As of 2024, the US ranks at the top in GDP (nominal) and second in PPP (Purchasing Power Parity). Besides, it is one of the best countries to start a business in.
If you are thinking of expanding your business to the United States, you would need a way to communicate with your customers (and they would need a method, too). And, what’s a better way than a phone?
In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide to calling the United States from South Korea. Let’s get started.
When making international calls, consider using a virtual phone system to improve communication performance and savings. By using local numbers, you can increase response rates and create a more robust presence with your target audience.
How to Call the US from Korea?
Follow these steps to call the US from Korea.
Step 1: Enter the South Korea exit code, “001.”
Step 2: Enter the US country code, which is 1.
Step 3: Dial the local area code of the number you are dialing.
For your reference, here are the area codes for some of the major cities in the US.
City / Region | Area Code |
---|---|
New Jersey | 201 |
Washington DC | 202 |
Alabama | 205 |
Seattle | 206 |
California | 209 |
Dallas | 214 |
Philadelphia | 215 |
Cleveland | 216 |
Newark | 220 |
Step 4: Dial the seven-digit phone number
Lastly, dial the seven-digit phone number of the person you are trying to reach.
So, your dialing format to the US (California) from Korea would look like this:
001-1-209-XXX-XXXX
When to Call the US from South Korea?
It is essential to know the time zone difference between the US and Korea for calling the US from Korea. South Korea is 13 hours ahead of Washington DC, US.
As of writing this article, the time in:
South Korea: 8:35 pm, Saturday
Washington DC, US: 7:35 am, Saturday
How To Call Korea From The US?
Follow these steps to call Korea from the US.
Step 1: Dial 011
The U.S. exit code is needed to initiate an international call.
Step 2: Dial 82
The country code that directs the call to South Korea.
Step 3: Dial the Area Code
The area code specifies the region or city in South Korea (1 digit for Seoul, 2 for other cities).
For your reference, here are the area codes for some of the major cities in South Korea.
City / Region | Area Code |
---|---|
Busan | 51 |
Incheon | 32 |
Daegu | 53 |
Daejeon | 42 |
Gwangju | 62 |
Ulsan | 52 |
Suwon | 31 |
Step 4: Dial the Phone Number
The specific 6-8 digit number of the person or business you’re calling.
So, your dialing format will look like this if you call a number in Seoul:
011-82-2-XXXXXXX
Virtual Phone System to Make International Calls to the US From Korea
Though dialing a number in the United States from South Korea is simple, it is costly. Besides, people are always reluctant to pick an unknown international number on their cell phones. That’s the problem a virtual phone system can solve.
A virtual phone system allows you to purchase local phone numbers that customers would pick and even take your business positively. Besides, your local (US) customers can contact you without incurring international charges.
The best part about the US virtual phone numbers is that you don’t need to be physically present in the US to use local numbers. You can sit in South Korea and call your customers in the US as if you are in their city.
Establishing a local presence also makes it easier to attract customers and build rapport with them.
But that’s not it.
Reasons to Use a Virtual Phone System for Your Business
The communication skills of your business can greatly improve by implementing a virtual phone system that offers scalability and flexibility unmatched by traditional phone systems. Let’s take a look at some other reasons to use a virtual phone system for your business:
1- Reduce Calling Expenses
Since you will be making hundreds of calls (to attract customers), you are looking at a phone bill of thousands of dollars every month without a virtual phone system.
But why spend international charges when you can pay less with local phone numbers? Calls to the United States from Korea with the CallHippo business phone system start from as low as $0.01.
2- Improve Your Advertising ROI
If your ads have a US virtual phone number with a local area code, more people are likely to call you than if you have an international number. You can even get featured in local directories and business listings.
3- Work From Anywhere
A virtual phone system gives you the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world. Besides, you won’t have to stick to your desk to make or receive calls. For instance, with CallHippo mobile app, you can use your smartphone to manage business calls. It ensures you don’t miss an opportunity even if it comes outside your business hours (which is highly likely as the time zones in the US and Korea are different).
4- Highly Scalable
As your business in the US grows, you will need more people to handle incoming and outgoing calls. However, with a traditional phone system, you will have to purchase hardware and install telephone lines in your office.
On the other hand, a virtual phone system allows you to scale your sales and support team at little to no extra cost. All you will need to do is upgrade your premium or add a new user, which will cost you only a few dollars.
5- Advanced Features
Entering a new market is never easy. However, a virtual phone system comes with a myriad of features, such as call recording and call center analytics, that can help you understand your potential customers better.
You can then use the insights gathered using these features to better tailor your services and offerings to increase the chances of sales.
Best 5 Virtual Phone System Providers for Calling USA
It’s essential to take into factors like call quality, cost, and feature set when selecting a virtual phone system provider for calling within the United States. The top five providers that stand out for their reliability and affordability are listed below:
1. Nextiva
Nextiva is a cloud-based UC system that allows businesses of all sizes to enhance business communication. In addition to making and receiving calls, sending texts and faxes, creating custom greetings and voicemails, & setting up forwarding, the platform allows users to make and receive calls internationally.
