the world's most wired city

source: http://www.halifaxcap.ca/

given the amount of time we spend online these days, it is not surprising if one of your first few concerns about heading to seoul is connectivity. like you, i debated about bringing the laptop, wondered if i should set up data roaming, and fussed over the expensive international calls. but soon, i realised all those concerns were for nothing because really, seoul is the world's most wired city!

but of course, don't just take my word for it- watch this first:

"good morning america" by abc news

so i was duely impressed when i finally arrived at the city. from ubiquitous internet gaming rooms (or what the koreans call "PC bangs") to the latest technology gadgets, it seemed like i had just stepped into some sci-fi world of the future. but of course, it was just south korea, the world's most wired city with 95% of households having broadband connection (btw, singapore is second with 88%! read more from TIME)

so if you're hoping to be connected 24/7 throughout your trip, fear not. below are some ways of ensuring you can always check your facebook or twitter, even while holidaying!

internet

wifi hotspots

if you ask me, the entire seoul is one large wifi hotspot. everywhere you go, be it cafes, shopping malls or even the subway, there's wifi, and everyone's on their phones either texting or catching up on the latest drama. so, there's no need to worry about expensive data roaming bills (speaking of which, rem to switch this off while overseas, esp if you're using the iphone!) or phone charges.

using wifi at cheonggyecheon, seoul's pilot zone of u-city program

that said, most of these places are powered by local roaming services (KT Olleh or SK Telecom), and you'll need to sign up or register for an account before you can utilise the service (similar to our Wireless@SG)

so what i'll suggest is to simply pop into a cafe and utilise their wifi! most big names like starbucks, caffe bene and hollys coffee will provide free-to-use wifi while small indie ones will require you to approach staff for the password. it helps that most shops will display signs to indicate if they provide wifi:


sign saying "wifi zone" outside a cafe



people utilising free wifi at hollys coffee


home broadband
if you're staying in a guesthouse or doing a homestay with koreans, then obviously there'll be free wifi. but guess what, its even better because the broadband speed in seoul is so fast, there's almost no downtime for streaming of online videos or loading of websites. i have friends who play online games and even they have verified that broadband speed is amazing in seoul! so while you're there, make full use of their internet!

PC bangs

if all else fails, head to one of the MANY computer gaming outlets/ PC bangs and pay to get connected. but its not expensive, so don't worry! it's only about $1/hour, which i feel is really reasonable, so if you're desperate, it's a good alternative. the only problem you'll probably face is the lack of computers for your use, because these PC bangs are extremely popular among the youths for games-playing purposes.

mobile phones

for some reason, it is extremely expensive to make overseas calls in seoul. even when i was calling home, one minute was about $3 so i didnt even want to try calling korean numbers! so if you're looking at making calls to korean lines, yet want to save on exorbitant phone bills, below are some alternatives:

rent a phone

one of the best services ever, in my personal opinion, is the mobile rental service in seoul- what it does is to let you rent a phone for the duration of your stay (at approximately $3/day) and call for about 10cents/minutes. this service, however, is only available at the airport, so make sure you remember to rent your phone once you arrive. or better yet, reserve your phone online prior to your trip! visit kto's website for more information.

invest in a phone

or if you prefer, you can always purchase a phone instead. but its a slight hassle though, because most independent mobile-phone shops require you to provide a visa or at least proof of stay for a min of three months, before allowing you to purchase a phone (even second-hand ones) or buy a SIM card. but if you qualify, then rejoice in the array of phone choices. given how high-tech seoul is, even their lousy second-hand phones (ranging from $40-$200) have internet connectivity and allow you to watch their local free-to-air shows!

second-hand mobile phone (approx $60)

public phone booths

then, if you're really desperate and have no phone, reach for one in the public booths. there are tons all over the city, but what is noteworthy is that those in metro stations (beside the large electronic maps at every station) are free of charge, as long as the call is to a local line. others, like the one below, will take phonecards and coins:

public phone-booths in seoul

for more information on how to make local or international calls, you can refer to the kto website.

and to end this article, i'll leave you with another of my fave videos, showing true korean ways on the subway:

staying connected while on the subway, by koreabrand