How to Call South Korea from the US

To call South Korea from the US, dial 011 + 82 + area code (drop the leading 0) + local number. For Seoul: 011-82-2-XXXX-XXXX. For a Korean mobile: 011-82-10-XXXX-XXXX. The 011 is the US international exit code; 82 is South Korea’s country code.

This guide covers the exact dial format for every Korean city, mobile vs landline differences, KST time zone math, calling costs, and the KakaoTalk question every US caller eventually asks. For the UK equivalent, see how to call the UK from the US.

How to dial South Korea from the US

The formula is the same whether you’re calling a Seoul office or a mobile in Busan:

1. Dial 011 — the US international exit code. Every outbound international call from a US landline or mobile starts here. On a US mobile keypad, long-press 0 to enter + as a shortcut instead of 011.
2. Dial 82 — South Korea’s country code, assigned by the ITU under E.164.
3. Dial the area code without its leading 0. South Korean numbers are written domestically with a leading 0 (trunk prefix). Drop it when calling from outside Korea. Seoul’s domestic area code is 02 — from the US you dial 2.
4. Dial the local subscriber number as written.
5. Press call.

Full pattern: 011 82 <area code without 0> <local number>

Examples:

Destination	Local format	Dial from US
Seoul landline	02-1234-5678	011 82 2 1234 5678
Busan landline	051-987-6543	011 82 51 987 6543
Korean mobile	010-3456-7890	011 82 10 3456 7890

If a number is already in international format (+82 2 1234 5678), replace the + with 011 from a US landline — or dial it as-is with the + from a US mobile.

Korean area codes by city

South Korea uses a single-digit code for Seoul and two-digit codes for all other metropolitan areas. Always strip the leading 0 when dialing from the US.

City	Domestic code	Dial from US (after 011 82)
Seoul	02	2
Busan	051	51
Incheon	032	32
Daegu	053	53
Daejeon	042	42
Gwangju	062	62
Suwon / Gyeonggi	031	31
Ulsan	052	52
Jeju Island	064	64
Mobile (all carriers)	010	10

The 031 code covers Suwon and the broader Gyeonggi Province area surrounding Seoul — useful for Samsung’s Suwon headquarters and the semiconductor corridor.

How Korean phone numbering works

South Korea’s telephone numbering plan is administered by the Korea Communications Commission (KCC). The three national carriers — KT (Korea Telecom), SK Telecom, and LG U+ — operate under KCC spectrum and numbering allocations.

A critical structural fact: in 2004, KCC consolidated all mobile number prefixes under a single 010 prefix. Before that, each carrier had its own prefix (011 for SK Telecom, 016 for KT Freetel, 017 for Shinsegi, 018 for Hansol, 019 for LG Telecom). Today, every Korean mobile number begins with 010 regardless of carrier.

This means from a US caller’s perspective: if the local Korean number starts with 010, it is always a mobile — dial 011 82 10 followed by the remaining 8 digits.

Landlines use geographic area codes tied to specific cities and regions, as shown in the table above. Seoul landlines are 8 digits after the 02 area code; most other cities are 7–8 digits after their 2-digit area code.

KST time zone — planning your call

Korea Standard Time (KST) is UTC+9. South Korea does not observe daylight saving time — it was abolished in 1988. The offset is fixed year-round.

US time zone	Offset from KST	Example
Eastern (EDT, summer)	KST is 13h ahead	8 AM ET = 9 PM KST
Eastern (EST, winter)	KST is 14h ahead	8 AM ET = 10 PM KST
Pacific (PDT, summer)	KST is 16h ahead	8 AM PT = midnight KST
Pacific (PST, winter)	KST is 17h ahead	8 AM PT = 1 AM KST next day

KST is the same offset as Japan Standard Time (JST) — useful if you already know US-Japan calling windows.

The practical overlap for business: 7–9 AM US Eastern reaches Seoul at 8–10 PM KST, which is after-hours but often reachable for Korean counterparts. For Korean business hours (9 AM–6 PM KST), US callers need to dial the prior evening — 7–9 PM EST reaches 9–11 AM KST the next morning.

Calling costs: US to South Korea

Standard per-minute rates without an international add-on plan are high:

• Verizon: approximately $2.49/min
• T-Mobile: approximately $3.00/min
• AT&T: approximately $4.00/min

With an international calling add-on (typically $5–$15/month from major carriers), per-minute rates drop to $0.10–$0.25 to South Korea.

VoIP is the most cost-effective option for any regular US-Korea calling. DialPhone routes calls over the internet at a flat per-minute rate far below carrier prices — typically under $0.05/min to South Korean landlines. For sales teams, procurement teams, or anyone calling Hyundai/Kia, Samsung, or LG supplier contacts regularly, the savings compound fast. See DialPhone pricing for current Korea rates by plan.

Calling Korean mobile vs landline — and KakaoTalk

The dialing format for Korean mobiles is identical to landlines from the US side — you just substitute the mobile prefix 10 for the city area code. There is no cost difference in how you place the call; your US carrier or VoIP provider charges the same per-minute rate regardless of whether the Korean number is a mobile or landline.

KakaoTalk is the dominant communication app in South Korea. An estimated 90% of Korean smartphone users have it installed; for personal and family calls, KakaoTalk voice and video over Wi-Fi or LTE data is effectively free and is the default channel.

For B2B calls — particularly first-contact calls, calls to Korean corporate main lines, or calls to older business contacts — conventional phone dialing (via carrier or VoIP) is still the expected and professional channel. KakaoTalk is rarely the primary platform for cross-border US-Korea business communication at the enterprise level.

