Instant
QR activation, before you board
Buy the eSIM online, receive a QR by email the same business day, scan into your phone, and land in Korea already online. No waiting at an airport kiosk at midnight with heavy luggage.
Korvia Partner SpotlightTelecom · eSIM
Arrive already online — the Korvia × Kimchi Mobile way.
Kimchi Mobile delivers a prepaid data roaming eSIM (data only) by QR before you leave home, and lets you convert to a KT postpaid plan once your Residence Card arrives. Korvia partnered with them so no arriving teacher lands in Korea offline.
In partnership
KT
Postpaid Carrier (After ARC)
40 GB
Korea Starter SIM — 60 days
QR
Activation
010
Your Number, With Your ARC
Why This Partnership
The connectivity problem every arriving teacher runs into on day one
Wi-Fi at Incheon is free for about five minutes, and your homestay or school apartment often doesn't have internet installed on move-in day. Without a Korean mobile line, you can't reach your airport greeter, can't book a taxi, can't register for bank apps, and can't complete Korean 본인인증 (identity verification) for services like Coupang, Naver Pay, or 배달의민족. Arriving offline turns a smooth first day into a multi-hour scramble.
Korvia partnered with Kimchi Mobile to solve this with a single decision: order before departure, scan QR on arrival, run prepaid for the first weeks, then convert to KT postpaid once the Residence Card is issued. Our recommended setup, current pricing and how to use a Korvia promo code are on the /esim guide.
What Kimchi Mobile Does
Six reasons this is our default recommendation
Each feature below addresses a specific Korvia-teacher pain point we've seen repeat across arrival cohorts.
KT Postpaid
Your long-term line on a nationwide carrier
The prepaid part is a data roaming eSIM (data only). Once your ARC arrives, the KT postpaid switch gives you a Korean 010 number on KT's nationwide LTE/5G network, covering the cities and rural provinces where Korvia teachers are placed.
Pre-RC to Post-RC
Prepaid now, postpaid after your Residence Card
Korean postpaid contracts require a Residence Card (RC, formerly ARC) and a Korean bank account — documents you won't have until your RC is issued (2–6 weeks after applying). Kimchi Mobile bridges both sides: a prepaid data eSIM on arrival, then KT postpaid conversion — with your own Korean 010 number — when the RC is issued.
eSIM or USIM
Your postpaid line, on the SIM that suits your phone
When it's time to move to postpaid, send a scan of your RC and Korean bank info to Kimchi Mobile. Your Korean 010 number is issued at conversion, on an eSIM or a physical USIM — your choice. Phones without eSIM support can skip the data eSIM and apply for KT postpaid directly once the RC is issued; Kimchi ships the USIM.
English Support
Support that speaks your language
Kimchi Mobile's team handles onboarding, billing, and postpaid conversion in English. For Korvia teachers, support also routes through Korvia — so if something goes sideways, you have two lines into a fix, not one.
본인인증
The key to Korean digital life — 본인인증
Korean services like Coupang, Naver Pay, banking apps, and government portals run on 본인인증 (identity verification) via a phone number tied to a Korean ID. Once you're on postpaid in your own name with your RC, the PASS app works too — a single biometric tap that replaces the SMS-verification loops expats hate.
From Order to Online
Four steps between booking and Korean data
- 1
Order your eSIM
Complete the Korvia × Kimchi Mobile order form. Pay Kimchi Mobile directly — Korvia doesn't charge for the eSIM.
- 2
Receive QR by email
Kimchi Mobile sends your activation QR the same business day. Save it to a laptop or print a copy for arrival.
- 3
Land in Korea, scan, online
Scan the QR on your phone at the gate or on the plane — your line activates the moment immigration clears you.
- 4
Convert to postpaid after RC
Once your Residence Card is issued (2–6 weeks after applying), send RC + Korean bank info to Kimchi Mobile for KT postpaid conversion. Your Korean 010 number is issued on an eSIM or USIM.
Once you're online in Korea and your Residence Card + Korean bank account are both set up, the next question is usually: how do I send my first paycheck home? See our Sentbe partnership →
FAQ
Questions teachers ask us about Kimchi Mobile
Q.Why does Korvia recommend Kimchi Mobile?
Our teachers needed a way to arrive already online, to pass Korean identity verification (본인인증) on local apps, and to move to a discounted postpaid contract once their Residence Card was issued. Kimchi Mobile covers all three in one partner. Our recommended setup — and how to use a Korvia promo code — is on /esim.
Q.Is my phone compatible with eSIM?
Most iPhone XS / XR (2018) and newer, Google Pixel 3 and newer, and Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer support eSIM. Phones sold in mainland China, Hong Kong, and some other markets may have eSIM disabled by the carrier. Check your device for an 'Add eSIM' or 'Add Cellular Plan' option before purchase — if it's missing, wait for your Residence Card and apply for KT postpaid through Kimchi Mobile, who ship you a physical USIM.
Q.When do I actually need to scan the QR — before the flight or on arrival?
Either works. You can pre-activate up to a few days before departure if your device is eSIM-ready, or scan at the gate / in-flight / on landing. The moment immigration clears you at Incheon, the line is live — no kiosk visit needed.
Q.What's the difference between the /partners/kimchi-mobile page and the /esim page?
This page is the partner profile — who Kimchi Mobile is, why Korvia partners with them, and how the service works. The /esim page is Korvia's step-by-step guide to settling into Korea's digital life, with current pricing, the two recommended paths, RC postpaid conversion terms, and device compatibility specifics. Use /esim when you're ready to order; use this page when you're deciding whether Kimchi Mobile is the right partner for you.
Q.Who do I pay — Korvia or Kimchi Mobile?
Kimchi Mobile directly. Korvia does not charge you for the eSIM or the KT postpaid switch. If the Korvia team or your recruiter gave you a promo code, enter it at checkout on Kimchi Mobile.
Q.What if I don't want a postpaid contract?
Switching is optional. The Korea Starter SIM (40 GB over 60 days, USD 49.99) has no penalty if you don't convert to KT postpaid. If you only need a little data, start with a cheaper 5 GB data eSIM and apply for KT postpaid directly once your ARC arrives — the 12-month 33–37% discount applies either way. Details on /esim.
Land in Korea online.
Order before departure, scan at the gate, and walk out of immigration with full data. See the current Korvia × Kimchi Mobile setup — and how to use a Korvia promo code — on the /esim page.
Kimchi Mobile is a trademark of its operator. Logo and imagery used with permission under the Korvia × Kimchi Mobile partnership. Pricing, data allowances, and postpaid terms are set by Kimchi Mobile and may change — always see the Kimchi Mobile site and the Korvia /esim guide for current terms.