Korean Job Discussion Forums

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

My husband and I will be getting our alien cards tomorrow and we want to get cell phones and phone plans as soon as possible. In the past I have used prepaid phones since I've only been in the country for a short time, but this time I will be here for several years and want something I can use more freely.

Is LG still the best company for foreigners? (I live near SNU in the south and wouldn't mind going to Seoul Global Center, as I've heard about that, but closer to here or to immigration in Omokyo would be better).

How much can we expect to pay for a fairly basic phone plan? Are there free or cheap phones that come with plans, or just the pricier phones with cameras, dictionaries, MP3 players etc. included?

Also, do we need to set up a Korean bank account first, or is paying the bills by US debit card or credit card okay?

Final question: Is LG likely to have good reception nation-wide? We will be moving to the south away from Seoul in 6 months.

Thanks!

Silk · Joined: 09 Oct 2008

I picked up an LG phone last month on an E-2.

Just for anecdotal information, the first LG store I went to said they couldn't give me a plan/phone with my E-2 visa, but the next one I tried didn't even mention it.

I personally got the new "ice cream" phone because my last phone was a cyon and I prefer their layout for typing hangul. Cost me 200,000 for the phone, 30,000 won activation fee, 11,000 won monthly base fee plus a set rate per minute/txt message which I don't remember. But something like, if I send 300 txt messages a month, it would be around 8,000 won.

I'm sure they had cheap/free phones, but I prefer the nicer phones.

taobenli · Joined: 26 Apr 2004

Thanks for that. We have the alien cards, but no Korean bank account yet. Do we definitely need a Korean bank account before getting set up with phones? Or is an internationally recognized bank (USAA) and/or credit card okay for making payments online? It seems that banks are closed both days on the weekend, and we had planned to do this before early next week.

tenchu77491 · Joined: 16 Mar 2009

For prepaid you don't need an ARC or a bank.

For a phone plan, you need an ARC and a bank from what I have seen.

International bank? Good luck. Just go set up a bank account real quick...

DAC · Joined: 14 Aug 2009 Location: South Korea

My wife and I went to 3 shops last week to look for new phones. I've had mine for the past 3 or 4 years, and owned my own for the past 7 or 8.

One of the three shops told me that foreigners cannot buy phones anymore, yet I find that extremely hard to believe, as neither of the other shops said anything about it.

I think it may be more that that particular owner doesn't want anything to do with foreigners who might run without paying their bills or finishing their phone contracts.

End story? Don't take one shop's word for how it works if you hear something you don't like. Check around.

deadhead09 · Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Location: hwagok

can i get a prepaid phone plan from any of the dozens of phone shops in sinchon... or do i need to go to yongsan? my working contract expires in less than one year so do not want to get involved with year phone contract. i have no desire to pay a lot for a phone nor put down a deposit. any thoughts/suggestions?