Korean Job Discussion Forums

[taobenli]

Hello-

I'm looking to get a pre-paid phone today for the 6 weeks I have in Korea. Just a decent-looking phone with rechargeable minutes. I don't like the way that text messaging in Korean works on LG phones (and text messaging is a big priority for me), so other phones are better. What do people recommend: KT? KTF? SK? Doesn't matter? I know there are stores everywhere, but if you have a particularly helpful store you can recommend I'd appreciate that too. I'll be in Kangnam today and then back in my neighborhood of Bundang later this afternoon.

Last summer I used a friend's old phone, and the summer before I used a crappy old phone about 5 years old- would rather have at least a newer phone this time, though I don't need a lot of bells and whistles.

[taobenli]

Bump...

I tried to get a phone today but none of the places did pre-paid, and one place said they could do it but I would need to bring in a used phone. I need to buy both the used phone and the pre-paid minutes. I was asking around in Sunae in Bundang, and they told me to try in Seohyeon, but then in Seohyeon they told me no, I should try Yatap (a few more subway stops away). But by then I was tired and went home. I would really like to get a phone tomorrow, though, and would rather stay around Bundang than trek all the way to Seoul.

[bassexpander]

I think you should try Technomart, near one of the top floors. Walk around and people will shout "card phone" at you in English. Bring your passport.

Technomart is on the green line, at Gangbyeon station.

[sojourner1]

[taobenli]

Yes, let's get phones.

Any other recommendations about places closer to Bundang to buy a phone? I'll go to Ganbyeong today if I need to, but is there anything that's still closer?

[taobenli]

So, soujourner 1-

For your information, I went to Technomart today. Getting a pre-paid phone was easy as pie. I walked past the guys shouting "card phone" (because I somehow don't like having things yelled at me) and talked to a couple of dudes who quoted me 60,000 for a couple of rather shabby-looking used phones, plus 10,000 for the minutes. When I started to walk they said they would give it to me for 50,000, but I kept walking. I walked over to a friendly, non-pushy woman who quoted me 40,000 plus the 10,000 for the minutes. She was at a place called 하니비. I also needed to pay 10,000 for a wall charger because I didn't have an extra at home.

I guess if you go and don't speak much Korean you could take a Korean friend so that you have a more relaxed time- that's what I did when I spoke less Korean than I do now and was trying to buy an electronic dictionary, as I need that I would need to bargain a bit harder for a higher-price item. But honestly, I didn't have to speak much to get the job done.

Question: with pre-paid phone cards, where can you go to get more minutes when the 10,000 runs out? And what to ask for in Korean- in the U.S. it would be "more minutes," but what do they say here?

[inthewild]

The wall charger should be less than 4,000, maybe even free. I got ripped off that way too.

[taobenli]

Yeah, I kind of figured I was ripped off on the wall charger. Oh well. At least it's something I can use for a while with several different phones. The loss won't kill me.