South Korea phone code +82: mobile format & how to dial

Key facts

International code+82

International format+82 X XXXX XXXXe.g. +82 10 1234 5678

Mobile prefixesXX XXXX XXXXe.g. 10 1234 5678

Mobile length10 digits

Landline format0X XXXX XXXXe.g. 02 1234 5678

Domestic trunk0

How to read a number

+821012345678

+82Country code: South Korea.
10Mobile code: Written 010 domestically — the 0 is the trunk prefix. All three carriers share 010: new numbers have used it since 2004, and the old 011/016/017/018/019 were fully merged in 2021.
1234Middle 4 digits: Just part of the number — it doesn’t reveal the carrier.
5678Subscriber number: Assigned to the individual user.

Domestic format: 010-1234-5678.

This section checked 2026-09-13. Sources: en.namu.wiki/w/010 · www.expatfocus.com/south-korea/guide/south-korea-landlines-and-mobile-phones

Number ranges & quality

Range	Type	Notes
`010`	Mobile carrier	South Korea's only mobile range (still predominantly 010 after number portability).
`070`	VoIP	Internet telephony; rejected by services that require SMS verification.

Intl SMSStable

Virtual-number riskMedium

ID requiredRegistration is mandatory: foreigners can open a prepaid SIM on a passport but only one line; postpaid generally needs an Alien Registration Card.

Note that 070 in South Korea is internet telephony, unlike in most other countries — do not assume 070 means a mobile number.

Carriers & prefixes

Mobile prefixes by carrier.

Number portability applies — a prefix only shows the original carrier. Since 2004; all three use 010, so the number doesn’t reveal the carrier.

SK Telecom Mobile carrier

The largest, with about half of subscribers.
KT Mobile carrier
LG U+ Mobile carrier

This section checked 2026-09-13. Sources: en.namu.wiki/w/010 · www.expatfocus.com/south-korea/guide/south-korea-landlines-and-mobile-phones

SIM cards & keeping a number

South Korea has no long-term keep-number card for visitors. Tourists can open a prepaid SIM with a passport, but to fight phone fraud the government has cut the number of lines a foreigner can open on a passport from two to one (December 2025 briefing). Face authentication at activation began in phases on 6 July 2026 for Korean IDs; for alien registration cards and passports it is targeted for the second half of 2026.

Long-term use generally needs an Alien Registration Card and a postpaid plan. Whether a prepaid SIM can roam and receive SMS abroad depends on the network and plan — check with the operator before leaving.

Korean prepaid SIM (SKT / KT / LG U+ networks)

Local prepaid

Network: SKT / KT / LG U+ and their MVNOs
Price: Varies
Keeping the number: SK Telecom (official): service stops automatically when the balance is used up or the usage period ends; the number is kept for 90 days after the period ends and then cancelled automatically. Other operators may differ.
ID check: Passport is enough for prepaid, but foreigners can open only one line on a passport; postpaid generally needs a passport, ARC and a Korean bank account
SMS & calls: Whether prepaid can roam and receive SMS abroad depends on the network and plan — check with the operator before leaving

Pros

Tourists can get one with a passport
The number is kept for 90 days after suspension (SK Telecom)

Watch out

Only one line per passport for foreigners
Hard to keep long-term after leaving, and many Korean sites require local identity verification

Sources: m.tworld.co.kr/customer/faq/view?category=%EA%B0%80%EC%9E%85/%EB%B3%80%EA%B2%BD/%ED%95%B4%EC%A7%80+%3E+%EA%B0%80%EC%9E%85/%EB%B3%80%EA%B2%BD/%ED%95%B4%EC%A7%80&faq_Id=0000000350 · www.korea.kr/briefing/policyBriefingView.do?newsId=156736787 · www.korea.kr/news/policyNewsView.do?newsId=148967396 · visainfo-korea.com/entry/%EC%99%B8%EA%B5%AD%EC%9D%B8-%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD-%ED%9C%B4%EB%8C%80%ED%8F%B0-%EA%B0%9C%ED%86%B5-%EB%B0%A9%EB%B2%95-%EC%B4%9D%EC%A0%95%EB%A6%AC%EF%BD%9C%EC%99%B8%EA%B5%AD%EC%9D%B8%EB%93%B1%EB%A1%9D%EC%A6%9D-%EC%97%86%EC%9D%B4%EB%8F%84-%EA%B0%80%EB%8A%A5%ED%95%A0%EA%B9%8C-2026

From user and blogger reports; platform risk rules change often — treat as a guide only. This section checked 2026-09-15.

Sign-up availability

What to expect when signing up for these services with a physical SIM from this country:

ChatGPT Works

Claude Works

WhatsApp Works

Telegram Works

LINE Works

WeChat Works

X Works

TikTok Works

Gemini Works

Jump to another country

Calling South Korea from abroad

Dial +82, then the local number. Drop the leading trunk prefix 0. E.g. the landline 02 1234 5678 is dialled from abroad as +82 2 1234 5678.

Generate the full number →

Dialing within South Korea

For domestic long distance dial 0 first, then the area code. Local calls and mobiles: dial directly.

Elsewhere in Asia

Community tips

韩国实名制很严，外国人也要拿外国人登录证才能办卡，纯游客基本拿不到能收验证码的本地 SIM。

个人实测 · 2026-08
游客 eSIM 大多只给流量、不分配能收短信的号码，注册不了需要短信验证的账号。

reddit · 2026-08

Reader-reported, for reference only; not a registration guarantee. Official platform rules apply. Tips are shown in the original language as submitted.

Have experience to share? Submit →

Common premise & disclaimer

Applies to every platform: VoIP / virtual numbers and heavily-reused number pools get rejected. Physical SIM only.

Checked 2026-09-12. Platform region policies and number-range allocations change — always confirm against each platform’s official supported-regions list and the carrier’s notices.

Sources：help.openai.com/articles/7947663 · support.google.com/gemini?p=gemini_web_availability

South Korea +82