Best VPNs for South Korea in 2024 – Fast Secure Access

South Korea is renowned for its high-speed internet infrastructure, but it’s important to note that both residents and visitors may encounter a certain level of internet censorship. For those planning to travel to South Korea, considering a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a wise decision.

Utilizing a VPN in South Korea can help you navigate through local internet restrictions and safeguard against surveillance concerns. By encrypting your device’s internet traffic, a VPN ensures that your online activities remain private and inaccessible to network administrators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), or governmental entities. Additionally, a VPN is a valuable tool for accessing geo-restricted content that might not be readily available in South Korea.

This article guides you through the steps of setting up and using a VPN in South Korea. From installation to going online, we cover the essentials and recommend the most effective VPN tools for ensuring a seamless internet experience in South Korea, keeping in mind the key features suitable for this region.

Here’s our summary list of the best South Korean VPNs:

1. NordVPN: The best VPN for South Korea. More security options than most VPNs. Proven zero logs policy. Superfast speeds and great at unblocking a variety of sites and streaming services. Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
   TIP In our testing we found that the cheapest NordVPN plan (Standard) works perfectly for South Korea.
2. Surfshark: A great budget VPN. A security and privacy-conscious service with excellent speeds, no connection limit, and the ability to easily bypass South Korean internet restrictions.
3. IPVanish: A secure VPN pick for privacy in South Korea. Fast connections with up to 10 connections permitted. Enhanced privacy features, including 256-bit encryption.
4. ExpressVPN: A fast VPN with servers in South Korea. Fast connection speeds and unblocks the most popular streaming services. Secure and private.
5. CyberGhost: A great VPN pick to protect all your devices. Versatile, inexpensive VPN, that offers one-click unblocking. Thousands of worldwide servers, including in South Korea.
6. PureVPN: A no-logs provider offering dozens of servers in South Korea. Ideal for novices thanks to its impressive speeds, strong streaming ability, and 24/7 customer support.
7. ProtonVPN: Fantastic option for anyone serious about security. Has roughly a dozen ultra-fast servers in Seoul, South Korea, and comes packed with advanced privacy features.
8. Hotspot Shield: An easy-to-use VPN for beginners. This service is speedy, with easy-to-use apps and powerful security features, making it a natural choice for South Korean users.
9. PrivateVPN: A great VPN for unblocking in South Korea. Good unblocking potential. Has a no-logging policy, which makes it a secure option for South Korean users.

Our criteria for South Korean VPNs

With so many different VPNs on the market, it’s often difficult to compare one to another accurately. To find the best VPNs for South Korea, we looked for services with the characteristics below:

• Able to bypass South Korean internet restrictions with ease, including Korean streaming services
• Offers a fast, reliable connection for downloading, streaming, and more
• Has a large network of servers, with multiple servers in high-traffic countries like the US
• Uses effectively uncrackable encryption and offers additional, more advanced security features
• Do not log any personally identifiable information. Ideally, it keeps no logs whatsoever
• Includes apps for all of the most popular operating systems and devices
• Good value for money, including a money-back guarantee

You can find out more about how we test these metrics and, crucially, the results of those tests later on in our methodology section. First, let’s take a closer look at the VPNs that impressed us.

The best VPNs for South Korea compared

We’ve compared the most important features for the top VPNs here. Prefer to read the in-depth reviews? Start with NordVPN – our #1 choice for South Korea.

Below, you’ll find our list of the best VPNs for bypassing internet censorship in South Korea.

The best VPNs for South Korea: In-depth analysis

Here’s our list of the best VPNs for South Korea:

1. NordVPN

Dec 2024 Works in South KoreaTested Dec 2024

NordVPN is our top pick for a South Korea VPN. It has one of the largest server networks available, with more than 6,000 servers spanning 111+ countries, which also includes 10+ servers in South Korea. It pegs incredible speeds and is more than fast enough to stream live HD video with no noticeable buffering, and unblocks some of the most popular streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, and Sling TV. Further, NordVPN offers specific servers optimized for P2P file-sharing, DDoS protection, and using the internet from countries with strict online censorship.

NordVPN delivered exceptional performance, even when you’re using a server that’s pretty far away. We tested its South Korean servers multiple times throughout the day and recorded an average speed of 169.73 Mbps. It was a highly consistent service too, boasting less than 20 Mbps of variance across all tests. In other words, you can count on reliable performance, fast connections, and the ability to do multiple things simultaneously.

