URL: https://esimgo.ae/sim-card/south-korea/
Buy: https://esimgo.ae/esim-south-korea/
Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.ae)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.ae/author/
Updated: 17 Oct 2026

# South Korea SIM card from the UAE: KT, LG U+, roaming or eSIM

KT's South Korea SIM card for tourists is an eSIM: ₩18,000 for 3 days and ₩35,000 for 7 days, VAT included (KT, 16 Oct 2026), and LG U+ sells an unlimited LTE eSIM from ₩6,500 a day. On your UAE number, packs start at AED 35.00 for one day (15 Oct 2026), and Virgin Mobile UAE's One Country list includes South Korea. A data eSIM on SK 5G is AED 14.99 for 1GB and 7 days. We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here, and eSIM Go is not affiliated with e&, du, Virgin Mobile UAE, KT or LG U+.

## Data in South Korea from the UAE: the options side by side

A South Korea SIM card for tourists is one of three routes to mobile data: a KT or LG U+ eSIM from ₩6,500, a roaming pack on your UAE line from AED 35.00, or a data eSIM from us. Of these, only KT's Data & Voice eSIM gives you a Korean number, and you collect it at the airport.

| Route | Where you get it | ID check | Korean number |
|---|---|---|---|
| KT Data eSIM | On site or online | Not stated | None |
| KT Data & Voice eSIM | KT roaming center at the airport | Entry check | Yes |
| LG U+ unlimited LTE eSIM | Incheon, Gimpo or Gimhae centre | Passport verification | None |
| e&, du or Virgin Mobile UAE pack | Your UAE line | None | Your UAE number |
| Our data eSIM | At home, before you fly | None | None |

## KT and LG U+ tourist eSIMs: data only or data and voice

KT sells its tourist eSIM "exclusively for foreigners visiting Korea", up to 1 voice and 4 data eSIMs per person; LG U+ allows 3 per passport. At 1, 3 and 5 days both charge ₩6,500, ₩18,000 and ₩27,500 (16 Oct 2026).

| Days | KT Data | KT Data & Voice | KT Data, about ₩ per day | LG U+ unlimited LTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | ₩18,000 | ₩23,500 | 6,000 | ₩18,000 |
| 5 | ₩27,500 | ₩33,000 | 5,500 | ₩27,500 |
| 7 | ₩35,000 | ₩40,500 | 5,000 | not listed |
| 30 | ₩71,500 | ₩77,000 | 2,383 | not listed |

Source: [KT roaming eSIM](https://roaming.kt.com/eng/esim) and [LG U+ Korea SIM](https://www.lguplus.com/korea-sim/eng/pc/product/esim?tab=data) (16 Oct 2026). KT's prices include VAT; LG U+'s page does not say. The per-day column is our arithmetic, and we do not convert won to AED. LG U+ shows 1 to 5 days; more sit behind a button we did not open.

Read the limits. KT caps full speed daily: "After 11GB of data usage on a line in a day, you may still use data service unlimited at the speed of 5Mbps." Its eSIMs are "non-cancellable and non-refundable". LG U+ says its data "is provided without any speed limits or throttling", which is its claim, not our test. You collect LG U+'s eSIM at an airport centre, since "LG U+ doesn't offer a delivery service".

Per KT's price list, the 10-day eSIM (₩38,500) costs ₩3,500 more than the 7-day one, about 10% for 3 extra days by our arithmetic. For a month, KT's LTE Welcome Prepaid for foreigners costs ₩35,000 for 1GB to ₩55,000 for 5GB, each with 200 minutes and 200 texts, against ₩71,500 for KT's 30-day Data eSIM (VAT included). We have no SK Telecom tourist prices; check SK Telecom's site.

## e&, du and Virgin Mobile in South Korea: a week and One Country

South Korea is on the roaming lists of e&, du and Virgin Mobile UAE, with packs from AED 35.00 for a day to AED 200.00 for a week (15 Oct 2026). Virgin Mobile UAE gives one country free on plans of 20GB and up, and South Korea is on its list.

| Pack | Line | Data · days | AED | about AED per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| e& Roaming Daily Data | prepaid + postpaid | 500MB · 1 day | 35.00 | 35.0 |
| e& Weekly Data | prepaid | 4GB until 10 Jan 2027 · 7 days | 100.00 | 14.3 |
| du roaming data bundle | postpaid | 5GB · 7 days | 70.00 | 10.0 |
| du roaming data bundle | postpaid | unlimited · 7 days | 200.00 | 28.6 |
| Virgin Mobile UAE pack | prepaid + postpaid | 2GB · 7 days | 100.00 | 14.3 |
| Virgin Mobile UAE One Country | plans of 20GB+ | your plan's data · 1 month | free | 0 |

Sources: eand.ae (15 Oct 2026), du.ae (15 Oct 2026), [virginmobile.ae](https://www.virginmobile.ae/roaming/) (15 Oct 2026). Per-day figures are our arithmetic. Pack rules: [e& roaming](/roaming/etisalat/), [du roaming](/roaming/du/) and [Virgin One Country](/roaming/virgin-mobile/).

