Area Code 55 – Gyeongnam

Overview of Area Code +82 55

Area code 55 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) within the South Korean national numbering plan, assigned to the Gyeongsangnam-do province (commonly referred to as Gyeongnam). This region is located in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula and is administered under the Busan/Gyeongnam macro-area. The code serves a large population and includes several major industrial and port cities. When dialing internationally, the full number is formatted as +82 55 XXXX YYYY, where the total subscriber number length is typically 8 digits after the country code and area code, resulting in a complete international number of 12 digits (including the +82 country code).

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The 55 area code covers the entire Gyeongsangnam-do province, which is subdivided into numerous cities and counties. Key cities served by this code include Changwon (the provincial capital, which incorporates the former cities of Masan and Jinhae), Gimhae, Jinju, Yangsan, Geoje, Tongyeong, Sacheon, and Miryang. The area is known for heavy industry, shipbuilding, and manufacturing, with a significant population density along the southern coast. The administrative jurisdiction corresponds to the Gyeongsangnam-do provincial government, which oversees local telecommunications infrastructure and numbering resource allocation in coordination with the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) and the National Information Society Agency (NIA).

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

For local callers within South Korea, dialing a number in the 55 area code from another region requires the trunk prefix 0 followed by the area code and the subscriber number: 055-XXXX-YYYY. However, when calling from within the same area code, local numbers can often be dialed without the area code, using just the 8-digit subscriber number. For international callers, the format is +82 55 XXXX YYYY (or 011 82 55 XXXX YYYY when dialing from North America). It is important to note that the leading '0' of the national trunk prefix is omitted when dialing from abroad. For example, a landline in Changwon might be 055-123-4567 locally, and internationally as +82 55 123 4567.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

As of the latest updates, there is no overlay code for the 55 area code; the region uses a single geographic area code. However, due to the high demand for numbers in metropolitan areas, the KCC has implemented number pooling and reassignment strategies to ensure efficient use of the numbering space. Subscribers in the 55 area code can also keep their numbers when moving within the same geographic region (number portability applies to fixed-line services as well). For VoIP and mobile services, numbers are non-geographic and are not tied to this area code, but fixed-line services in the region are identified by the 55 prefix. Callers should be aware that while most numbers are used for PSTN and VoIP fixed lines, some may be assigned to specific services, and the cost of a call to +82 55 depends on the caller's carrier and international tariff structure.