This service includes a wealth of security features. It uses 256-bit strong encryption and protects against WebRTC, DNS, IPv6, and port-forwarding leaks. Users can turn on automatic ad-blocking and malware-scanning, use two VPNs simultaneously, or even access Tor over VPN. NordVPN has a strict no-logs policy, meaning your activities stay private at all times. If you’d like to register anonymously, you can use a disposable email address and pay with Bitcoin.

NordVPN apps are available for Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The service requires manual installation to work with network routers.

BEST VPN FOR SOUTH KOREA:NordVPN is our top pick. It enables you to perfectly tailor your security setup. It’s a strong, general-purpose VPN with high speeds, great unblocking ability, and servers optimized for specific tasks. Includes a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full NordVPN review.

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2. Surfshark

Works in South KoreaTested Dec 2024

Surfshark is a great low-cost alternative. It has more than 3,200 VPN server locations across 100+ countries, including South Korea. It offers unlimited bandwidth, reasonable internet connection speeds, and excellent unblocking ability, which means you won’t have any problems, whether you’re using P2P networks, streaming Netflix US, or just browsing. Unlike most VPNs, Surfshark has no connection limit, and as such, you can protect every device you have with just one account.

NordVPN was the fastest provider we tested, but Surfshark really was hot on its heels. Across three tests, Surfshark delivered an average speed of 169.52 Mbps – just 0.21 Mbps less than its rival. This is more than enough for any everyday task, so whether you’re hoping to torrent large files or just watch SBS, Surfshark can help. In fact, everyone in your home should be able to browse the web without any noticeable slowdown.

This service takes your security seriously. It uses 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and protection against IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC leaks to keep your traffic secure, although you can let certain apps bypass the VPN using the built-in split tunneling functionality. Surfshark even has a NoBorders feature that lets you browse freely in countries with strict online blocking (like South Korea). This service doesn’t log any personally identifiable information, but you can pay in Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Ripple for greater anonymity. Support is available via 24/7 live chat.

Surfshark offers apps for iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS, and Linux. It can also be manually installed on supported internet routers.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark lets you browse the internet freely in South Korea, and its powerful security and privacy features mean you’re effectively untraceable once connected. This VPN is fast, allows an unlimited number of connections, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark review.

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3. IPVanish

Works in South KoreaTested Dec 2024

IPVanish is perfect for those looking to protect lots of devices, as it boasts lightweight apps and strong multi-platform support and allows an unlimited number of connections at once. It’s very fast and capable of streaming HD content without any buffering or stuttering. IPVanish has over 2,200 servers across more than 75 countries, which allows South Korean users to access a huge range of otherwise inaccessible online content.

IPVanish’s Korean servers were fairly quick, and their speeds barely fluctuated at different times of day. There was less than 6 Mbps of variance between its fastest and slowest results, leading to an average of 132.13 Mbps. So what does this mean? Well, you can download a one gigabyte file in roughly a minute or stream nearly a dozen 4K videos simultaneously. Not bad when you consider this VPN’s low price point!

256-bit encryption is enabled by default, as are DNS and IPv6 leak protection. However, IPVanish’s security features don’t stop there: there’s also a kill switch (in both desktop and mobile versions), a LAN traffic blocker, OpenVPN obfuscation, and the ability to change IP address at preset intervals. This service doesn’t log any information that could see your activities being traced back to you. Need help? No problem, customer support is available over live chat, 24/7.

IPVanish has apps for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire TV, and Firestick. It also works with Linux systems and select routers, but you’ll have to configure it manually.

UNLIMITED SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS:IPVanish makes it easy to protect all of your connected devices at once. With high connection speeds and advanced security features on offer, it’s a solid general-purpose VPN. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full IPVanish review.

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4. ExpressVPN

Works in South KoreaTested Dec 2024

ExpressVPN is a fast service offering secure access to more than 3,000 fast servers in 105+ countries. It’s highly versatile, with excellent multi-platform support, the option to choose not just your desired country, but your city too, and the ability to access platforms like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video.

This provider has long been known for its steady speeds, and our testing revealed that its servers in Seoul are more than fast enough for anything you have in mind. ExpressVPN delivered an average speed of 137.05 Mbps, making it the third-quickest VPN we saw. This is at least partially due to its custom Lightway protocol (which helps minimize speed loss when using servers that are very far away) though network optimization has a part to play too.

This VPN protects your traffic with 256-bit AES military-grade encryption, DNS and IPv6 leak protection, and perfect forward secrecy. Its desktop apps include a kill switch that automatically blocks any data transfer if you disconnect unexpectedly. ExpressVPN offers 24/7 support over live chat. Best of all, this service doesn’t log any information that could identify you, and you can even pay with Bitcoin for increased anonymity.

