Google Maps does not give walking directions in Korea. Here are the apps that do and the ones that make navigating, eating, and moving around Korea significantly easier.
Korea is a tech-forward country with exceptional digital infrastructure, but it operates on a parallel set of platforms from the Google-dominated world most Western travellers are used to. Knowing which apps to download before you land makes a meaningful difference to how smoothly your trip runs.
Download all of these before you leave home, not at the airport, not when you need them.
Navigation
Naver Map – Essential
The primary navigation app for Korea and the most important download on this list. Naver Map provides walking, transit, driving, and cycling directions throughout Korea with English language support. It integrates with Korean public transport in real time, shows bus arrival times, and accurately routes you between subway lines.
Why not Google Maps: South Korea’s national security regulations restrict Google from licensing the detailed mapping data required for turn-by-turn navigation. Google Maps shows locations and points of interest, but will not route you from A to B on foot or by car. This catches almost every first-time visitor to Korea. Download Naver Map before you land. See the Korea travel tips guide for more on this.
KakaoMap
A solid alternative to Naver Map from Kakao (Korea’s other major tech company). English support is slightly less comprehensive than Naver Map, but the transit routing is equally good. Either app works; most Koreans use KakaoMap for driving and Naver Map for transit.
Taxis
Kakao T – Essential
Korea’s main ride-hailing platform. Works like Uber: enter your destination, see the fare estimate, wait for a driver to accept, and track their arrival. English interface, works throughout Korea, including outside Seoul. Link a credit card before arriving, and Uber also works in Korea.
Why it matters: Hailing a taxi on the street during late-night peak hours in Hongdae or after a major event can be difficult. Kakao T removes this friction. Also useful for airport journeys, see the Incheon Airport to Seoul guide for full transfer options.
Translation
Papago – Essential
Naver’s translation app, specifically trained on Korean, Japanese, and Chinese, is significantly more accurate for Korean than Google Translate. The camera translation function (point your camera at a menu, sign, or label and see the translation overlaid on the image) is accurate and fast. Download the Korean language pack for offline use before arriving.
Use case: Korean restaurant menus without pictures, pharmacy product labels, signage in traditional markets, street names in historical areas.
Google Translate
Still useful as a backup and for translating longer text passages where Papago’s camera function struggles. Less accurate on Korean than Papago, but fine for basic communication.
Food Delivery
Baemin (Baedal Minjok)
Korea’s most popular food delivery app. Covers virtually every restaurant in Seoul and most major Korean cities. Requires a Korean phone number to register, manageable with a local SIM. Good for ordering Korean fried chicken, Chinese-Korean food, and late-night delivery to your accommodation. Interface is primarily in Korean use with Papago if needed.
Transport
Korail App
Official app for booking KTX and other Korean intercity trains. English language support. Book in advance for popular routes (Seoul to Busan is fastest by KTX, see the Seoul to Busan guide for timing and cost). Tickets can also be purchased at station counters.
T-money App
Allows you to check your T-money card balance and top it up at participating locations. Less essential than the physical card itself, but useful for tracking your transport spending. See the T-money card guide for everything you need to know about the physical card.
Accommodation
Yanolja
Korea’s dominant hotel and accommodation booking app. Particularly good for finding Korean motels (clean, affordable private-room lodging) and last-minute stays. Not as internationally well-known as Booking.com, but it often has better prices for Korean domestic accommodation.
Useful Korean Platforms
Naver
Korea’s dominant search engine is more useful than Google for Korea-specific information. Restaurant reviews on Naver are from real Korean diners and often more reliable than Google reviews for local spots. Search restaurant names in Korean for the most relevant results (use Papago to translate the name first).
KakaoTalk
Korea’s dominant messaging app. Most Korean businesses, guesthouses, and tour operators communicate via KakaoTalk. Some accommodations require a KakaoTalk account for check-in instructions. Free to download and use with an international phone number.
