There's an inconvenient rule in Korea - tourist phone numbers that aren't linked to an ARC get automatically blocked when you leave the country. I visit Korea often without a visa, and it was really frustrating to have to get a new number and SIM card every single time.

But now Chingu Mobile has a new plan for situations just like mine! This plan doesn't get blocked when you leave Korea! So you can come and go and keep using the same SIM card and number. The main thing, as they told me at the office, is to top it up within a month of the expiration date.

There are 4 new plans: two more affordable ones with unlimited internet at 1 Mbps and unlimited calls to Korean numbers, and two plans with unlimited internet at 3 Mbps. I was told that 3 Mbps is a good speed for YouTube and Instagram, so I went with the 39,600 won/month plan. It includes 15 GB of high-speed internet, unlimited internet at 3 Mbps, a Korean phone number, and 100 minutes of calls per month.

The internet speed was a pleasant surprise - everything loads without any issues! And most importantly, you get a Korean

phone number that you can use for restaurant reservations or to create a KakaoTalk account.