ExpressVPN comes with apps for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, and Linux. It must be manually configured on routers, but ExpressVPN has custom firmware to make this as straightforward as possible.

PRIVACY-FIRST VPN:ExpressVPN is an excellent all-rounder thanks to its fast download speeds, ease of use, expansive server network, and the number of services it can unblock. Plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full ExpressVPN review.

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5. CyberGhost

Works in South KoreaTested Dec 2024

CyberGhost takes the hassle out of online security. It currently has more than 11,500 servers across 100+ countries, making it easy to get a low-latency connection from anywhere in the world. You can choose a task (such as torrenting or streaming) and view a list of suitable servers. CyberGhost allows up to seven simultaneous connections and one-click unblocking for numerous streaming platforms, so it’s ideal for those looking to stream on the go.

CyberGhost offers access to reliable servers in Seoul, some of which are specially optimized for streaming Korean Netflix. Now, this would normally require a connection of around 15 Mbps (assuming you want to watch in 4K). Thankfully, with an average speed of 143.83 Mbps, CyberGhost is more than up to the task. Its speeds were extremely stable too, never dropping below 140 Mbps regardless of the time of day we tried it.

Although this VPN is designed to be as easy to use as possible, it actually has a good range of security features. There’s 256-bit AES encryption, for instance, as well as port forwarding, WebRTC, IPv6, and DNS leak protection. Every version of CyberGhost comes with a kill switch, ensuring you don’t inadvertently browse without protection, even for a second. Best of all, this service logs no personally identifiable information.

CyberGhost has MacOS, Windows, iOS, and Android apps. Manual installation is required for Linux-based systems and wireless routers.

GOOD FOR NOVICES:CyberGhost is a low-cost friendly service that offers high speeds, the ability to unblock various streaming platforms, and comprehensive protection for people new to VPNs.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

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6. PureVPN

Works in South KoreaTested Dec 2024

PureVPN has a larger network than many of its rivals, with around 6,000+ servers across 65+ countries, including South Korea. It’s capable of securely accessing a wide range of streaming apps, including Disney+ and KBS. What’s more, with average speeds approaching 400 Mbps, you’ll be able to watch live broadcasts without any noticeable drop in performance. Users can protect up to 10 devices with a single subscription and contact staff at any time, day or night, via the live chat feature on PureVPN’s website.

PureVPN has roughly 50 servers throughout Seoul, Korea, and is quick enough to deal with any day-to-day task. For example, our experts recorded an average speed of 130.94 Mbps after testing them three times. In practical terms, this means you’re highly unlikely to notice any significant speed loss unless you’re already used to extremely fast connections. Let’s take a look at how well PureVPN performed across the span of a day:

This service is remarkably affordable, considering how strong its security offering is. By default, it keeps you safe using uncrackable encryption, a kill switch, and protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks. Plus and Max subscribers also gain access to a tracker-blocking tool, and port forwarding functionality is available for an additional monthly fee. Most importantly, PureVPN refuses to log any details of your activities. You don’t have to take the company’s word for it, either; it’s been professionally audited four times.

PureVPN has its own apps for Windows, iOS, Android, Linux, and MacOS. Its website provides manual setup instructions for anyone hoping to install this VPN on their router.

FAST KOREAN SERVERS:PureVPN operates almost 50 servers in Korea, outpaces many of its competitors, and provides a great set of security tools. Better still, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.

Our full PureVPN review will answer any questions you might have.

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7. ProtonVPN

Works in South KoreaTested Dec 2024

ProtonVPN operates almost 5,000+ servers in 91+ countries, South Korea included. It’s extremely quick, with average speeds of around 300 Mbps (for context, you only need around 25 Mbps to stream 4K video), and can reliably help you access region-locked services like Netflix abroad. In other words, it’s a fantastic choice whether you’re looking to torrent anonymously, watch KBS on vacation, or just stay safe while using public wifi hotspots. Each paid ProtonVPN plan lets you secure 10 devices simultaneously and speak directly with support staff, day or night.

ProtonVPN operates around a dozen servers in Seoul, South Korea. They might not be the quickest we’ve seen but they’re still suitable for data-intensive tasks like video calling, torrenting, or streaming live TV. As an added bonus, they worked with the vast majority of streaming platforms we tested. Overall, this VPN delivered average speeds of 95.12 Mbps, which is decent. It was a little less consistent than some of its rivals too, but not to the point that you’d notice.

