South Korea is known to be one of the most connected countries worldwide, and its telecommunications network is highly developed. If you are moving to South Korea, you can easily get your internet at home or a data plan for your mobile phone. On top of that, most public places also offer free Wi-Fi to its customers, and major cities such as Seoul have Wi-Fi throughout the city.
South Korea has the fastest internet in the world, running at 26.7 Mb/s, compared to the runner-up, Sweden, with 19.1 Mb/s and a global average of only 5.6 Mb/s
Connection types
Different types of internet connection are available in South Korea: narrowband, broadband, and wireless. Broadband is the most common among Koreans, as the fiber allows users to connect to high-speed internet from any computer -- PC, laptop, or tablet.
Moreover, the mobile broadband connection has been experiencing tremendous growth over the past few years with an increased usage of smartphones. Today, most smartphones in South Korea operate 4G LTE which even allows users to watch TV on the go.
Good to know:
For the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea, the government is planning to offer nationwide 5G coverage, which is said to increase the economy further and improve daily life in South Korea.
Get connected in South Korea
To subscribe to the internet, go to any telecommunication branch in your neighbourhood and bring your ID. Most users opt for a wireless connection or broadband, which allows you to connect to the internet with your mobile phone or laptop without wires.
Good to know:
Rates vary according to the operator and the package you choose. You could pay some 35,000 won per month for a broadband connection.
Useful links:
Wi-Fi and internet cafes
If you have a smartphone or a laptop, you can access free internet in many public places, especially shopping malls, restaurants, subways, and passenger transport terminals. Large cities, such as Seoul, have free city Wi-Fi, specially catered to tourists.
Internet cafes are also very very common and called 'PC Bang' or 'PC Room'. While these places are used for gaming, they are also a place to study, work, and print documents if needed. Rates are very cheap and vary between 1,000 and 2,000 Won per hour.
Banned or restricted internet sites in South Korea
While internet censorship is not as prevalent in South Korea as it is in other Asian countries, there are still various sites that cannot be accessed. These sites include home pages featuring pro-North Korea content, as well as pornographic websites. Social media websites are not being censored in South Korea. On top of that, many measures are undertaken to prevent minors from browsing age-inappropriate sites. This is mostly done by verifying their age when searching for certain keywords on search machines and playing rated games online.
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