Price per GB
$1.08
Median mid-tier catalogue price.
Compare regionally.
Prices, network indicators, operators and trip-planning tools for South Korea. Use the full calculator with the destination already selected.
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World-leading 5G density; near-total coverage including subways.
South Korea has one of the densest, fastest networks on earth; it was the first country to launch commercial 5G. All three carriers (SKT, KT, LG U+) deliver near-universal coverage with excellent 5G across cities, Jeju, and even rural trails and subway tunnels. Real-world 5G commonly runs 400-470 Mbps. SKT leads on overall coverage and reliability, KT on raw 5G speed, LG U+ on 5G availability indoors and underground. Connectivity is essentially never a problem here; the only real choice is price and whether you need a local number.
Typical local SIM: $Travel eSIMs are excellent value: roughly 8-22 USD for 10GB to unlimited over 5-30 days, around 80-90% cheaper than roaming. Local prepaid SIMs run roughly 25,000-70,000 KRW depending on data and validity.. Usually sold at Airport counters (Incheon), operator stores, online travel eSIM providers. Most tourists buy an eSIM before arrival rather than a physical SIM.. Data-only eSIMs do not give you a Korean phone number. If you need a local number (for some apps or calls), get a physical SIM instead, usually at the same price. Many unlimited plans throttle after a daily high-speed cap.
Buy a data-only eSIM before you fly; coverage is superb on any of the three networks. Only get a physical SIM if you specifically need a Korean phone number. Check whether your plan is 5G or 4G-only if speed matters to you.
Largest carrier, consistently wins best-network awards, highest nationwide coverage score. The safest choice if you travel beyond the big cities. Prepaid eSIM is data-only with no local phone number.
Leads on 5G download speeds (averaging over 480 Mbps) and was first to nationwide 5G Standalone. KT-based travel eSIM plans are usually the cheapest; check whether a given plan is 5G or 4G-only.
Highest 5G availability, holds 5G even deep indoors and in subway tunnels. Excellent for city travel and metro-heavy itineraries.
Almost always for tourists. A data-only eSIM bought before you fly is the cleanest way to land connected, and travel eSIMs are 80-90% cheaper than roaming. All three Korean networks are excellent, so you rarely lose anything on coverage.
When you need a Korean phone number (some local apps, calls). A physical SIM gives you that, usually at the same price as the eSIM.
| Location | Network | Download | Dead zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul Incheon Airport ICN | LG U+ | 71.9 Mbps | no |
| Seoul Incheon Chinatown | LG U+ | 70.0 Mbps | no |
| Seoul Beob Wangnu Temple | LG U+ | 61.3 Mbps | no |
| DMZ Demilitarized Zone | LG U+ | 63.7 Mbps | no |
| Gangneung City Centre | LG U+ | 58.7 Mbps | no |
| Gangneung Oval | LG U+ | 69.4 Mbps | no |
| Busan Seafront | LG U+ | 82.5 Mbps | no |
Use this page to compare the current price per GB, network indicator, transparency signal and local-operator reference for South Korea. It also links to a destination calculator and plan page.
It is the median price per GB of mid-tier plans in the live South Korea catalogue. Small 1 GB teasers and 50 GB or larger bulk plans are excluded so the figure reflects a typical traveller choice.
The page shows the current mobile speed indicator, a transparency score and the main local operator. These are destination-level signals, not a guarantee for every street or device.
The decision section compares the practical trade-offs. A travel eSIM is usually simpler for a short visit; a local SIM can make sense when you need a local number, longer service or local pricing. Check the current conditions before deciding.
Price per GB is the median of mid-tier plans from the live South Korea catalogue. Network and transparency indicators come from the shared Drift dataset and are refreshed monthly.
Field measurements are published only after validation. Open dataset: data-asia.json.
Figures updated September 2026. Dataset license: CC BY 4.0.