Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mind_body_and_seoul]

I�m thinking about getting a cell phone here in Korea, and I was wondering if anyone here had any advice about what kind of cell phone I should get. Are foreigners allowed to buy cell phones here now? I�ve heard the best place to buy a cell phone is Itaewon, is that right? Would I be able to buy a cell phone in Korea that would work in other countries too? Or would it just work in Korea? Do they sell tri-band phones here? I�d also like to know how much it costs to make calls, receive calls, send text messages, and receive text messages. I�d like to get a Pay-As-You-Go phone, not a monthly contract one. Does anyone have any advice for me? What kind of phone should I get and where should I buy it from? What are the coolest phones? I don�t really want to spend a lot of money, especially if the phone will only work in Korea. And I have a digital camera, so I don�t really need a camera phone, although I�ve always thought they were cool!

[peppermint]

The worst place to buy a phone is Itaewon- you WILL get ripped off there. Try Yongsan, where there are a billion phone shops so they have to be competitive. I got a new phone at one of the shops there with English menu and cam for under a hundred thou a few weeks ago.

Foreingers can buy phones, and they can even have the monthly contract if they want. ( cost is 100W per minute vs 400W per minute with pay as you go, or so I'm told) If you still want pay as you go,ask for a "card phone" and that will probably limit your choices considerably.

Korean phones don't work generally work in other countries, though that might have changed recently.

As for what's cool- don't know, don't really care.

[The Hammer]

I bought a new LG Cyon phone with a camera for 30,000won at Dong Incheon Station in Incheon. I saw it at Bupyong station for 29,000 won yesterday.

The camera can even take short videos.

No English menu.

Grat phone... great price.

My last phone cost 450K won and I put it in the washing machine. Oops!

[hypnotist]

Glad you think camera phones are cool - makes my sorry existence worthwhile

Korean phones would theoretically work in the US, but I don't think there's any way of actually doing it.

[the eye]

[Derrek]

I have been with KTF, SK, and now, finally LG.

I have owned phones by Samsung, Motorola, and LG.

If you want an english phone, go for Motorola. You can get some nice, small/thin motorola handphones for not a lot of money. And more importantly, the English on them isn't an afterthought, as the Korean models tend to be.

I find the LG Telecom phones are less money. Many of the samsung anycall phones do english, and are built like a tank, but I didn't like the features on mine.

Don't bother with Curitel if you want to have English menus.

The SK Telecom phones are often similar to LG phones, but lacking some of the features (my phone is available from SK, but there is no memory card feature). SK, however, can make newer phones work overseas in the USA and Japan, but it's a premium service cost for those on vacation.

As a general rule, the internals of the phones here are not compatible with systems in the USA.

[hypnotist]

[Qinella]

I got a used phone at a relatively large market in Seoul this weekend. I think it was in Yongsan? Not sure. But if you can find a place like that were competition is rife, you will stand a good chance of floating a bargain. Remember to never accept the price they offer, and do actually walk away if you don't like the price. Others will see you do this and be more willing to try to make you stay.

[starbrightgirl]

From my understanding, you can use your cdma phones in america with Verizon. If you go to any Korean owned cell phone shops, of which there is an abundance, in the states they should be able to help you out.

I'm also looking for a phone, a nice one if I can afford it.
Some phones I'm considering to save up for: "chocolate phone" LG-SV590, Anycall's SCH-V840, and SKY IM-U100

Any user reviews would be appreciated.

If you can get a Korean friend to help you out, on a diff network from the one they use, you can get a new member discount. The incentives are usually over 50% off the regular tag prices.

[I_Am_Wrong]

Can we get monthly contracts with KT now? I used pay as you go with them before because apparently I needed a to have a korean put it in their own name to get a contract. Has this changed?

[Hyeon Een]

I recommend buying a new monthly-plan phone on the LG network. You can get a decent new phone for less than 100,000. LG will let you signup without any deposit to a decent monthly contract. You can choose to pay more/less each month and have correspondingly cheaper or more expensive phone calls. I pay, I think just under 15,000 a month and my phone calls are 15w for 10 seconds, so about 90won/minute.

If you want to use SK Telecom you will have to put down a 150,000won deposit for being foreign. Thats lame so I don't use them. Don't know about KTF. LG don't care if you're foreign though.

In the past I paid 80,000won for a prepay secondhand phone in Itaewon, it was crap and the phonecalls cost lots of money. Getting a plan is definitely the way to go in Korea.

There is also a oneoff connection fee of about 30,000won.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

You still can't get a KT phone on your own, unless you work for a foreign corporation or embassy.

SK will give you one with a hefty deposit. (W150-250,000?)

LG will give you one with W30,000 down.

And their customer service line always speaks English. They rock.

[Shadow849]

i have the sky imu100 its a awesome phone i LOVE IT SO MUCH the screen is so HUGE the mp3 player sounds so good i got 512 mb t flash for it so i got a couple movies on it the movies are so clear too

phone came with 2 batterys headphones case and batter charger battery life is great camera is 2 megapixels phone has korean and english menus and 3d games

http://www.isky.co.kr/User/product/ProductMerit.aspx?PrdID=IM-U100