Nextiva can help businesses drive business results by accessing the necessary information. In addition, automation and intelligence are built-in, so you can focus on providing customer service instead.
Features
- Custom greetings
- Live Chat
- Cospace
- Gamified Analytics
- Mac and Windows apps
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Comes with built-in CRM software
- Highly customizable auto-attendant
- Advanced call management
Cons
- Poor Mobile App support
- Confusing interface
- Buggy mobile apps
Pricing
Small businesses plan:
- Digital: $20/user/month
- Core: $30/user/month
- Engage: $40/user/month
- Power Suite: $60/user/month
Enterprise Plan
- Essential: from $129/agent/month
- Professional: from $159/agent/month
- Enterprise: from $199/agent/month
2. CallHippo
CallHippo is the best virtual phone service in the market that is designed to cater to the business communication needs of startups, SMBs, and companies.
CallHippo’s call center solution is an affordable alternative built for international calling/texting. For example, if you’re wondering about calling Korea from the US, you can opt for a Korean virtual number and start calling Korea from the US. In addition, this solution supports shared phone numbers and SMS.
With CallHippo’s office phone system, you can streamline your calls with IVR and ring groups, but call recording and other valuable features cost extra.
You can get over 50+ countries’ virtual phone numbers from CallHippo, including Norway’s virtual phone number, El Salvador’s phone number, and Portugal’s phone number
Features
- Real-time reporting
- Smart call forwarding
- Power dialer
- Call analytics
- On-hold music
Pros
- Affordable
- Easy-to-use software
- Great calling features
- Excellent customer support
Cons
- Some features are difficult to set up
- Connectivity issues
Pricing
- Starter: $18/user/month
- Professional: $30/user/month
- Ultimate: $42/user/month
3. Ooma Office Phone
Ooma Office is an easy-to-use, cloud-based business phone system. Ooma has more than 50 advanced features, including virtual receptionists, ring groups, virtual faxes, on-hold music, etc.
It is also one of the few virtual phone services offering free Mexico calls as a standard service. With the Ooma Office mobile application, businesses can offer their workers the ability to address business calls from their smartphones.
Features
- Virtual receptionists
- On-hold music
- 24/7 customer service
- Voicemail transcription
- Video Conferencing
Pros
- Free calls after device purchase
- Great call quality
- Great call management tools
Cons
- Most features require a premium plan
- No softphone
- Minimal software integrations
Pricing
- Essentials Plan: $19.9/user/month
- Pro Plan: $24.95/user/ month
- Pro Plus Plan: $29.95/user/month
4. Avoxi
Avoxi is a cloud-based platform that seamlessly transforms your customer experience, team productivity, and global connectivity. Interactive voice response (IVR) modules allow managers to customize the user interface and automatically direct incoming calls to specific agents. For example, you can easily enable video calling Korea from the U.S. with a Korean virtual number with Avoxi.
Avoxi is considered one of the best UK, Singapore, and virtual phone number Estonia providers in 2023.
Businesses can create personalized accounts for employees and monitor ongoing calls using AVOXI to assess client interactions with agents. In addition, a centralized database contains customer information, and summary notes allow users to update inquiry statuses.
Features
- Voice services in 170+ countries
- Knowledge base (KB) and online training program
- 2-way messaging service in the US and Canada
- Call Recording & Storage Services
Pros
- Comprehensive Quality Management for Calls
- Smart Call Routing Features
- Powerful Call Controls
- Exceptional Call Quality & Availability
- Intuitive User Interface
Cons
- Doesn’t provide customizable dashboards
- Bad customer service
- Hidden charges
Pricing
Please connect with the vendor for details.
5. Talkroute
Talkroute allows enterprises to manage voicemail, route, forward calls, and communicate with customers through different channels. Many features make Talkroute a dominant competitor in the communication space, including unlimited calling to Canada and the USA, no extra charges for toll-free minutes, and a user-friendly interface.
For example, this is one of the few virtual phone providers that enable video calling for up to 100 participants. Additionally, businesses can send SMS and MMS messages to their customers using virtual numbers.
Features
- Unlimited minutes in the US & Canada (toll-free included)
- Route calls to as many phones & desktops as needed
- Customize welcome, music on hold & voicemail greetings
- Auto Attendant/IVR
Pros
- Subscriptions include a toll-free/local phone number
- Supports 24-hour video meetings with up to 100 people
- Multiple customization options
- Live Call Transfer
Cons
- Lacks faxing
- Does not offer customer support via phone for the basic plan
- Only offers a 7-day free trial
Pricing
- Basic -$19 / month
- Plus – $39 / month
- Pro – $59 / month
- Enterprise – Custom plan
Wrapping Up
The United States is one of the best countries to expand your business. And when you do, follow the steps mentioned above to call your prospects in the US from Korea. Also, make sure to buy a US phone number to minimize your calling expenses and boost your advertising ROI.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Much Does It Cost to Calling The US from Korea?
You can dial the US from South Korea for as little as $0.038 with Callhippo’s US phone number. You can use a company free trial as well to call the US from Korea for free.
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