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sml7285
Joined: 26 Apr 2012
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 Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 6:33 pm Post subject: Pay-as-you-go cell phone |
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Sorry if this has already been asked - I tried to do a search but it doesn't seem to want to cooperate.
So I'm headed to Korea in a few days and will be traveling and doing an internship for about 5 total weeks before heading into the ROK Army. I need to get a cell phone to use during that time and was wondering where the best place to rent a phone is. Can I get one done when I arrive at Incheon? If so, can I return the phone in Seoul? Also, for anyone who has used a pay as you go phone in the past, what was the best provider? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 6:54 pm Post subject: Re: Pay-as-you-go cell phone |
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| sml7285 wrote: |
Sorry if this has already been asked - I tried to do a search but it doesn't seem to want to cooperate.
So I'm headed to Korea in a few days and will be traveling and doing an internship for about 5 total weeks before heading into the ROK Army. I need to get a cell phone to use during that time and was wondering where the best place to rent a phone is. Can I get one done when I arrive at Incheon? If so, can I return the phone in Seoul? Also, for anyone who has used a pay as you go phone in the past, what was the best provider? |
You can get a cheap (30-50k), used (some more used than others so try before you buy), pay-as-you-go phones from the shops in Itaewon or Yongsan market (Nanjin arcade). It will be cheaper than renting one from the airport.
The rates are about the same (man won for 20-odd minutes of talk time) for basic service with all 3 providers.
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sml7285
Joined: 26 Apr 2012
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:08 pm Post subject: Re: Pay-as-you-go cell phone |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| sml7285 wrote: |
Sorry if this has already been asked - I tried to do a search but it doesn't seem to want to cooperate.
So I'm headed to Korea in a few days and will be traveling and doing an internship for about 5 total weeks before heading into the ROK Army. I need to get a cell phone to use during that time and was wondering where the best place to rent a phone is. Can I get one done when I arrive at Incheon? If so, can I return the phone in Seoul? Also, for anyone who has used a pay as you go phone in the past, what was the best provider? |
You can get a cheap (30-50k), used (some more used than others so try before you buy), pay-as-you-go phones from the shops in Itaewon or Yongsan market (Nanjin arcade). It will be cheaper than renting one from the airport.
The rates are about the same (man won for 20-odd minutes of talk time) for basic service with all 3 providers.
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Thanks! I'll probably swing by Yongsan on my first day then. Is it still the case that all incoming calls are free in Korea, or does this not apply to pay-as-you-go? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:17 pm Post subject: Re: Pay-as-you-go cell phone |
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| sml7285 wrote: |
| Thanks! I'll probably swing by Yongsan on my first day then. Is it still the case that all incoming calls are free in Korea, or does this not apply to pay-as-you-go? |
Incoming calls / txt are free.
You pay for outgoing calls and sms/txt messages.
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fermentation
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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| You could sign up for a regular phone. They have a thing for conscripts where you can put your phone "on hold" where you can reactivate it when you're on leave. You still have to pay monthly but it's much cheaper. I'm assuming you already know, but don't take your phone with you when you enter! |
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sml7285
Joined: 26 Apr 2012
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| Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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| fermentation wrote: |
| You could sign up for a regular phone. They have a thing for conscripts where you can put your phone "on hold" where you can reactivate it when you're on leave. You still have to pay monthly but it's much cheaper. I'm assuming you already know, but don't take your phone with you when you enter! |
Haha yeah. I figure that as I really don't know anyone in Korea right now anyways, that I'm only going to need it for when my relatives call in (though fingers crossed I get a few digits out a clubs) and when I'm in Ulsan doing my internship, I really won't know anyone in the area anyways. As long as I'm not paying more than about 60k for the 5 weeks I think I'll just do that and then figure out what to do in terms of cell plans when I get out. |
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fermentation
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 12:46 am Post subject: |
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| Not sure when it will be implemented, but the military is currently looking into possibly allowing conscripts possess cellphones. Things might be looking up soon. |
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sml7285
Joined: 26 Apr 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 3:50 am Post subject: |
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| fermentation wrote: |
| Not sure when it will be implemented, but the military is currently looking into possibly allowing conscripts possess cellphones. Things might be looking up soon. |
Haha man - I was talking to my cousin about his experience and I was telling him that the military experience he had (he was a cook in the Air Force) didn't sound like a military one, but more like a camp experience gone bad.
Cell phones? What's next... laptops, Internet and Starcraft? |
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fermentation
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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| sml7285 wrote: |
Haha man - I was talking to my cousin about his experience and I was telling him that the military experience he had (he was a cook in the Air Force) didn't sound like a military one, but more like a camp experience gone bad.Cell phones? What's next... laptops, Internet and Starcraft? |
That's pretty much the gist of ROK military life.
You can access the internet in the military. They have "PC rooms" with really crappy computers. They probably aren't fast enough to run starcraft although, I did hear about some guy playing it in another unit. You're not completely cut off from technology in the military. Some guys even bring their Playstations on base with them. I played quite a bit of Call of Duty while I was there.
The reason for no cell phones (and other types of portable data storage) is that they're afraid guys will take pictures of sensitive stuff and send messages regarding secret intel to the outside world. Which is a bunch of horsecrap considering most conscripts can barely go near sensitive intel and the biggest security liabilities have always been officers and they're allowed smartphones and tablet PCs. I guess the military is finally realizing this. |
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sml7285
Joined: 26 Apr 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2012 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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| fermentation wrote: |
| sml7285 wrote: |
Haha man - I was talking to my cousin about his experience and I was telling him that the military experience he had (he was a cook in the Air Force) didn't sound like a military one, but more like a camp experience gone bad.Cell phones? What's next... laptops, Internet and Starcraft? |
That's pretty much the gist of ROK military life.
You can access the internet in the military. They have "PC rooms" with really crappy computers. They probably aren't fast enough to run starcraft although, I did hear about some guy playing it in another unit. You're not completely cut off from technology in the military. Some guys even bring their Playstations on base with them. I played quite a bit of Call of Duty while I was there.
The reason for no cell phones (and other types of portable data storage) is that they're afraid guys will take pictures of sensitive stuff and send messages regarding secret intel to the outside world. Which is a bunch of horsecrap considering most conscripts can barely go near sensitive intel and the biggest security liabilities have always been officers and they're allowed smartphones and tablet PCs. I guess the military is finally realizing this. |
Haha that's pretty funny. I'm still going to push hard for a deployment to Afghanistan or Lebanon, but I guess if I don't get that, I'll at least have Facebook as a consolation... |
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