Telephone Numbers in South Korea - Overview

Overview

• International call out: 00N (where N is the carrier code) followed by the distant country code and telephone number.
• Calling into Korea: +82 XX XXXX YYY. The leading "0" is dropped when dialling into South Korea from overseas.
• Some 1566/1577/1588 telephone numbers cannot be dialed from overseas.
• Domestic long distance call: 0NN (where NN is the carrier code) followed by the 0XX area code and XXXX YYYY number. See Domestic long-distance service code and Area code.
• Call to cellular : 01N XXXX YYYY (see Mobile phone number). When phone call is made between unified 010-number subscribers, leading 010 can be dropped (XXXX YYYY).
• Special service call : 0N0 XXXX YYYY (see Special service)

For example;

• Call 02-312-3456 within Seoul: 312-3456
• Call 02-312-3456 from elsewhere: 02-312-3456
• Call 051-212-3456 within Busan: 212-3456
• Call 051-212-3456 from elsewhere: 051-212-3456
• Call 02-312-3456 from abroad: +82-2-312-3456

South Korea use open dialing plan with total length (including 0) is 9 to 11 digits, and within city dials 7 to 8 digits. Dialing from mobile phones to any types of phones except 010 numbers, area code must be included.

In 1998, telephone numbers in Seoul starting with 2 and 6 added more digit (02-2XX-YYYY to 02-22XX-YYYY, 02-6XX-YYYY to 02-66XX-YYYY). Before area codes were shortened from 4 digit to 2~3 digit in June 2000, there were 1 digit exchange number (usually "2") with some 2 digit exchange numbers so some phone numbers like 0443-2-XXXX or 0525-40-XXXX existed. (now 043-652-XXXX and 055-340-XXXX)