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Korean phone number
Getting a Korean number as a visitor
Data-only eSIMs give you internet but no Korean number. If an app needs to text you a code, you need a plan with a 010 number and SMS. Even then, it won't pass full identity verification — see 본인인증 explained.
What the carriers say
- LG U+ sells a Data+Voice visitor SIM for calls and texts. It's sold only at the airport; data-only SIMs can be bought online or at the airport. Incoming calls and texts are free.Source: LG U+ — Korea SIM for visitors · checked Oct 20, 2026
- LG U+: SMS on this plan works for verification on restaurant and taxi booking apps; identity verification for banking or government services is not supported.Source: LG U+ — Korea SIM for visitors · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Not confirmedKT's tourist eSIM manual describes a Data+Voice option where calls and SMS work only after passport/entry confirmation at the airport. We couldn't open the PDF directly to confirm the details.Closest source: KT Roaming — tourist eSIM manual (PDF) · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Not confirmedSK Telecom's tourist eSIM page describes outgoing calls after passport registration and top-up. The page didn't load for us, so we haven't confirmed it.Closest source: SK Telecom roaming — tourist eSIM · checked Oct 20, 2026
Before you buy
- Check the plan says Data + Voice (or calls and SMS), not just "data". Many eSIM listings show a phone number that can't send or receive texts.
- Check where it's activated. Voice plans often need your passport checked at an airport counter after you land.
- Use the same passport you entered when buying, if the seller asks for one.
- Expect SMS codes to work for ride, restaurant and delivery apps — not for banks, government sites, or apps that require 본인인증.
Did this get you unstuck?
Related
- 본인인증 explainedKorean apps ask for 본인인증 — identity verification tied to a phone contract in your own name. Why a tourist SIM doesn't pass it, and which apps now offer passport or overseas-number options.
- KakaoKakaoTalk accepts overseas numbers. For taxis, k.ride needs no Kakao account and takes foreign cards; Kakao T accepts foreign Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex for taxis. KakaoPay needs Korean ID — from Kakao’s Korean help pages.
- Food deliveryBaemin added English, Chinese and Japanese in 2026 and lets visitors order as a non-member with an overseas number and a foreign card. What's reported, what's official, and what's still unknown for Coupang Eats and Yogiyo.