Best eSIM for South Korea: five brands compared
For most trips to South Korea the best eSIM is a fixed data plan sized to your stay, and when we checked on 7 October 2026 RoamMore's 5GB and 10GB plans for 30 days cost less than the same plans from Airalo, Nomad and Jetpac. For a week of unlimited data, our Endless plan cost less than Airalo's, Holafly's and Jetpac's weeks at 1GB or 3GB a day, and was within a dollar of Nomad's week at 2GB a day. For about two weeks at 3GB a day, Jetpac, Airalo and Holafly cost less than Endless.
RoamMore wrote this page and sells eSIMs for South Korea, so read it with that in mind. Every rival price below was read on the brand's own South Korea page on 7 October 2026, in US dollars, and links back to that page. Our prices come from our live catalogue and change when it does. If you spot a mistake, email [email protected] and we will fix it.
How do the South Korea eSIMs compare on price?
Fixed data plans
| Brand | 5GB, 30 days | 10GB, 30 days |
|---|---|---|
| RoamMore | US$7.80 | US$12.10 |
| Airalo | US$11 | US$19 |
| Nomad | US$10 | US$18, a sale price |
| Jetpac | US$11 | US$17, a sale price |
Holafly does not sell fixed data plans here.
Unlimited plans
| Brand | Unlimited, 7 days | Unlimited, about two weeks | Full speed a day on unlimited |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoamMore | Endless: US$14.50 at 1GB a day, US$25 at 2GB, US$25 at 3GB | 15 days: US$28.70 at 1GB a day, US$51.20 at 2GB, US$51.20 at 3GB | You choose. At 1GB to 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps |
| Airalo | US$29 | 15 days: US$49 | 3GB, then 1 Mbps |
| Holafly | US$27.50 | 15 days: US$50.50 | No daily amount stated |
| Nomad | US$25 | Not sold. 10 days: US$33 | 2GB, then 512 kbps |
| Jetpac | US$26.99, a sale price | 15 days: US$41.99, a sale price | 3GB, then up to 1 Mbps |
The fixed plans are like for like: the same amount of data for the same 30 days. The unlimited plans are not. Each brand gives a different amount of full speed data a day, and Nomad's South Korea plans slow to 512 kbps after it rather than 1 Mbps, so compare the price at the daily amount you will really use. Nomad and Jetpac showed some prices as discounts from a higher struck price, and a sale can end at any time.
Which networks will you use in South Korea, and is there 5G?
Our South Korea plans list two networks, SK Telecom and LG Uplus, both with 5G. Airalo's South Korea page lists SK, and Holafly's lists SK Telecom and LGU+. Nomad's fixed plans list SK Telecom and LG U+, and its unlimited plans add KT. Jetpac's South Korea page did not name its networks.
5G needs a phone that supports it. Where there is no 5G, the eSIM uses 4G. The South Korea page lists every plan with its networks and speed.
Our South Korea plans connect to the internet through Singapore, so a website or app may treat you as being in Singapore rather than South Korea. Our guide to where your eSIM's internet comes out explains when that matters.
How much data do you need for a week in South Korea?
These are the daily amounts our plan finder uses. Not sure? Most people are Standard.
| Your use | A day | One week | Two weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | 300MB | 2.1GB | 4.2GB |
| Standard | 1GB | 7GB | 14GB |
| Heavy | 2GB | 14GB | 28GB |
So a 10GB plan covers a week of Standard use in South Korea with room to spare, and a fortnight at that rate needs a bigger plan or a top up. Maps, subway apps and translation run all day in Seoul, so if you are unsure, plan for Standard. Our cost and data guide breaks the figures down by app.
Should you get unlimited data or a fixed plan in South Korea?
A fixed plan is usually the cheaper buy if you know roughly how much you use, because one allowance stretches across light days and busy ones. Unlimited is the simpler buy if you stream, make long video calls or would rather not watch a meter.
If you do want unlimited, compare plans at the same daily amount. For South Korea:
- At 1GB a day, Endless is US$14.50 for a week, less than any unlimited week in the table, and US$28.70 for 15 days, less than any 15 day plan in it, though each of those gives you more full speed data a day.
- At 2GB or 3GB a day, Endless is US$25 and US$25 for a week, within a dollar of Nomad's week at 2GB a day, US$25, which slows to 512 kbps after the 2GB. At 3GB a day Endless costs less than Jetpac's week, US$26.99 at a sale price, and Airalo's, US$29.
- For about two weeks at 3GB a day, Jetpac's 15 days at a sale price, US$41.99, Airalo's, US$49, and Holafly's, US$50.50, all cost less than US$51.20 for Endless, so pick one of them for a longer trip with heavy use.
