How to Play Korean MMOs Outside of Korea

Heard about an awesome new MMO you want to try out, but it’s only available in Korea? With their action-heavy, fluid combat systems, stunning graphics, and giant world spaces, it can be disappointing when Korean MMOs aren’t available to all.

You could always just wait. The most popular (South) Korean MMOs usually get a Western release nowadays, with very few actually being only available in Korea in the long term. But what if you don’t want to wait? Or what if you specifically want to experience the Korean version? Or… what if your favorite MMO never comes out in the West?

PIA VPN gives you an easy solution.

(Some of) The Best South Korean MMOs to Play Right Now

Some of these titles already have Western releases or have them on the way – but all of them have Korean versions that you might want to play:

• Lost Ark – A top-down ARPG reminiscent of Diablo, but with the full MMO experience on top of it.
• Throne and Liberty – A truly massive online RPG with PvPvE combat. Transform into creatures to take battle on the land, on the sea, and in the air. The Western release is scheduled for 2024.
• MapleStory – A 2D side scrolling MMO that’s been around forever, and shows no signs of stopping, even if its monetization is controversial.
• Aion – Join one of two factions battling for control of the world of Atreia.
• Lineage 2 – Sequel to Lineage, one of the most popular MMOs to ever come from Korea, Lineage 2 is another play-your-way game with a huge map, and plenty to do.
• Black Desert – The MMO with one of the most interesting and engaging combat systems I’ve ever seen. In my opinion, it’s second only to Warframe for gorgeous, fluid combat.
• Blade & Soul – This is a wuxia-themed game, with a heavy emphasis on Eastern-style martial arts in its combat, and a story of vengeance to drive you forward.
• Archeage 2 – Archeage has always been intriguing for the sheer variety in its gameplay mechanics and quests, on top of the usual grindy MMO fare.
• Bless Unleashed – The revamped, redesigned, and remastered version of Bless Online.
• SoulWorker – Set in a post-apocalypse, SoulWorker is a more casual MMO, in the vein of Warframe. Fight your way through instanced dungeons to level up your characters, and earn the right to fight some more.

How to Access Korean MMOs from Outside Korea

There are a couple of ways to access Korean MMOs, but the best method involves using a VPN to change your IP address to one in South Korea. Just follow these easy steps: 

• Get PIA VPN.
• Install the app on your PC.
• Connect to a VPN server in South Korea. 

Congratulations! That’s the easy part. Now it gets tricky: you’ll need to actually sign up for an account with your game.

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Signing Up For an MMO Game Account

To sign up for any Korean MMO, you’re going to need a few things:

• The Korean equivalent of a social security number. To prevent fraud and hacking, most online services in South Korea will require this. The correct terms for it are RRN (Resident Registration Number) for locals, and ARN (Alien Registration Number) for foreigners who live in South Korea.
• An i-PIN (Internet Personal Identification Number). This is an extra layer of security set up by the government just in case someone’s A/RRN gets stolen.
• A Korean phone number. This can sometimes be used in place of an i-PIN, but it has to be a working phone number.

Registering for any of these things from outside of South Korea, even with a VPN, is tricky. Research reveals tales of services and websites that can help you do this, but you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s legitimate… or one that even operates in any language but Korean.

(Seriously, some players have even gone so far as to get South Korean citizenship, or something a lot like it, to get access to Korean games. It’s a whole thing.)

Buying MMO Accounts

Now, there is one other method to gain access to Korean games, but do it at your own risk: buying game accounts. That’s right, you can actually pay one of several online sites for a pre-existing account for a game in Korea. It’s by far the easiest way to get one, and lots of people go this route, but there are risks:

• For one thing, it might not be legally sound as a practice. Since gaming accounts are tied to government ID numbers, buying someone else’s account is sketchy at best. Moreover, you might run afoul of South Korea’s law against sharing or boosting other players’ accounts in some way.
• There are lots of scammers who will sell accounts as a way to steal data and money from you.
• Buying accounts is almost definitely against the ToS for pretty much any game. Getting caught means getting banned.

Okay, we clear on that? Now here’s how you do it, if you really must: First, you carefully research the websites that sell accounts. Find one that’s reputable. Buy an account.

Congratulations, it’s yours.

Now remember, no matter how you get the account, you need to use a VPN to play the games. This is required to access them safely, and sometimes to access them at all. Also, it will help to learn some Korean, as the Korean versions of these games might not let you play them in any other language.

Why PIA Is the Best VPN for Gaming

For starters, PIA has ultra-fast 10-Gbps NextGen VPN servers all over the world, including South Korea. That means that it can help you get a smooth and stable connection to the game servers, no matter where you are. In some specific cases, PIA can even reduce your lag, which will make your time grinding away feel a lot better.

PIA also has military-grade VPN encryption, a suite of extra security features, and a tried-and-tested no-logs policy. You can count it to keep you safe, even if someone tries to hit you with a DDoS attack. With your IP being hidden, and all servers having built-in DDoS mitigation, you won’t even have to stop playing.

Lastly, you can try all of this out risk-free with our 30-day money-back guarantee on any plan. Put all of this together, and you have one heck of a gaming VPN. And don’t forget to contact our 24/7 customer support team if you have any questions.

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