Seoul eSIM
In Seoul you connect to SKT or KT, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The median across the country is 104 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- SKT and KT
- Real speed in South Korea
- 104 Mbps median, 36 Mbps for the slowest tenth1,166 travellers across South Korea, rolling 90 days
- 5G
- yes, standalone
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Seoul
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $5.89 | $5.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $2.96 | $8.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $2.18 | $10.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $1.59 | $15.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $1.19 | $23.89 | |
| 50 GB | Never expires | $0.94 | $46.89 |
How South Korea compares across Asia
- Speed rank
- 2 of 28 destinations we have measured in Asia
- Regional median
- 42.95 Mbps
- Consistency
- The slowest tenth still reaches 35 percent of the median
- Upstream networks
- 2, SKT, KT
- 5G
- Yes, standalone
- Next fastest nearby
- Singapore, 119 Mbps
- Next slowest nearby
- Hong Kong, 92 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 4: Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Incheon
- tenth percentile
- 36 Mbps
- Behind these figures
- 1166 travellers, rolling 90 days
Landing at Incheon International Airport (ICN)
- Airport
- ICN / RKSI
- Distance
- 48 km from the centre of Seoul
- Also serves
- Gimpo International Airport (GMP)
Getting into Seoul
- AREX Express train to Seoul Station (ICN), about 43 minutes. Runs through tunnels, where a signal drops
- AREX all-stop commuter train to Seoul Station (ICN), about 59 minutes. Runs through tunnels, where a signal drops
- Seoul Subway Line 9 from Gimpo International Airport station (GMP)
- Airport limousine bus from Incheon to Seoul hotels and districts (ICN)
- Airport limousine bus from Gimpo to Seoul hotels and districts (GMP)
- Taxi from the Incheon arrivals hall to Seoul (ICN)
Underground and on the metro
Seoul Metropolitan Subway runs 24 lines. It opened in 1974. The operator does not publish whether the tunnels carry a mobile signal, so we do not claim either way.
Worth knowing about Seoul
- The Seoul subway has free Wi-Fi in all stations and on trains, which matters on the long underground run in from the airport.
- About 60 percent of the AREX airport line is underground, including the final approach to Seoul Station, so expect long tunnel stretches on the ride in.
- The AREX all-stop commuter train takes 59 minutes to Seoul Station from Incheon Terminal 1 and 66 minutes from Terminal 2.
- Seoul's second airport, Gimpo, is only 15 km from the centre and still handles international short-haul to Tokyo-Haneda, Osaka-Kansai, Shanghai-Hongqiao, Beijing and Taipei-Songshan.
- Seoul's free public Wi-Fi, branded Kkachi On, broadcasts as SEOUL_Secure. Sign in once with the ID seoul and the password seoul; on Android pick PEAP and choose not to validate the certificate, on iPhone trust it. Phones then reconnect automatically at every hotspot.
- SEOUL_Secure is meant for public spaces rather than hotels or homes: main streets, parks, trails, bus stops, traditional markets, tourist spots and public offices, plus city and shuttle buses, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
- Visitors can load a Climate Card with a short pass of 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 days for unlimited rides on Seoul subway lines and Seoul-licensed buses. The pass starts on the day it is charged, not on first use, so top up on the morning you need it.
- The Climate Card does not cover the Sinbundang Line, subway lines outside Seoul, airport or intercity buses, or buses licensed elsewhere. On AREX it only lets you get off at the Incheon Airport stations, never board there, so the ride in from Incheon needs another ticket.
- Since 20 March 2025 Climate Cards can be bought and recharged with foreign credit and debit cards. Short passes load at charging kiosks in stations on Seoul Metro Lines 1 to 8, Line 9, the Ui-Sinseol Line and the Sillim Line.
- Outside Seoul the Climate Card stops working, while a Tmoney card pays for subways, buses, taxis and trains nationwide and at convenience stores. WOWPASS, a card only foreigners can get, is sold through its app or over 430 kiosks and needs a passport.
- From Incheon Terminal 2 the AREX express takes 51 minutes to Seoul Station, against 43 from Terminal 1. The all-stop train needs 59 minutes from Terminal 1 and 66 from Terminal 2, and runs every 5 to 10 minutes from about 05:30 to midnight.
- Airport limousine buses run from both Incheon and Gimpo to hotels and districts across Seoul in roughly 60 to 80 minutes. Buy the ticket at the designated booth in the airport, which takes cash, major credit cards and Tmoney.
- Taxis wait directly outside the Incheon arrivals hall. The Incheon Airport Expressway toll, 7,900 won, is added to the metered fare, and International Taxis with English, Japanese or Chinese speaking drivers cost 20 percent more than regular cabs.
- TABA, a taxi app for foreign visitors developed with support from the city, launched on 1 December 2023. It works in English, Chinese, Japanese and Thai and is on both the App Store and Google Play.
- After the subway closes, Seoul's night buses carry an N before the route number. The network grew to 14 routes in 2022, with runs between roughly 23:10 and 04:10, and live arrival times are on the TOPIS website and app.