Expat iPhone blues

There`s been a lot of discussion, some quite heated, about the launch of the iPhone in Korea and whether or not members of the expat community are able to get one -- or for what price. Considering the majority of the phone`s substantial subsidies hinge on a two year contract agreement for phone service, a feat not easily accomplished for many non Korean residents, the outlook is looking expensive and in some cases, impossible. While there are still no set rules from store to store, we have tried to gather the most up to date information.

If you have an F-2, F-4, or F-5 visa (spousal, overseas Korean, or permanent resident visa, respectively), you will be able to sign a two-year contract and receive a phone, the same as a Korean national. All you should need is your alien residence card and a form of payment for your contract -- credit card or bank book. If you are an F-series visa holder and have been turned away, these stores are wrong and should be made aware of this in order to provide service for those expats that have already been approved by both KT and the insurance guarantor company that approves all contracts.

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If you are on another visa, you may still be able to get the iPhone. The catch, however, is that the cost of the phone isn`t nearly as subsidized and the phone must be bought upfront, not in monthly installments. Pricing and contract details on this option are not concrete or totally clear yet and information right now is not much more than anecdotal.

One expat on an E-7 visa was able to get a phone for 732,000 won upfront on a two year contract. He said that he was actually given a choice between 12, 18, or 24 month contracts. His two year contract of 53,000 won per month includes "a la carte" services, with the voice plan costing 30,000 won (200 min), data costing 15,000 won (1G data), and text messages ringing up to 8,000 won (500 SMS).

Compared to the I-lite and I-medium plans, the service rates are comparable and the plan is more adjustable for individual usage and needs. However, the obvious downside is the lack of subsidy provided for the cost of the handset, regardless of the two year contract and upfront payment. The user said that although he has lived here for five years and has two Korean credit cards, it was "easier to purchase my vehicle than it was to purchase my iPhone."



A university professor with an E-1 visa wrote that he was able to get the phone on a one year contract for 735,000 won upfront and a 30,000 won monthly plan (no details on plan specifics were given). Another D-8 visa holder stated that he got his phone "easily." Others have opted to have a Korean friend co-sign their iPhone and attach it to their own bank accounts; essentially your Korean friend becomes the guarantor in lieu of the company.

Others were told that they could purchase the phone entirely upfront (964,000 won) and subsequently not be locked into a contract, simply paying month to month for service. Legions of others have simply recounted their experience of going into a KT store and being told that iPhones couldn`t be sold to foreigners.

From a logistics standpoint, because of the recent merger between KT and KTF, it`s been said that the KTF computer system is more capable of handling phone registration for expats. It`s important to note that you should try to go to an actual Show store, rather than to a hybrid store that sells all three mobile carriers` services.

While the lack of consistency can be an understandable frustration, here`s hoping that the special nature of the expat community`s desire for this particular product may be the catalyst that presses Korean companies to recognize the consumer power of international residents here. Let`s hope that in the future this case will help Korean companies understand how to better prepare for foreign consumers. How can we help bring about this much needed change? By channeling this frustration in productive ways. By sharing information within our community to equip others with the confidence to press Korean companies to adhere to systems that may already be in place but are more unfamiliar or harder to execute. If possible, by not registering phones under our Korean friends` names, if we can wait a few more days and endure more stress to get one under our own names. By doing these things, we will necessitate companies to create and implement a fair and practical system for non Korean consumers.

For more questions about the information in this article, or for general inquiries about life in Seoul, please contact the Seoul Global Center`s hotline at (02) 1688-0120.





(shannon.sgc@gmail.com)







By Shannon Heit