Traviva’s pick for South Korea is Ubigi: 10GB for 30 days at US$14, the cheapest verified plan by US$4, with tethering allowed. Nomad (US$18 on sale, normally US$20), Saily (US$18.99) and Airalo (US$19) are next, and Nomad is the only seller here that names all three Korean networks. It suits most travellers with an unlocked, eSIM-capable phone; heavy users can get Ubigi’s 30-day unlimited plan for US$49 (60GB at full speed, then 2 Mbps).
Updated · Prices in US dollars unless marked A$; figures marked “checked October 2026” were read off each provider’s own site on 8 October 2026.
South Korea eSIMs at a glance
The 10GB, 30-day plan from each provider, or its unlimited plan where it sells no fixed data. Hotspot rules come from each provider’s own terms.
| Provider | Plan / data | Validity | Price | Hotspot | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | 10GB | 30 days | US$14 | Yes | Network not confirmed. Unlimited: US$49 for 30 days (60GB at full speed, then 2 Mbps). Price checked October 2026. |
| Nomad | 10GB | 30 days | US$18 (sale; normally US$20) | Yes | LG U+ for fixed-data plans, SK Telecom for unlimited. Price checked October 2026. |
| Saily | 10GB | 30 days | US$18.99 | Yes | Network not confirmed. Price checked October 2026. |
| Airalo | 10GB | 30 days | US$19 | Yes | SK Telecom. Price checked October 2026. |
| Holafly | Unlimited | 30 days | US$73.90 | 1GB a day | SK Telecom and LG U+. No fixed-data plans. Price checked October 2026. |
| Maya Mobile | Unlimited | 30 days | US$49.99 | Allowed, with guidance | 3GB a day, then 10 Mbps, then 1 Mbps. Price checked October 2026. |
| Simify | 10GB | 30 days | A$49 | Allowed | Billed in Australian dollars. Price checked October 2026. |
The network depends on the plan, not just the provider
Korea has three mobile networks — SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ — and the eSIM sellers do not all say which one you will use.
Nomad is the most specific. It lists SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ for South Korea, and its own plan listings put the fixed-data plans on LG U+ and the unlimited plans on SK Telecom. So switching from a 10GB plan to unlimited with the same provider can also mean switching network.
Airalo lists SK Telecom, and Holafly lists SK Telecom and LG U+. We could not confirm which network Saily, Ubigi, Maya Mobile or Simify uses in Korea, so the table below says so rather than guessing.
We have not speed-tested any of these in Korea, so this page makes no claim about which network is faster. What we can say is that every price here was read off the provider’s own Korea page on 8 October 2026.
What a 10GB month costs in South Korea
Same plan, same duration, four sellers. Prices in US dollars, checked 8 October 2026.
Holafly sells no fixed-data plans anywhere — its 30-day unlimited plan is $73.90, which is a different product and so is not plotted on the same scale.
Ubigi
Ubigi at $14 for 10GB over 30 days is the cheapest verified plan by $4, and its 30-day unlimited plan at $49 is the cheapest month of unlimited here too. If you want to know your network before you land, Nomad ($18 on sale, normally $20) names it for every plan.
See Ubigi South Korea plans →Every verified plan
Prices in US dollars, read off each provider’s own page. Where we could not confirm a price, we say so rather than estimate.
| Provider | Fixed data plans | Unlimited |
|---|---|---|
| Saily | 1GB/7d $3.99 · 3GB/30d $8.99 · 5GB/30d $10.99 · 10GB/30d $18.99 · 20GB/30d $29.99 | Not verified in October 2026 |
| Airalo | 1GB/3d $4 · 3GB/3d $8 · 3GB/7d $9 · 5GB/7d $10 · 10GB/7d $18 · 5GB/15d $10.50 · 10GB/15d $18.50 · 20GB/15d $29 · 5GB/30d $11 · 10GB/30d $19 · 20GB/30d $30 · 50GB/30d $49 | 3d $12 · 5d $20 · 7d $29 · 10d $35 · 15d $49 · 30d $69 |
| Nomad | 1GB/7d $4 · 3GB/30d $8 · 5GB/30d $10 · 10GB/30d $18 · 20GB/30d $28 · 50GB/30d $39 The 10GB price was a sale price (normally $20). Nomad’s fixed-data Korea plans run on LG U+. | 3d $11 · 5d $18 · 7d $25 · 10d $33 Nomad’s unlimited Korea plans run on SK Telecom. |
| Ubigi | 1GB/7d $3 · 3GB/7d $7 · 10GB/7d $12 · 10GB/30d $14 · 25GB/30d $25 Ubigi also sells recurring plans in South Korea: 20GB at $14/month, and 5GB a month for 12 months at $49. | 7d $25 · 15d $34 · 30d $49 The 30-day plan runs at full speed for the first 60GB, then 2 Mbps. |
| Holafly | No fixed-data plans — unlimited only | 3d $12.50 · 5d $20.50 · 7d $27.50 · 10d $36.50 · 15d $50.50 · 30d $73.90 |
| Maya Mobile | No fixed-data plans — unlimited only Maya sells no fixed-data plans anywhere; its product is one global unlimited plan. | 3d $9.99 · 7d $19.99 · 14d $27.99 · 30d $49.99 The same four prices apply in every country Maya covers. |
| Simify | 5GB/7d A$29 · 10GB/30d A$49 · 20GB/30d A$75 · 30GB/30d A$99 · 45GB/45d A$135 · 60GB/60d A$159 · 100GB/90d A$219 | Not verified in October 2026 |
Provider names link to their own site. Some of those links earn us a commission — the disclosure page says exactly which, and it plays no part in which plan we call cheapest.
