFI network inside the terminal. It's free across Incheon Airport.
South Korea eSIM with a phone number
None of these five comes with a Korean number: they sell data only. Messages run over KakaoTalk, WhatsApp or iMessage, and your US number keeps getting texts while its line stays on. If a restaurant wants a Korean number for a booking, ask your hotel to make the call.
South Korea eSIM questions
Is Airalo eSIM good for South Korea?
Yes, it works on SK Telecom with 5G listed, though you pay more for less time. Its 10 GB for 15 days costs about $18.50, against about $14.00 for 30 days with Ubigi. Airalo also runs on SK Telecom alone, where Ubigi adds LG U+.
What's the best eSIM for Japan and Korea?
Ubigi in each country, bought as two separate eSIMs. It costs about $16.50 for 10 GB in Japan and about $14.00 for 10 GB in South Korea. See the Japan page for the first half of the trip.
Which SIM card is best for tourists in Korea?
If your phone takes an eSIM, Ubigi's 10 GB at about $14.00: it's ready when you land, with no counter to find at the airport. A physical SIM only makes sense on a phone without eSIM. Check your model if you're not sure.
What is the best Korean eSIM?
Ubigi, the cheapest 10 GB on Korean networks, here SK Telecom and LG U+. You buy it from home in dollars and connect as a visitor, so you get the local signal without a Korean contract or a Korean number.
Is Saily eSIM good for South Korea?
It's a fine choice if you want the simplest app, but not the cheapest. Its 10 GB costs about $18.99, and Saily doesn't name its Korean network. Its unlimited plans give 5 GB a day at full speed, the most of the capped plans here.