How To Buy A Korean SIM Card In Seoul Incheon Airport (2024)
Seoul Incheon Airport is the most popular arrival point for international travellers coming into Korea, so it is the best place to purchase a Korean SIM card.
Keep reading to discover a step-by-step guide for buying a Korean SIM card suitable for foreigners in Seoul Incheon Airport.
Thankfully, the airport is easy to navigate and finding the stands that sell Korean SIM cards in Seoul Incheon Airport is relatively straightforward.
We also provide a bonus alternative for buying a Korean SIM card that will save you time and money.
So, let’s dive into: How to buy a Korean SIM card in Seoul Incheon Airport
Disclaimer - this blog post contains affiliate links where we can earn a commission if you make a purchase through them (at no extra cost to you).
Whether you’re spending a weekend in Seoul or a complete month-long trip around South Korea, getting a SIM card in Seoul Incheon Airport will make your adventure much more straightforward. Whether you need to check the AllTrails app while hiking in Seoraksan National Park or want to read the Korean Times on the bus ride while visiting the Korean DMZ, grabbing yourself a Korean SIM card at Incheon Airport is the first thing you should be doing in South Korea.
Buying a Korean SIM Card online and collecting it at Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN)
The 1st option you have for getting a Korean SIM Card in Seoul is to simply pre-order the SIM Card online and pick it up at the arrivals terminal in Seoul Incheon Airport once you land.
This is the easiest, most effective and stress-free way of buying a Korean SIM Card and is the route we recommend.
Benefits of buying a Korean SIM online before you travel to Seoul:
You won’t have to queue up at the airport and wait in line (sometimes up to an hour) to get a SIM Card
Unlimited 4G Data while travelling around South Korea
It will have already been paid for so you don’t have to worry about getting cash out at the airport or hidden international transaction fees on your card
You buy the SIM Card online before you fly and receive confirmation of your order and instructions on how to pick up your SIM Card at Seoul Incheon Airport.
There are pick-up locations in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 in Seoul Incheon Airport, so it’s very easy to collect.
Depending on how long your Korea itinerary is due to last, you can choose from the 5-day, 7-day, 10-day, 15-day, 20-day, 30-day, 40-day, and 60-day options.
Buy your Korean SIM Card online here and collect it at one of the LG U+ Counters in Seoul Incheon Airport located at Terminal 1 (between gates 10 and 11) or Terminal 2 (between gates 4 and 5).
Korean Air - South Korea’s national carrier (you’ll see plenty of these at Seoul Incheon Airport)
Added Bonus - this Korean SIM Card comes with a complimentary T-Money Transportation Card that can be used on buses and the subway throughout South Korea!
Buying a Korean SIM Card at Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN)
*Full disclosure - this is how we bought our SIM Card at Seoul Incheon Airport, and we instantly regretted not buying it online beforehand; that’s why one of our first travel tips for South Korea is to make sure you order a SIM card online before arriving.
The 2nd option for buying a Korean SIM Card at Seoul Incheon Airport is to go down the old-fashioned route - landing at the airport and heading for one of the Korean SIM Card providers located in the arrivals terminal.
The providers based at Incheon Airport are KT, SKT and LG U+. All three Korean mobile service providers operate in both Incheon Airport terminals. You simply walk through customs into the main arrivals terminal concourse, and you will see a number of different providers.
In Terminal 1, the main arrivals terminal for internationals, the mobile service providers are located between exits 10-11 (just to the left-hand side as you exit through customs).
Once you choose which provider you want to buy a SIM Card from, you go up beside the desk and there is a small touchscreen where you choose the SIM Card purchase option. It will then print out a little voucher with a number on it.
Once your number is called (also on the screens above the stands), you can go up to the desk and order your Korean SIM Card. You will need to provide your passport in order to purchase the SIM card.
LG U+ and KT stands at Seoul Incheon Airport
Worth noting: the lines can be long at these stands, particularly during peak-flying hours, so be prepared to wait upwards of an hour at times!
