Pyeongchang County is located in the northern part of South Korea. It has an estimated population of about 45k residents. Travelers to the area have many reasons to visit from business opportunities to great wildlife to Olympic buildings and more. If you are going to visit Pyeongchang, you need to remember that despite the advances, South Korea is only partially free so you need to use a VPN when using the internet. We’ll explain why that is important shortly. Until then, please take a look at our best VPNs for Pyeongchang list.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 110 | |
According to a Freedomhouse.org report, the government of South Korea does monitor its citizens. They also have been known to target women over certain issues. That means it is wise to use a VPN whenever you are the net. By connecting to a server, you create a secure and encrypted connection. That will make it much harder for anyone with prying eyes. That is why using a VPN is a good idea to protect your privacy.
Since South Korea is only partially free, you better believe that you will run into censorship. The way around that is to connect a server in a different country. By doing so, you can trick the blocking software into thinking you are located someplace else. You should be able to browse like you normally would from that point on.
What is the best VPN for Pyeongchang?
We focused on the following criteria to help us determine our list of the best VPNs for Pyeongchang:
- Strong military grade encryption to help protect privacy while in Pyeongchang
- The ability to unblock government filtering and censorship
- Strict no logs policy
- High network stability to help stop disconnects
- VPN servers that performed well in Pyeongchang and the region
- Mobile apps and support for Amazon Firestick devices
Without further delay, here is a list of the best VPN services for Pyeongchang:
1. Best VPN for Pyeongchang: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN brings together fast VPN access with MediaStreamer which acts as a Smart DNS service to help unblock access to some great geo-restricted content. The VPN service will help encrypt your connection and unblock live sporting events. You will even find a list of the latest live entertainment and sporting events on their website.
ExpressVPN manages a very large VPN network. Beyond the USA and Canada, the ExpressVPN network boasts hundreds of servers in key locations to help protect their user’s privacy. You can use their network to protect your privacy, unblock censorship, and watch your favorite teams from anywhere.
The ExpressVPN app allows you to select a server location down to the city but you can not choose a specific server. Instead, the client will select a server in your chosen location. You also need to know that some cities are not shown on the recommended tab inside the client. You may find that issue with servers in South Korea. Simply select the “All” tab, open Asia, and then open South Korea. At this point, you can select servers there. When we tested a server in Seoul, South Korea, the speed was 94.75 Mbps.
While ExpressVPN is sold at a higher price point than the other services in our list, the value is high given the size of their network and service features. You can connect a computer, handheld device, router, and game console (SmartDNS) with a single VPN account for just $6.67 a month with a 30-day money back guarantee.
2. Best VPN for Pyeongchang: NordVPN
NordVPN is based in Panama which some users prefer to using a VPN company that’s actually headquartered in the United States. You will find that NordVPN has a strong presence in the US with servers located throughout the country. Members have full access to their network in the USA and beyond for a very good price.
You will find that NordVPN has perhaps the best mix of services for the price if you want to get a subscription for a longer length of time. All users have full access to their network and custom software. You can connect using the VPN client for Windows or Mac. They also have an easy-to-use mobile app for both Android and iOS (iPhone, iPad) devices.
NordVPN hosts a number of servers in Seoul (the closest location). From the console, clicking on the 3 horizontal dots to the right of the country, you can locate the server area and see the percentages of the servers available. We tested a server located in Seoul, South Korea, and the download speed was 96.76 Mbps.
Want to access streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world? If so NordVPN is a great choice. They are one of the only VPN services that can still unblock Netflix. You can sign up for unlimited VPN and SmartDNS service from just $2.99 a month with a 3-year membership.
3. Best VPN for Pyeongchang: CyberGhost
CyberGhost was founded in 2001 by 7 enthusiastic young team members in Bucharest, Romania. Since that time the company has grown into one of the largest VPN services in the world. The team of 50+ members is focused on protecting users privacy. Robert Knapp, co-founder and CEO, continues to lead the team even after they joined the Crossrider group in 2017. Since that time the CyberGhost network has expanded quite a bit.
CyberGhost offers a nice mix of server locations, strong encryption, and the ability to unblock popular streaming services like Netflix, YouTube Red, and Amazon Prime. Some of the channels even let you unblock geo-restrictions for multiple regions. For example, you can access Amazon Prime video content in the US, Germany, or UK. The Windows client also gives you the option to surf anonymously, protect Wi-Fi, torrent anonymously, unblock basic websites (Google, Facebook Instagram, etc.), and choose a server.
Since we wanted to test a server in Seoul, we opened the Windows client and expanded the interface. From there you will want to click on the “All Servers” tab if it isn’t already active. Scroll down to South Korea and click to the right of the star. This will bring up a full list of servers in South Korea. The CyberGhost network includes a few servers in Seoul. We connected to one of them and tested the performance. As you can see, our download speed was 14.36 Mbps.
The CyberGhost VPN client is one of our favorites. It is very easy to use and includes a number of advanced features to help protect your online privacy. They have a development team in Germany that is continually adding features to the client and mobile apps. You can sign up for full access to the CyberGhost network from just $2.75 a month during their current promotion.
By now, you should see why it is important to use a VPN when you are visiting Pyeongchang. For everyone that would like a different set of options, feel free to look at the providers on our top 10 VPN list. They will all perform well, but we made our choices based on a number of factors. That is how we chose for Pyeongchang. So, if you will be there, remember to use a VPN whenever possible. By using our guide, you can make an informed decision.