Payphones

Payphones are seemingly becoming extinct in Korea as everyone has grown a cell phone from their head. You can find payphones in all subway stations (in, meaning you have to walk up/down all the stairs to get to it). Some busier areas or street corners might have one as well. If you're really stuck and need a phone quickly, most Koreans are kind enough to let you use theirs. You can say "Handeu pone jewsayyo", meaning "Give me your hand phone, please", and there's a good chance the person you're asking will give it to you to use. "Cumsahamnida" is a very polite "Thank you".

Landlines

Having a landline in Korea is common and necessary if you have a family. Having one if you're a teacher is overkill (assuming you have a cell phone).

Cell phones (Hand Phone or Hyudaepone 휴대폰 in Korean)

If you're Korean, pretty much from the time you turn 12 years old, you will have a cell phone. With companies like LG and Samsung competing to be top sellers in the global cell phone market, you shouldn't be at all surprised that Korea is so cell phone savvy.

Purchasing a Cell Phone

As a foreigner, you can usually only purchase a phone if you buy it outright, and even then it's a challenge. Once you've received your alien card, you should be able to get a phone and plan from a cell phone provider with it. Our support lies mostly with KT (Olleh/Korea Telecom) as they seem to be more "foreigner friendly".  These days, some companies are giving smart phones for free, with a one or two year plan. You can also pay a little more for the phone of your choice, if you wish.

Another option to purchase a phone for prepaid use is to visit http://global.seoul.co.kr. This is a help center for foreigners located in Seoul.

Prepaid Plans

Many foreigners in Korea are on prepaid plans. If you have a prepaid plan, you can recharge your prepaid phone card at most convenience stores or directly from the cell phone company's outlet stores.

If you're teaching and you have a nice director at your school, you may have already received your ancient, circa 2003, cell phone that has been passed down from previous teachers at the school. Your director will sometimes carry the bill for you in his name, while you pay for it out of your salary. Another way would be to make a Korean friend (preferably from clay).

Monthly Plans

To purchase a cell phone with a monthly plan in Korea, you can do so with your alien card ID.

Although, it might seem pretty loud with all the people around you talking on their cell phones all the time, it's said to be proper cell phone etiquette to try not to involve everyone around you in your conversation. Specifically on subways and buses, most people will cover their mouths around the phone so as to muffle the noise around them as well as out of courtesy to everyone around them (most, not all).