Seoul Incheon Airport SIM Card Alternative - Unlimited 4G Portable Pocket Wifi Rental
A handy alternative to a Korean SIM Card worth considering, particularly for those who are buying a SIM Card for data and not for its calling and texting functionality, is a portable pocket wifi rental.
Sometimes referred to as ‘wifi eggs’, they are little portable devices that essentially emit (for want of a better term) wifi for you to use on the go.
Pros of using portable pocket wifi:
Can be cheaper than buying a SIM Card (depending on the length of your stay)
Up to 8 devices can connect to the portable wifi at once
Unlimited 4G wifi access
Cons of using portable pocket wifi:
You have to carry it around with you at all times - it’s a similar size to a portable charger
Don’t have the ability to call and text using a Korean number
You have to give your credit card details when handing it in as a safety deposit
As is the same with the Korean SIM Card, it is possible to buy the Portable Wifi Pocket once you land at Seoul Incheon Airport - you actually buy them from the same mobile services provider stands that you purchase the SIM Card from.
However, we recommend that you buy the portable pocket wifi online here before arriving in Korea and collect it once you land. It’s just so much less stressful!
When buying a Korean SIM card at Seoul Airport, you have to print out a ticket and wait in-line to be called up to the desk
South Korean e-SIM data plan
Another alternative option to the traditional SIM Card or the portable wifi pocket is buying an affordable e-SIM data plan that loads directly onto your phone. This cuts out the hassle of changing SIM Cards and is becoming increasingly popular for travellers worldwide.
How the e-SIM works is you purchase the data package that suits you best - there are a range of options from 1GB for 3 days in Korea, all the way to 30GB for 30 days in Korea. You will easily find an option that suits your Korean travel itinerary.
Once you’ve purchased the package, you activate it using a QR code directly on your screen and it automatically loads directly onto your phone. It couldn’t be more simple!
Things to check before buying a Korean SIM Card
Make sure your phone is unlocked
The first thing you need to check before buying a Korean SIM Card, prior to you even getting to Korea, is that your phone is unlocked.
If your phone isn’t unlocked, when you put the Korean SIM into your phone it simply won’t work.
To check your phone is unlocked, you should contact your phone/SIM Card provider and double-check with them that your phone will be compatible with a SIM Card while travelling abroad.
Find out what size SIM Card you need
This one is relatively straightforward, and thankfully, nowadays, most phones can be compatible with a number of different-sized SIM cards. SIM cards come in nano, micro and regular sizes so you will want to check which is best for your phone before purchasing the wrong size.
Decide whether you need to make outbound calls, or only need Data
Obviously, this is dependent on your own scenario, but lots of the SIM Card packages for travellers in Seoul Airport exclude the ability to make outbound calls and send texts. You can still receive calls and texts but not send them yourself. Some people may need to make calls regularly and simply having 4G data won’t be enough - in this case you would have to pay a little extra to get that feature on your SIM Card.
How to get from Incheon Airport (ICN) into Seoul City Centre:
Getting from Incheon Airport to Seoul is relatively straightforward once you know the options, here’s a quick overview:
AREX Incheon Airport Express Train - see prices and timetable here
K Airport Limousine bus - book tickets here
Taxi - grab a taxi from directly outside the arrivals terminals
There we have it folks, our round-up of how to buy a Korean SIM Card in Seoul Incheon Airport. As we have discussed, we bought a SIM Card directly at the airport and while thankfully it worked throughout our 3-weeks in Korea, it would have saved us a lot of time and hassle had we bought it in advance and picked it up in the arrivals terminal.
Whether you’re buying a SIM card in Seoul Gimpo Airport, buying a SIM card in Busan Gimhae Airport or, as is documented here, buying one in Seoul Incheon Airport, we hope this article has enlightened you into doing it as easily as efficiently as possible.
Bonus South Korea Travel tip: at some point, you are going to want to escape the hustle and bustle of Seoul, so embarking on day trips near Seoul is the best option!
Seoul, South Korea, is routinely voted one of the world’s most walkable cities - but how walkable is Seoul in reality? In this article, we discuss how easy it is to walk around Seoul.