Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Rae]

As a newb getting things ready for South Korea, I was hoping to get some input on cell phones. I've read previous threads on the process of acquiring them but I failed to find any substantial info on the plans itself (some didn't have any problems getting a phone, others were charged extra just for being foreign for even pre-paid phones).

I was hoping to gather current information on acquiring a cell phone in SK. Specifically, I'd like to know the prices of plans and a phone itself. There's a lot of sales going on right now and I want to see if buying an unlocked phone here in the US would be a better deal.

From what I've read, cell phones are a lot more expensive there than they are in the States. I'm used to getting a brand new phone for practically free with a 2-year contract.

If anyone in SK will kindly answer the following, it would be highly appreciated!

For those of you that brought an unlocked (foreign) phone:

• Did you have any problems getting a plan with it?
  
• 3G? CDMA?
  
• Does it work properly?
  
  For those of you that bought a phone while in South Korea:
  
• Approx how much was the cost of your phone? Was it brand-new?
  
• How much is your monthly plan?
  
• How long is the contract for?
  
• Did they charge an activation fee and an extra foreigner fee?
  
• What was your TOTAL initial upfront payment? (Not including monthly cost/fees)
  
• If you have a pre-paid plan, how much is it? How many minutes?
  
• Did they charge an activation fee and an extra foreigner fee?
  

Lastly, what was the process of getting a your cell phone plan? What papers were required? Thank you!

[ttompatz]

I'll make this short and sweet for you.

IF you bring a phone from home you will NOT be allowed to get a Korean number for it. You may be able to use it as a global roaming phone with your phone supplier from home (at global roaming rates).

If you get a "pay as you go" phone here:

You will pay the price of the phone. You will have to initialize the phone with 30,000 won worth of prepaid service when you first hook up. There are NO other fees. Your call rate is about 20k won per hour of talk time. You will need your passport to hook up the service.

Used phones run from 30k-300k won. New phones for prepaid service usually run from 100k-600k.

IF you plan to get a "plan" phone - you will have to wait until AFTER you get your ARC.

Different companies have different policies when it comes to "plan" service for foreigners on an E2 BUT all 3 of them require your ARC and passport.

SK and KTF require security deposits. This may be waived if you have a Korean credit card.

LG requires you to have had a bank account for more than 3 months and sometimes requires permission to direct debit your monthly billing.

You can also get a "plan" phone without the above mentioned requirements if you have a Korean co-signer.

.

[Rae]

Thank you for responding! You've helped save me and the other lost noobs some time. I'm not looking forward to the steep, new phone prices but I suppose it can't be helped.

As for no weird foreigner fees, that's good to know. But has anyone recently have to pay this? I've read through some posts a few months ago where more than 1 person had to pay extra just cause he's a foreigner.

[crazy_arcade]

everything was right except for LG-3 month bank account. This depends on the branch. Most corporate stores do not require this. However, a franchise store does require it usually.

[CGully]

Last month I bought a brand new SK phone on a monthly plan. The phone itself cost me 140,000won plus the initial activation fee of 55,000. My plan has a base cost of 14,500won per month (but of course that only includes a certain number of free texts and minutes). From what I hear from friends, I'll likely be paying somewhere around 40-60,000won per month total.

I did have to pay a deposit to SK, it was 200,000 won. But I can get that back in full after six months. Doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

So in total when I walked in, I paid 395,000won to walk out of the store with a great phone (camera, korean/english dictionary, english menu, games, etc) and I'll get 200,000 of that back in a few months. I did not actually need my passport, which was strange, but I did need my ARC and my Korean bankbook.

I hope that helps,
-CGully

[Rae]

Thank you very much CGully for your detailed post and to crazy_arcade as well. It helps

As for my cell phone woes, my phone recently stopped functioning. I now have no choice now but to look for an unlocked phone to use before I leave for SK - preferably one that also functions (while roaming) under my current provider in SK since my plan doesn't expire until after I move. I don't plan on using it except for SMS while I'm there.

I found a decent link in case anyone is interested in 3G phones and Asian network compatibilities:
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39050603,39242481,00.htm
AT&T SK coverage:
http://www.wireless.att.com/travelguide/coverage/coverage_details.jsp?CIDL=408&MNC=410&DID1=273&DID2=&STEP=5

[lizzie hong]

Rae, if you are in the States, you'll be able to get out of any cell phone contract you currently have if you have proof of moving to a different country. I just recently signed a 1 year contract with T-mobile and they comfirmed that whenever I move, I'll be able to get out of the contract for free.

[Rae]

Lizzie, omg awesome. I'll call and hope AT&T is the same. Thank you!

[igotthisguitar]

I'll advise you reduce your use & exposure.

Cell phones & mircowaves are bad for our brains, contributes to misc cancers etc.

Then again, so do computer screens

Other misc. "invisible" health drawbacks as well.

[lizzie hong]