SMer

How to join as a foreign resident in Korea

Sign-up takes about a minute if your phone line is in your own name.

Steps

1. Have your Korean phone ready. The line must be registered in your own name, usually with your Alien Registration Card or residence card.
2. Open the sign-up page and press the verification button (본인인증).
3. In the verification window, choose your carrier and enter your details exactly as your carrier has them.
4. Enter the code sent by text message.
5. Create an ID and password. You are in.

If verification fails

• Check that your name is spelled and spaced exactly as your carrier has it. This is the most common cause.
• A line in someone else’s name will not work, including a partner’s or an employer’s.
• Prepaid lines and some budget carriers may fail. Ask your carrier whether the line supports identity verification.
• The check is run by a Korean verification service. SMer cannot bypass it.

What we keep

We do not store your name or phone number. From verification we keep your birth year, your gender and a one-way code that prevents duplicate accounts.