Useful Apps for Travelers in South Korea
Published:
Listed roughly in order of importance. Let me know if I missed any important ones!
If you live in Korea (and have a Korean bank account and phone plan), then see my companion post, Useful Apps for Residents of South Korea.
Essential #
Papago | 파파고 #
The picture to translation feature might be the most critical one here! To me the English <-> Korean translations are much more natural than Google Translate. (Japanese and Chinese, as well).
Make sure to download your languages in advance!
iOS App Store | Google Play Store | Website
Naver Maps | 네이버 지도 #
The quality of Google and Apple Maps in Korea is terrible compared to Naver, which is more or less the Google of Korea.
Luckily, the mobile apps support English now.
Hot Tip: If you’re taking the train, Naver Maps will show which car will give you the fastest exit at the transfer or destination station.
iOS App Store | Google Play Store | Website
Airalo #
While most cafes in Seoul offer wifi, I prefer to not be stuck without data.
If your phone supports E-SIMs, you can skip dealing with the SIM vendors at the airport. Airalo supports many countries; I’ve used it in Japan and Singapore as well. Ubigi is a similar app.
Airalo and Ubigi are data-only plans. If you need to send and receive texts, get an E-SIM at the airport. This is because they need to verify your passport.
Some apps like Coupang (item delivery) and 배달민원/Shuttle (food delivery) need a valid phone number. Sometimes they accept numbers from any country, so if you’re using something like Verizon’s Travel Pass then you should be fine.
iOS App Store | Google Play Store | Website
Misc. #
Instagram & Tiktok #
These social sites are a great way to discover cafes and businesses to visit. Of course, any place that’s popular on Instagram/Tiktok is likely to have long lines…
KakaoTalk | 카카오톡 #
Kakaotalk is the communication app in Korea. Since I come from the US, I was really surprised people use this over, well, the built-in messaging apps… This is also the case with Wechat in China and Line in Japan.
Hot Tip: You can have multiple profiles. This is handy if you join group chats and don’t want to divulge info from your main profile.
iOS App Store | Google Play Store | Website
Naver Dictionary | 네이버 사전 #
iOS App Store | Google Play Store | Website
Meetup #
This lets you find or organize meetup groups. Although you need to pay for the Pro plan to be able to make groups and host events.
In Seoul there are plenty of language exchanges. The trick is finding a group with lots of Koreans, as most of them are foreigner filled.
iOS App Store | Google Play Store | Website
Navigation #
Kakao Map | 카카오맵 #
Kakao Map is usually better for bikers. It’ll show you which parts of the journey are on the sidewalk or the main road.
iOS App Store | Google Play Store | Website
Ddareungi / Seoul Bike | 따릉이 #
Seoul offers a public bike rental service, with stations all over. You can find a nearby bike and rent it for:
- 1 hour - 1,000 KRW - ~$0.72 USD
- 2 hours - 2,000 KRW - ~$1.43 USD
- all day - 5,000 KRW - ~$3.58 USD
If you return the bike early, you can still use the remaining time, for up to 24 hours. You can also temporarily lock the bike if you need to go into a store, for example.
Here’s a more detailed article that shows how to rent a bike via 따릉이.
iOS App Store | Google Play Store
k.ride - taxi, cab, korea trip #
A taxi app for foreigners. In my experience, Uber didn’t work well. I’ve used 카카오T in the past, but I believe you need a Korean account now.
You can communicate with some pre-determined sentences that are translated for the driver.
iOS App Store | Google Play Store
Korail #
If you’re planning on taking Korea’s KTX (bullet train), this app lets you see timetables and purchase tickets. The iOS version is …not great.
Note 1: If a train is sold out, you still may be able to get standing room, but that is still in-person only at a KTX office.
Note 2: COME EARLY and double check the train number! If it’s your first time at the KTX area of Seoul Station, it can be a little confusing finding the right platform.
iOS App Store | Google Play Store | Website
Shopping #
Coupang | 쿠팡 #
Coupang offers shopping with next-day delivery if you order early enough. The downside is for food items, it’s often x5 or x10 of whatever, not just 1 or 2.
You’ll need a valid phone number, but any country should work.
Do NOT make an account. At the checkout, find the 해외 신용카드 (foreign credit card) option.
iOS App Store | Google Play Store
GMarket (global version) #
GMarket is more similar to Amazon, with random vendors selling items. As such be careful to analyze listings carefully.
The global version’s catalogue is different.
iOS App Store | Google Play Store | Website
Food Delivery #
배달민원 #
Food delivery at all hours! That’s worth navigating an all-Korean interface! You’ll need a valid phone number, but nearly any country works.
Do NOT make an account. At the checkout, find the 해외 신용카드 (foreign credit card) option.
iOS App Store | Google Play Store
Shuttle #
Shuttle supports English and foreign credit cards, but the last time I used it, the selection was not nearly as good as 배달민원 or 요기요.