One practical note: if a Korean contact shares their number as +82 10 XXXX XXXX, that is already in E.164 international format — you can save it directly to your phone’s contacts and it will dial correctly from any US mobile or VoIP app.

SMS to South Korea + US-Korea business context

SMS to South Korea follows the same international format: address to +82 10 XXXX XXXX for Korean mobiles. Standard US carrier international SMS rates apply.

For business messaging, Korean contacts often prefer KakaoTalk messages over SMS, but US business systems (CRM sequences, appointment reminders, two-factor auth) use international SMS reliably to Korean mobile numbers.

Key US-Korea B2B sectors where this guide is directly relevant:

• Automotive: Hyundai and Kia have US headquarters (Fountain Valley, CA and Irvine, CA respectively) with frequent calls to Seoul and Ulsan engineering and supply chain teams
• Electronics: Samsung (031 — Suwon/Gyeonggi) and LG (02 — Seoul) maintain large US-facing operations with daily US-Korea calls
• Entertainment: K-pop label partnerships, Netflix Korea content licensing, and talent agency coordination drive high-volume US-Korea calling in the entertainment sector
• Gaming: Krafton (PUBG), Nexon, NCSoft, and Netmarble all have US partner or publishing offices requiring regular Korea calls
• Semiconductors: SK Hynix and Samsung Semiconductor have US offices coordinating with Korean fabs

For companies with recurring Korea-calling volume, a DialPhone business phone plan with a dedicated international rate beats per-minute carrier charges in the first month. An AI receptionist can also handle inbound calls from Korean callers who reach your US number outside US business hours — bridging the KST gap automatically.

If you’re porting an existing number to DialPhone before adding Korea calling, the number porting guide walks through the process. For call authentication across US-Korea routes, DialPhone applies STIR/SHAKEN on outbound calls, which helps Korean recipients identify your calls as legitimate US business traffic rather than spoofed spam.

FAQ

Calling South Korea FAQ

What is the South Korea country code? +

South Korea's country code is +82, assigned by the ITU under E.164. From a US landline or mobile, reach it by dialing 011 first — the US international exit code — so the full prefix is 011 82.

From a US mobile that supports E.164 dialing you can substitute + for 011 and dial +82 directly, followed by the South Korean number with its leading 0 removed.

Is North Korea the same calling code as South Korea? +

No. South Korea (Republic of Korea) uses country code +82. North Korea (DPRK) uses a completely separate country code, +850, administered by a different government and telephone network.

When people search "how to call Korea from the US" they almost always mean South Korea (+82). Direct civilian calls to North Korea are not possible from the US due to OFAC sanctions.

How do I call Seoul from the US? +

Seoul's area code is 2 (written locally as 02). From the US, drop the leading 0 and dial: 011 82 2 XXXX XXXX.

Seoul landline numbers are 8 digits after the area code, giving a total of 011 + 82 + 2 + 8 digits. If you see a Seoul number written as 02-1234-5678, the correct US dial is 011 82 2 1234 5678.

How do I call a South Korean mobile from the US? +

All South Korean mobiles begin with 010 locally (since the 2004 KCC renumbering). Drop the leading 0 and dial: 011 82 10 XXXX XXXX.

For example, a Korean mobile listed as 010-3456-7890 becomes 011 82 10 3456 7890 when dialed from the US. The format is identical to a landline dial — just substitute the mobile prefix 10 where a city code would appear.

What time zone is South Korea and when should I call? +

South Korea uses Korea Standard Time (KST), which is UTC+9. South Korea does not observe daylight saving time.

KST is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern during EDT (summer) and 14 hours ahead during EST (winter). It is 16 hours ahead of US Pacific during PDT and 17 hours ahead during PST. A practical overlap window: call between 7–9 AM ET, which reaches Seoul around 8–10 PM KST — still reachable for business.

How much does it cost to call South Korea from the US? +

Standard US carrier per-minute rates to South Korea without an international add-on plan run roughly $2.50–$4.00 per minute (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T). With a monthly international add-on, rates drop to $0.10–$0.25 per minute.

VoIP services, including DialPhone, route calls over the internet and charge a flat per-minute rate that is typically a fraction of carrier prices — often under $0.05 per minute to South Korea. For teams calling Korean partners or customers regularly, VoIP pays for itself quickly.

Can I use KakaoTalk instead of calling? +

KakaoTalk dominates personal communication in South Korea — roughly 90% of Korean smartphone users have it installed. For personal calls with Korean contacts, KakaoTalk voice and video calls over Wi-Fi or data are free and widely accepted.

For formal business calls, especially first contacts or calls to Korean landlines and company lines, conventional phone or VoIP calling is still expected. KakaoTalk is rarely used as the primary channel in US-Korea B2B contexts.

How many digits is a South Korean phone number? +

South Korean phone numbers are 9–11 digits in national format (including the leading trunk prefix 0). Locally, Seoul numbers are 9–10 digits (02 + 7–8 digits), other city numbers are 10–11 digits (3-digit area code + 7–8 digits), and mobile numbers are 11 digits (010-XXXX-XXXX).

When dialing from the US, you remove the leading 0, so the digit string you dial after 011 82 is 8–10 digits depending on the number type.

Related guides

• How to call the UK from the US — sibling guide, same structure
• Number porting guide — move your existing number to DialPhone
• STIR/SHAKEN explained — call authentication for international routes
• DialPhone business phone — plans with international calling
• DialPhone pricing — current per-minute Korea rates
• Start a free trial — try international calling before committing