Seoul, South Korea is the capital city and largest metropolis in the country. It’s burgeoning economy and strategic location have made this city of just over 10 million people a world leader. The “Miracle on the Han River” has transformed Seoul into the 4th largest metro economy and the 4th largest earner in tourism in the world. If you are going to be one of those tourists or business travelers and need to use the internet, you won’t want to do so without a VPN. We’ll offer you some reasons in a moment. First though, take a look at our top suggestions for the best VPNs to use while in Seoul.
| Rank | VPN Service | Our Score | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.2 | 73 | |
| 3 |  | 9.0 | 280 | |
The history of Seoul stretches back to the first settlements in the area. They occurred around 4000 BCE. However, the town did not get its first name of Wiryeseong until 18 BCE. At that time, rulers made it capital of Baekje. If you travel to the city, you can still see several of the walls that date to that time period. Since those days, the city has changed hands and names a number of times.
After hundreds of years of isolation, the city opened its gates to foreigners. It was then that Seoul began to modernize. The city’s major trading partners became France and America. In fact, Seoul was the first city in East Asia to introduce electricity to the royal palace. The city had some form of power just 11 years after Americans thanks to agreements with the Edison Illuminating Company.
In modern times, Seoul is an economic force in the world. A few Korean companies have a global presence and you are likely to find them everywhere. Those include the electronics company, Samsung, that makes everything from refrigerators to heavy industrial equipment to smartphones and the Hyundai/Kia motor company. Though business is a huge draw for the city, travelers can enjoy other things as well. That includes historic sites, landmarks, shopping centers, and more. It even has one of the world’s largest Christian congregations in the world which has an estimated 830k members.
For those traveling to Seoul, there are a few things you need to remember. For its size, the city is almost twice as densely populated as New York City. That means that you may feel a bit crowded from time to time. If you need to use the internet while you are there, you will want to connect to a VPN to protect your privacy. Since the city receives 10 million visitors a year, it is not hard to realize that cyber-criminals are everywhere. All you have to do is make a secure connection to the VPN server of your choice. That makes it much harder for thieves to steal your sensitive information.
Another reason to use a VPN is to help you get around restricted content. South Korea does not have many laws with respect to censorship. However, certain fields are prohibited. As you might be able to guess, pro North Korea websites are banned along with a few others. That said, you would still need a VPN to get around geo-restrictions. By using a VPN to connect to a server in a different location, you can defeat the geo-restrictions in the area you want to view. The software will think you are located somewhere else, so you can view as you wish.
Above, you have come of the best reasons to use a VPN while in Seoul. There may be others, however, that you will discover once you sign up for service. Whether your goal is to protect your privacy from prying eyes, get around censorship and geo-restrictions, or both, VPNs have you covered.
Let’s jump right in and take a look at the best VPNs for Seoul.
1. Best VPN for Seoul: ExpressVPN
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If you are in a larger city, especially one that has a top-tier sports team, and you want to watch the game or match online, licensing rights will stop you from doing so. When that happens, the companies refer to it as a sports blackout. To get around this issue, you need to connect to a VPN server provided by ExpressVPN. The easy way to do that is to choose a server that is outside the area. That will make the blocking software believe that you are in another region. Then, you can enjoy the game or match.
Want to learn more? Read our full ExpressVPN review.
Pros:
- Accepts major credit cards, PayPal and Bitcoin
- User-friendly VPN apps and Smart DNS
- Over 160 server locations in 94 countries worldwide
- Works with Netflix
- Supports torrenting
- Excellent technical support
Cons:
- Only 5 simultaneous connections
- Lacks multi-hop functionality
2. Best VPN for Seoul: IPVanish
IPVanish operates more than 1400 servers located in 75+ different places. While that may not be as many as some, you can bet that they have them where it counts. If you are not aware, encryption overhead can slow down your internet connection. However, we can tell you the service is fast and performs very well in the United States. That means that no matter what you choose to do while on the network, you won’t have to worry about issues with performance.
Want to learn more? Read our full IPVanish review.
Pros:
- Tier-1 VPN service
- Unblocks US Netflix
- Zero logs – does not keep traffic logs
- Independently audited no-logs VPN
- SOCKS5 proxy included
Cons:
- Supports TOR connections (slow)
- Shared data in 2016 under previous ownership
3. Best VPN for Seoul: HMA Pro VPN
HMA is one of the largest and recognizable VPNs in the community. With VPN servers in over 190 countries and more than 290 locations around the world, you can’t go wrong with HMA. Additionally, they list their servers at 20 Gbps. That will help you escape the typical encryption overhead that you see with VPNs. Their server connections are fast, and you should not have issues with the service. Whether you are trying to protect your privacy, stream your favorite content, or get around firewalls, they have you covered.
Want to learn more? Read our full HMA Pro VPN review.