Every price on this page is in US dollars except Simify’s, which are in Australian dollars because it bills in A$. An Australian card adds a foreign transaction fee of around 3% to the rest, which none of them mention at checkout — what that actually costs you →
Before you choose on price
Every unlimited plan sold in South Korea slows down at some point, so none of them is truly unlimited. Airalo gives you 3GB a day before dropping to 1 Mbps; Nomad gives you 2GB a day before dropping to 512 kbps; Ubigi sets no daily cap, but its 30-day plan runs at full speed for 60GB, then 2 Mbps; Holafly publishes no figure at all, though third-party analysis puts it near 2–3GB a day; Maya Mobile gives you 3GB a day before dropping to 10 Mbps, then 1 Mbps; Simify, where it sells unlimited, publishes no firm figure at all — only an approximate 1–1.5GB, and only in a troubleshooting article rather than on any plan page.
The cap matters less than what happens after it, and it decides whether a cheaper fixed-data plan would serve you better. Every provider’s daily cap and throttled speed, in one table →
Which network you actually roam onto
An eSIM is a roaming agreement with a local carrier. In South Korea, that means:
| Provider | Local network |
|---|---|
| Airalo | SK Telecom |
| Nomad | SK Telecom, KT and LG U+ — LG U+ for fixed-data plans, SK Telecom for unlimited |
| Holafly | SK Telecom and LG U+ |
| Saily | Not confirmed |
| Ubigi | Not confirmed |
| Maya Mobile | Not confirmed |
| Simify | Not confirmed |
South Korea eSIM questions travellers ask
What is the best eSIM for South Korea?
Traviva’s pick is Ubigi: 10GB for 30 days at US$14 in October 2026, the cheapest verified plan by US$4, with tethering allowed. Nomad (US$18 on sale), Saily (US$18.99) and Airalo (US$19) are next for the same allowance.
How much does a South Korea eSIM cost?
A 10GB, 30-day plan cost US$14 to US$19 from the four cheapest providers we checked in October 2026. Simify charges A$49 for the same allowance, and Holafly sells only unlimited plans, from US$12.50 for 3 days to US$73.90 for 30 days.
What is the cheapest unlimited eSIM for South Korea?
Ubigi’s 30-day unlimited plan is US$49, with 60GB at full speed and then 2 Mbps. Maya Mobile charges US$49.99 for 30 days, Airalo US$69 and Holafly US$73.90; Nomad’s unlimited plans run up to 10 days, at US$33.
Which Korean network will my eSIM use?
Nomad lists SK Telecom, KT and LG U+, with its fixed-data plans on LG U+ and its unlimited plans on SK Telecom. Airalo lists SK Telecom and Holafly lists SK Telecom and LG U+. We could not confirm the network for Saily, Ubigi, Maya Mobile or Simify.
Can I use a South Korea eSIM as a hotspot?
Yes with Ubigi, Nomad, Saily and Airalo, which allow tethering. Holafly limits hotspot sharing to 1GB a day. Tethering uses the same data allowance as your phone.
Does a South Korea eSIM come with a phone number?
Not the data plans compared here. Saily sells a phone number as an optional paid add-on, while Ubigi, Holafly, Maya Mobile and Simify are data-only on every plan.
Related
- Flying on to Japan? The best eSIM for Japan, compared →
- Ubigi is cheapest in South Korea, but Airalo is the name most people search for — what you get for the premium →
- Airalo and Holafly both sell South Korea plans and are the two most-searched eSIM brands, but they work in completely different ways — we put them side by side →
- None of these gives you a Korean phone number — which travel eSIMs actually include one →