Q. Can’t I just bring my phone from home and change the SIM card?
A. Although your phone may work in other countries and on other continents, you will not want it to be you main communication device while living in Korea.  Cell phones in Korea operate on a closed network, linked to Korean providers.  They do not use the same SIM Card system that we are familiar with, where you can change your phone’s region by changing the card.  Even if your phone is a Korean brand such as LG, Samsung, Cyon, etc. it will not work in Korea because of the SIM card difference.  Although you may be able to get roaming service on your phone, it will be extremely expensive in Korea.  Because teachers stay in Korea for a significant period of time, almost all of them purchase a cell phone to use during their stay. 
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Q. Why we offer phones:
A. When teachers arrive in Korea, they undoubtedly want to communicate with their friends and family back home right away.  This is a difficult when they arrive in an apartment that has no communication device in tact.  Also, cell phones are a part of Korean culture.  It can be challenging to arrange plans or meet people without them.  If you are without a cell phone for much time after your arrival, you will probably be frustrated.  We have seen several teachers and friends go for a couple weeks, or even a couple months without a cell phone.   We are constantly getting requests to help teachers know where to buy phones and to help them get the phones set up.  This is a very time consuming process for both us and the teachers.  We have also seen experienced teachers “rip off” new teachers by selling them their old and practically unusable phones. 
We have decided to face the cell phone challenge and offer our teachers something that no other recruiter offers.  We want to provide our teachers with great phones at the right price before they even leave home.  We avoid all the frustration and confusion by having the phone waiting for the teacher at their school before they even arrive (pending on when orders are made, of course)!  When the phone is delivered, it is set up and ready to use immediately. 
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Q. How do teachers usually get cell phones?
A. Getting a phone seems to be a major problem for many new teachers.  We have found that most school owners or teacher representatives have trouble finding enough extra time to assist their teachers in getting their phones set up.  It seems to be a low priority for them.  Many of the school reps have never helped a foreigner get a phone before, so it takes them a long time to complete the process.  Also, because most Koreans only buy new phones (and arrange monthly plans), many Korean people do not even know where to buy used phones. If you are looking into getting a phone on your own, here are some things to expect:
* Finding a cell phone vendor that speaks English seems almost impossible.  Confusion and frustration will be inevitable when trying to communicate about your phone and plan.
*Unless you have help from a Korean or a previous teacher, you will have no idea what quality to expect or what price to pay.
*You will have a limited selection of affordable phones at each shop you visit.
*Most vendors require you to have your ARC card (alien resident card) before they will offer you a cell phone.  Depending on when your health check and paper work is filed for the card, it will take a couple weeks or up to 90 days to have the card issued. 
*You will most likely pay between 90,000-160,000 won to purchase and set up your phone through a typical vendor.  Here is a typical price break down:
a. 50,000 – 120,000 won price of phone
b. 10,000 won connection fee
c. 10,000 won charger
d. 20,000 won for pre-paid minutes (you can purchase any amount equal to or greater than 10,000 won)  We have chosen 20,000 won because it seems to be the amount that an average teachers spends per month on prepaid minutes.
*Even more important than the money, it will take a lot of time and effort to get your phone set up!  
Tip: Spend the extra 5,000-20,000 won, you might save by going through this process by yourself.  It’s worth it if only for the sake of convenience. You could easily spend that much in transportation trying to accomplish the task.  Plus, if you buy a cell phone, you don’t need to bring an alarm clock; cell phones have them built in.  If you choose carefully, you may even get a phone with a Korean-English dictionary!
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Q. What to expect with our phones:
A. ALL OF THE PHONES ARE USED.  New cell phones are very expensive for foreigners to purchase (over 200,000 won for a base model).  Most teachers only need their phone for one or two years, making the price necessary for a new phone unreasonable. 
ALL PHONES WILL HAVE AN ENGLISH MENU.
As mentioned above, the cell phone is a part of Korean Culture.  South Korean cell phones are usually more advanced than our phones at home.  What is new at home is often old in terms of technology in Korea.  New features come out right away instead of being delayed by several months, making the used phones pretty nice to us foreigners. 
We know that different people have different desires when it comes to their cell phone.  Some people want a phone with all the gadgets; digital camera, mp3 player, TV, internet, etc.  Other people just want a phone for calling and texting and don’t care about the gadgets.  Our goal is to provide an array of phones that will appeal to the full spectrum.
Note: When considering your phone choice, remember that internet, TV, and radio services are often quite expensive.    
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Q. What are the plan options and cost per month?
A. It is difficult for foreigners in Korea to get phones that operate on a monthly plan.  If you are set on getting a monthly plan, it can be done but will require one or more of the following: a Korean Credit card offered by a Korean Bank (not check card), a Korean guarantor, a 200,000 won deposit, a trip to an actual service center for the given carrier.
On the other hand, prepaid services are much more feasible and practical for foreigners.   For this reason the vast majority of foreigners living in South Korea use prepaid phones.  Opting for prepaid service allows you to choose from a larger selection of phones because all major service providers offer prepaid service.   The cost of prepaid minutes versus a monthly plan is just a fraction higher.  The amount is hardly noticeable unless a person uses their phone excessively.  It is simple to recharge the minutes on a prepaid phone as well.  (We will provide you with all of the necessary instructions for operating your phone and adding minutes)  An average prepaid user pays about 20,000 won for minutes each month.
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Q.  How does AT provide this service at such a reasonable price?
A. We offer this service mainly because we want our teachers to be as comfortable as possible as soon as they arrive in Korea.  We know that immediate communication is very important to a teacher’s comfort.
We have established a relationship with a number of cell phone wholesalers who are able to provide us with great second hand phones at low prices because we buy so many phones and set them up through their franchises.
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Q. What’s the process?
A. Step 1:           Pick out the phone you like from the phone page.
Step 2:           Send us your completed phone request form and scanned passport by email.
Note: In order to have a phone set up in your name, AT must provide our phone vendor with a scanned copy of your passport.
Step 3:           AT will take your phone to the vendor and have it activated.
Step 4:           AT will email you your phone number.
Step 5:           AT will test the phone to make sure that it works and there are no foreseeable problems.
Step 6:           AT will send the phone via Korean post/deliver the phone to your place of employment. 
Step 7:           Your school representative will give you the phone.
Step 8:           Start Calling
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What type of warranty is extended on the phones purchase through AT?
We guarantee the phone for 5 months.  If your phone malfunctions, please contact us and we will make arrangements to get your phone fixed.  If your phone breaks due to user error, ie dropped, water damaged, then the guarantee is void.
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