Korean Job Discussion Forums

[superacidjax]

Ok, in the past there was no such thing as a SIM card that worked in Korea... has this changed? Can I use a SIM-capable quad-band phone in Korea?

I'd prefer answers from someone that actually knows rather than just speculation. I can speculate plenty on my own..

[articulate_ink]

I'm looking for more information about this too. A friend has offered to get a new phone for me in Hong Kong; he suggested I could just change the SIM card. I've heard that doesn't work here for some reason, but I'm kind of clueless on this topic.

[mrsquirrel]

I saw a few phones the other day which were WCDMA and GSM. not sure what companies give people simcards though.

[ttompatz]

[mrsquirrel]

What about the phones in the Show catalog which are WCDMA and GSM sim phones?

[pkang0202]

Korea DOES have a GSM network.

Find Info here:

http://english.tour2korea.com/04Bookings/MobilePhoneRental/phone_sk01_01.asp?konum=subm1_1&kosm=m4_4

IF you don't mind paying 5 to 6 times as much for cell phone service then go for it.

[jvalmer]

Despite what people like to believe, GSM is regional. Just because you use a GSM phone in Europe or North America, doesn't mean you can use it in another country or continent (Asia and Africa as an example).

So, the mentioned GSM network, in the previous post, is only a temporary solution. If you plan on staying here for a year or more, than you will need to get a new phone (or a used phone) and get a local number. Unless you want to pay 5x more than what is charged here.

[Wangja]

A SIM card from oitside Korea will not work here unless inserted into a special CDMA/GSM interface phone, available from KTF for about 350,000 KTW. I have one of these for my UK SIM card.

Most new phones in Korea, have a SIM card slot. I think that in Korea, as elsewhere, CDMA is dying.

I also have a new Samsung/KTF 'phone with KTF international SIM card.

Expect Korea to become a CDMA-free zone soon.

[mrsquirrel]

Thailand just spent billions on a CDMAx2 network covering the whole country.

I saw the sim/WCDMA phones for around the 250k mark.

[pkang0202]

I sure hope so. GSM is awesome.

[Wangja]

[joeyjoejoe]

[pkang0202]

South Korea and Japan are the only 2 countries in the world that have their own special cell phone network.

Everywhere else you can roam with your cell phone.

[huck]

Actually, Japan now has SIM cards that work in quad-band phones....

Korea doesn't have a local SIM card network...and why would they want to change? The Korean companies don't care because Koreans will buy the phones regardless......and tourism isn't a big enough reason to overhaul the whole system.

[blackjack]