How to Use a Korean Digital Door Lock (도어락): A Renter's Guide + Samsung SHS-2920 Manual

First day in a new place: a renter's checklist

1. Get the code changed. The previous tenant, the landlord, the agent, and possibly cleaners or movers have all used the old code. Ask the landlord or agent to set a new one with you at handover, or change it yourself (steps for the SHS-2920 are below).
2. Re-register the cards and key tags. If your lock has a card reader, the last tenant's cards may still open it. On the SHS-2920, registering a card erases every previously registered card, so registering your own cards is also how you cancel theirs.
3. Find the model name. It is printed on the lock itself (the SHS-2920 shows it at the bottom of the outside keypad). Button sequences differ between models, so look up the manual for your exact model rather than guessing.
4. Ask who looks after the lock. The lock belongs to the landlord. Don't remove or replace it without asking, and ask up front how battery changes and repairs are handled in your building.
5. Know where the batteries are. They sit behind a cover on the indoor unit. Keep spares at home, and keep the landlord's or agent's number somewhere other than your phone in case the phone dies too.

When the lock stops cooperating

• It plays a melody or shows a battery warning. The batteries are running low. On the SHS-2920 this is the "Für Elise" melody when you open the door; Samsung says to replace all four batteries within a week of first hearing it.
• The batteries are completely dead and you are outside. The SHS-2920 has an emergency power contact on the outside unit: hold a 9V battery against it (convenience stores sell them; Samsung recommends alkaline), then use your card or enter your code. Other models have their own emergency method, so check your model's manual before you need it.
• It sounds an alarm and ignores the keypad. Too many wrong attempts. The SHS-2920 sounds an alarm and stops working for about 3 minutes after five wrong codes or unregistered cards in a row. Wait it out, then try again carefully.
• You forgot the code. On the SHS-2920 the code can only be changed from the indoor unit, so you can't reset it from the hallway. Contact your landlord or agent first; if no one can let you in, search 열쇠 (locksmith) on Naver Map or KakaoMap.

Samsung SHS-2920: step by step

Do setup with the door open, so you can test the new code without locking yourself out. The [Register] button is under the battery cover on the indoor unit.

Open the door from outside. Touch the keypad to wake it, enter your code, then press [*]. Or hold a registered card or key tag to the card area.

Open the door from inside. Press the [OPEN] button, or turn the manual knob.

Change the code. Open the battery cover and briefly press [Register]. Enter the new code (4 to 12 digits), then press [*]. The lock stores only one code, so the new one replaces the old one.

Register cards and key tags. Open the battery cover and briefly press [Register], touch each card or tag to the card area, then press [Register] again to finish. Registering erases all previously registered cards, so register every card you want to keep in the same session.

Dual-security mode (hides your code from onlookers). Open the battery cover, briefly press [Register], then press [7] and [*] to turn it on, or [9] and [*] to go back to normal. In this mode, two random numbers light up first; press those, then enter your code, so fingerprints and anyone watching don't give your code away.

Automatic or manual locking. A switch inside the indoor unit is set to A (automatic) or M (manual). In automatic mode the door locks itself about two seconds after it closes, but not when the batteries are dead. In manual mode you lock it by pressing [OPEN] inside or touching the keypad outside.

Double lock while you're home. With the door locked, hold [OPEN] on the inside for 3 seconds. The door then can't be opened from outside, and touching the outside keypad sounds an alarm. Briefly press [OPEN] to cancel. The manual knob still opens the door from inside.

Turn the sound down. Open the battery cover, briefly press [Register], then press [0] to [3] and [*]. [0] silences everything except alarms; [1] to [3] are increasing volume.

Alarm when you go out. After the door locks, press the shield button on the outside keypad within 3 seconds while it is still lit. If someone then presses [OPEN] from inside, the lock sounds an alarm for 5 minutes. Cancel it with a registered card, or by entering your code and pressing [*].

Batteries. The SHS-2920 takes four AA batteries. Samsung's estimate is about 10 months on alkaline AAs at around 10 uses a day. Replace all four within a week of the low-battery melody. You can't change the code or cards until the batteries are replaced. Check for leaking batteries about every 6 months.

The full manual, including the dual-authentication (card plus code) mode and the card-detection settings, is on ManualsLib.

More on renting in Korea

• How to rent in Seoul as a foreigner
• The cost of renting in Seoul
• Short-term and co-living rentals
• Browse rentals with English-speaking agents