A VPN’s primary goal is to enhance your privacy, and ProtonVPN offers plenty of tools to help you achieve this. It boasts uncrackable encryption, a kill switch, leak protection, automatic tracker-blocking, and an independently verified no-logging policy. Further, there are special Secure Core servers that route your traffic through multiple locations for an extra layer of anonymity. There’s even the option to let certain apps through the VPN if you’d like!

ProtonVPN offers apps for Windows, iOS, Linux, Android, and MacOS. Its website’s support section provides manual setup instructions for various router types.

ZERO LOGS:ProtonVPN has an extensive set of privacy features and a proven no-logs policy, so there’s no need to worry about anyone monitoring your activities. Better still, it also offers first-class performance, a wide-ranging network, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our complete ProtonVPN review to learn more.

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8. Hotspot Shield

Works in South KoreaTested Dec 2024

Hotspot Shield has a large network, with 3,000+ servers across more than 70 countries (South Korea included). This service’s fast speeds make it ideal for file-sharing, but as it works with stubborn platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and ITV Hub, it’s a great choice for video streaming too. Hotspot Shield allows you to use up to five connected devices at once.

Hotspot Shield is a solid all-round performer, with average speeds of 95.43 Mbps per our latest testing. That’s marginally quicker than PureVPN (at least when using South Korean servers) and all three speed test results were within 15 Mbps of one another, so it’s more consistent too. Users will be able to torrent, stream 4K video, or play online games without any noticeable lag, stuttering, or slowdown, which is great news for anyone hoping to share their VPN with family.

This VPN might have simplistic-looking apps, but don’t be fooled; there are numerous advanced security features built-in. These include DNS and IPv6 leak protection, 256-bit encryption, and a kill switch that prevents you from browsing unprotected. If you’d like, you can choose certain websites to bypass the VPN too. Hotspot Shield doesn’t keep any personally identifiable information after your session ends. If you run into any trouble, you can contact customer support 24/7 over live chat.

Hotspot Shield has apps for Android, Windows, iOS, and MacOS. It works with Linux systems and some home routers too, but must be manually installed.

BROWSE UNRESTRICTED:Hotspot Shield is an excellent choice for anyone in South Korea. It’s fast, reliable, and comes with several advanced security features. Better still, this service boasts excellent unblocking ability and includes a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Hotspot Shield review.

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9. PrivateVPN

Works in South KoreaTested Dec 2024

PrivateVPN doesn’t have the largest network around (around 200+ servers in 63+ countries) but it does offer faster connection speeds than most. In fact, it’s fast enough to stream live HD video without any issues whatsoever. Better still, this VPN can reliably access services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video from abroad. With up to 10 connections permitted, PrivateVPN lets you protect most of your devices simultaneously.

PrivateVPN had the lowest speeds of any provider we tested, but with an average of 64.50 Mbps, it’s still suitable for dealing with day-to-day tasks. Users will be able to stream multiple 4K videos simultaneously, torrent, or game without interruption. We didn’t notice any significant change in performance based on the time of day, either, so that’s great. Check out the full test results below:

This service uses 256-bit encryption by default and protects against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks. Bitcoin payments are accepted, meaning you can register for a VPN almost completely anonymously by combining this with a disposable email address. Additionally, PrivateVPN has a strict zero-logs privacy policy. With your permission, support staff can even remotely connect to your computer and install or configure the software for you.

PrivateVPN offers apps for Windows, Android, MacOS, Linux, and iOS. After some manual configuration, it even works with supported internet routers.

GREAT FOR STREAMING:PrivateVPN provides fast connections and allows you to unblock a wide range of geo-blocked services abroad. Further, its no-logging policy provides peace of mind for security-conscious users.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

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Methodology: Finding the best VPNs for South Korea

Using a VPN is easy; the tricky part is deciding which service to choose in the first place. Providers often brag about their security without ever actually going into details, and just about every VPN claims to be the fastest. Additionally, not every service is suitable for accessing Korean platforms abroad – some don’t even have servers in South Korea! Below, we’ll explain the comprehensive testing we performed when finding the best VPNs for South Korean users.

South Korean speeds

A slow VPN makes browsing the internet a real chore. Aside from limiting you to low-resolution video and causing sites to take forever to load, sluggish connections can randomly disconnect you from the VPN. That’s a privacy risk, as well as a nuisance. To prevent these issues, our team performed hands-on testing of each VPN with the goal of seeing which was the quickest overall.