For 4 days in Seoul, four e& daily packs cost AED 140.00 for 2GB, with speed cut to 64 kbps after 500MB a day. On e& prepaid, the weekly pack costs AED 40.00 less and carries 4GB, twice the data (our arithmetic). Its 7 days start at "first eligible usage" and keep running after you fly home. du's pages disagree on when its postpaid data bundles start, so buy just before departure and read the activation note in the du app. One Country covers one country from the 34 on Virgin's page (15 Oct 2026) and needs re-activation each month.

du also sells its own travel eSIM, priced in US dollars: for Korea, 5GB for 30 days is about AED 55.09 (US$15) ([du.ae/travelesim](https://www.du.ae/travelesim), 15 Oct 2026).

Your e&, du or Virgin Mobile line won't use mobile data abroad unless you add a roaming pack (e& lets you unlock pay-as-you-go data for 24 hours by SMS). Keep your UAE SIM switched on for SMS; e& and Virgin Mobile don't charge for SMS you receive abroad; calls you receive are charged per minute, AED 4.25 on e& outside the GCC (15 Oct 2026). du doesn't publish a price for SMS you receive abroad — check with du. Setup: [keep your UAE number](/help/keep-your-uae-number/).

## A Korean number for app verification: who needs one

You need a Korean number only for apps that text a code to a local number. LG U+ says "SMS verification for restaurant and taxi reservation apps is available, but Identity Verification for banking or government services is not supported", and a data-only service has no SMS verification at all.

That describes LG U+'s service, not a promise that any app accepts a code. A number comes with KT's Data & Voice eSIM: "voice & SMS services will be available only after completing Identity Verification(Entry Check)" at the airport, with "approximately 60 minutes" of calls and free incoming calls and SMS. If you only browse, navigate and message, data is enough; if an app you plan to use sends a code to a Korean number, check that app's rules before you fly.

Our eSIMs for South Korea are data-only — keep your UAE number on your main SIM for calls and SMS. They carry no Korean number, so they do not help with SMS verification. They run on SK's 5G local network, and each plan shows its price in AED. GB plans come in 7/15/30 days; 10GB for 30 days is AED 55.99, and the 7-day unlimited plan is AED 92.99, about AED 13.28 a day (our arithmetic), at full speed up to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps. Charged in AED by JET SHARING (USA). Your bank may add a foreign-transaction fee; see [how to pay](/how-to-pay/).

Install before you fly; it connects when you land in South Korea, and the days count from that first connection. An iPhone sets the APN automatically; on Android the South Korea plan needs it set by hand, see [APN settings](/help/apn-settings/). Our eSIMs are for use outside the UAE; they do not provide service in the UAE. All sizes are on [South Korea eSIM plans](/esim-south-korea/); for Korea and other Asian countries on one eSIM, see the [Asia regional plan](/esim-asia/). Top-up is possible. Next stop Tokyo? See the [Japan SIM card guide](/sim-card/japan/).

## FAQ

### Can I buy a Korean tourist eSIM at the airport?

Yes. KT sells its Data & Voice eSIM only at its airport roaming center, after an identity check; its Data eSIM is also sold online. LG U+ activates its eSIM at customer centres in Incheon, Gimpo and Gimhae (16 Oct 2026).

### Do I need a Korean number for apps?

Only for apps that send an SMS code to a local number. LG U+ says SMS verification works for restaurant and taxi reservation apps, not for banking or government services, and not on a data-only line. Our eSIM has no Korean number.

### Is South Korea in Virgin One Country?

Yes. Virgin Mobile UAE's One Country page lists 34 countries, and South Korea is one of them (15 Oct 2026). It is free on plans of 20GB and up and covers one country a month.

### Is there an unlimited eSIM for South Korea?

Yes. Our South Korea plans include unlimited data for 3 to 30 days on SK 5G, at full speed up to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps. The 7-day plan is AED 92.99. LG U+ also sells an unlimited LTE eSIM from ₩6,500 for 1 day.

### Does my UAE SIM use data in Korea without a pack?

No. Your e&, du or Virgin Mobile line won't use mobile data abroad unless you add a roaming pack (e& lets you unlock pay-as-you-go data for 24 hours by SMS). South Korea is in the main roaming zone of all three, with packs from AED 35.00 for one day (15 Oct 2026).

## Sources

- KT, tourist eSIM and LTE Welcome Prepaid: roaming.kt.com, globalshop.kt.com (16 Oct 2026)
- LG U+, Korea SIM eSIM and FAQ: lguplus.com (16 Oct 2026)
- e&, roaming packs and rates: eand.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- du, roaming bundles and FAQ: du.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- du, travel eSIM prices: du.ae (15 Oct 2026)
- Virgin Mobile UAE, roaming packs and One Country: virginmobile.ae (15 Oct 2026)