- For 10 days at 2GB a day, Nomad's US$33 costs less than US$34.90 for Endless.
- Holafly's week is US$27.50. It states no daily amount, and says a network may slow heavy use for no more than a day.
Endless charges one price for the exact number of days you pick, so a 12 day trip is priced for 12 days, not the nearest pack. Our guide to what unlimited really means explains the daily amounts and the slower speeds after them.
When do the days start?
Our South Korea plans start when the eSIM first connects to a network in South Korea, so you can install it at home and it waits. The one exception is a 100MB trial, which starts when you install it, and the South Korea page marks it. Endless also starts on first connection there, and its full speed amount refills every 24 hours from that moment.
Airalo's South Korea plans start on first use. Nomad's start when the eSIM connects to a network, or after 60 days if it has not. Holafly's South Korea page says its plan starts when the eSIM connects to a supported network. Jetpac keeps a pack you have not activated in your account for 3 months from purchase.
Can you use a South Korea eSIM as a hotspot?
On our daily plans and on Endless, yes: sharing your connection works, and what you share counts toward the day's full speed amount. Holafly's South Korea page allows 1GB of sharing a day, so a 7 day plan includes up to 7GB of shared data. Jetpac's says hotspot sharing has no data limits, and Nomad's says its eSIMs support hotspot. If you plan to work from a laptop, ask the seller before you buy.
What should you do before you fly from New Zealand or Australia?
Install the eSIM at home on wifi a few days before you leave, and leave it switched off. When you land at Incheon, switch it on, set it as your data line and turn on data roaming for it. Keep your home SIM on for calls and texts, with its own data roaming off, so your carrier does not charge you for data. Our landing day checklist walks through each step.
Our prices are in US dollars, so your bank converts the payment.
When is another brand the better choice?
- You want about two weeks of unlimited at 3GB a day. Jetpac, Airalo and Holafly cost less for 15 days than Endless at 3GB a day.
- You want 10 days at 2GB a day. Nomad's 10 day plan costs less than Endless at the same daily amount.
- You would rather not count anything. Holafly states no daily amount at all, only that a network may slow heavy use for up to a day.
Choose RoamMore if you want a fixed plan at the lowest price we found, a week of unlimited at 1GB or 3GB a day for less than Airalo's, Holafly's and Jetpac's weeks, no app to install, and a real person who answers by email or WhatsApp.
How did we check these prices?
We read every rival price on 7 October 2026 on the brand's own South Korea page, in US dollars (Airalo with its own currency setting), with no codes, credits or memberships. We did not go through any checkout. Prices change, so each one links to the page it came from, and we check them again each month. To compare RoamMore with Airalo and Holafly on support, refunds and apps, see our honest comparison.
Prices for popular trips
Cheapest plan with 1GB or more, in US dollars from our catalogue, updated 27 Sep 2026.
Questions travellers ask
What is the best eSIM for South Korea?
For most trips, a fixed data plan sized to your stay. On 7 October 2026, RoamMore's 5GB and 10GB plans for 30 days cost less than the same plans from Airalo, Nomad and Jetpac, and Holafly's South Korea page sold unlimited plans only. For a week of unlimited data, our Endless plan cost less than Airalo's, Holafly's and Jetpac's at 1GB or 3GB a day and was within a dollar of Nomad's at 2GB a day; for about two weeks at 3GB a day, Jetpac, Airalo and Holafly cost less. RoamMore wrote this answer, and every rival price on the page links to the store it came from.
Which networks does a South Korea eSIM use?
It depends on the brand. Our South Korea plans list SK Telecom and LG Uplus, both with 5G. Airalo lists SK, Holafly lists SK Telecom and LGU+, and Nomad lists SK Telecom and LG U+ on its fixed plans and adds KT on its unlimited ones. Jetpac's South Korea page did not name its networks.
Is 10GB enough for a week in South Korea?
For most people, yes. At Standard use, about 1GB a day, a week comes to about 7GB, so a 10GB plan leaves room to spare. Two weeks at that rate needs more than 10GB, so pick a bigger plan or top up.
Can I use a South Korea eSIM as a hotspot?
On our daily plans and Endless, yes, and what you share counts toward the day's full speed amount. Holafly's South Korea page allows 1GB of sharing a day. Jetpac's says hotspot sharing has no data limits, and Nomad's says its eSIMs support hotspot. If you plan to work from a laptop, ask the seller before you buy.
When does a South Korea eSIM start?
Our South Korea plans start when the eSIM first connects to a network in South Korea, so you can install it at home before you fly. The one exception is a 100MB trial, which starts when you install it, and the South Korea page marks it. Airalo's plans also start on first use, and Nomad's start when the eSIM connects or after 60 days.