Generally, the closer your chosen server, the higher your speeds. With this in mind, we ran three separate speed tests on each provider’s South Korean servers (one in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon). Afterwards, we averaged the results to account for some of the inherent randomness of speed testing. Finally, these results were weighted and normalized, giving us a score out of 10 that makes it easier to compare each provider side by side. Take a look:

NordVPN was the fastest provider overall, so it earned 10 points straight off the bat. Now, while Surfshark was only a tiny bit slower, it scored 9.3. This is because we rate providers relative to one another instead of simply seeing which has the top speed. It’s also why PrivateVPN scored just four points, despite having speeds of over 60 Mbps – they’re decent but there’s definitely room for improvement.

Features

Versatility is a difficult thing to measure but that’s never stopped us before. First off, we checked how many streaming platforms each VPN could access (and how reliably they worked). This included a subset of testing specifically focused on Korean TV channels. Next up, we considered how many Korean servers each service offered (assuming this data was available). Finally, we looked into whether the service would work in countries with extreme censorship like China or the UAE. After assigning points based on each VPN’s performance in these tests, we weighted and normalized the results. You’ll find a full comparison below:

With just a glance at this table, it’s clear that competition was fierce. NordVPN earned the top spot largely because it worked effortlessly with just about every streaming app we tried. However, Surfshark, IPVanish, and ExpressVPN were all tied for second place with 9.7 points each. Conversely, Hotspot Shield had the lowest score (6.7) – it works in China and has a good number of Korean servers but was slightly less reliable when it came to streaming.

Security and privacy

It’s easy to forget but a VPN’s main job is to keep you safe. In our expert opinion, the best way to do this is by providing unbreakable encryption, a variety of safeguards (leak protection and a kill switch, for instance), and a no-logs policy. Of course, a lot more goes into maintaining your anonymity than just that. We evaluated each potential recommendation on more than a dozen relevant criteria. You’ll find these (and how each VPN fared) in the table below:

As before, VPNs earned points based on what they had to offer. These scores were again weighted and normalized so we could better compare providers side by side. Here are the overall security and privacy rankings:

Interestingly, we have another tie – for first place this time. NordVPN and Surfshark both earned 9.5 points out of 10, narrowly losing out on a perfect score for having weaker than average authentication and being based in a Nine Eyes country, respectively. Meanwhile, PrivateVPN and Hotspot Shield tied for last place, each with 8.6 points. That’s still a remarkably high score and only goes to illustrate how tough the competition was in this category.

Ease of use

There’s one thing just about every major VPN has in common: they’re newcomer-friendly and do their best to streamline day-to-day usage. After all, nobody wants to dig around in the settings or manually configure their connection when they’re in a hurry. Here at Comparitech, we strongly prefer services that prioritize ease of use. Anything that makes your experience more straightforward will earn provider points in this area, whether it’s a lack of connection limits, 24/7 assistance, or servers specially designed for specific tasks. Here’s a list of what we looked out for:

NordVPN was our top scorer again, with 9.6 points out of a possible 10. We really appreciated its specialty servers, streaming consistency, and large network, though we would have preferred to see full functional parity across platforms. In fairness, none of the providers in this list performed poorly here. They all offer beginner-friendly apps, expansive support sections, and simplistic signup/cancellation processes.

Value for money

Part of our job is making sure you pay as little as possible for a high-quality VPN. We begin by checking out each service’s standard monthly price and comparing its functionality to that of rivals, costing roughly the same. Next, our team looks for ways to reduce this price, for instanc,e by signing up for longer or taking advantage of a student discount. We also check out how often each VPN goes on sale. The only non-negotiable is a money-back guarantee; users must be able to try the service before committing to it long-term. Let’s see how our top VPNs did:

Just like before, we assigned points for how well each VPN performed, then weighted and normalized these to get the final scores. You’ll notice that Surfshark took the top spot this time, closely followed by IPVanish. It’s no wonder these two providers did well, considering they each allow any number of connections, and IPVanish has the lowest month-by-month cost of any provider here. Meanwhile, Hotspot Shield scores 6.8 points – it has fewer terms to choose from, costs a little more overall, and doesn’t offer any kind of student discount.

How to use a VPN to unblock the internet in South Korea

Here’s how to unblock websites in South Korea with a VPN:

1. Sign up for a VPN that works in South Korea. We recommend NordVPN.
2. Install the VPN app on your chosen app and log in with your new credentials.
3. Select a server in your desired location. To access geo-blocked services, you’ll have to use a server in the appropriate country, for example, the UK, for BBC iPlayer.
4. Go to your chosen site and enjoy the internet unrestricted.
5. If a given site still doesn’t work, try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies before reloading the page.

See also: How to get a Korean IP address

VPN for South Korea FAQs