10 Must Have Apps for your South Korea Trip

When coming to Korea or going to another country there are so many things to prepare before your trip. Because Korea has one of the fastest wifi networks, there are many apps that Koreans use on a daily basis. We believe these are the 10 must have apps for your South Korea trip that are totally worth downloading and will make your trip an even better experience. 

All of these apps are free to download 

Kakao Talk

Kakao Talk is the messenger that people use here in South Korea. KakaoTalk is South Korea’s most popular messaging app and a must-have for travelers.It allows you to stay connected with locals and fellow travelers, share your location, and even make free voice and video calls over Wi-Fi. You might be thinking, why do I have to download this app if I am not really going to communicate with any korean? Well Kakao Talk is more than a messenger it has so many utilities and because of the pandemic this app has become essential to go anywhere. Since the beginning of the pandemic, South Korea has made sure to know where cases have popped up as positive and using the kakao talk you are required to check in to restaurants, malls, gyms, movie theaters, etc. 

Kakao Taxi

As you will notice, South Korea is very convenient in many ways and transportation is one of them. To get to one destination there are many ways to get there whether it’s the bus, metro (subway), train or taxi. Kakao Taxi is definitely a must to download. It is easy to use and it’s also in english! The app gives you the option to connect your credit card or you can pay the taxi driver once he has dropped you off at your destination. 

Kakao Metro

If you are not sure about getting a taxi or riding the bus, this apps in South Korea will be very beneficial. It shows you all metro stops around the city. Also if you are planning to go to Busan, Daegu or other cities you can download the metro maps of those cities on this map. What we really love about this map is that it will tell you how long it will take you to get to your destination and if you are transferring it will also let you know what metro car is the best to ride on for a quicker transfer. Ohh and did we mention it’s all in english? It’s fantastic!

Kakao Bus

If you are more adventurous like us and like to ride the bus, Kakao bus will help you get from one point to another. This app will even tell you how long it will be until it arrives at your spot, how many seats are available in the bus and even shows you how far along your trip you are. It’s very easy to use and it’s all in English!

Naver Maps

Navigating South Korea’s bustling cities and winding streets can be a challenge, but Naver Maps is here to help. Naver maps is the equivalent to Google Maps. Here you can find all the ways to get from one point to another. However, we HIGHLY recommend Naver Maps because it is more accurate and updated. For example the other day we noticed that a restaurant had moved location and Naver Maps had successfully updated their maps while Google Maps was still showing us the old location. This does not mean you cannot use Google Maps, we just tend to use Naver Maps more frequently. Language barriers are no issue with this app, as it provides navigation instructions in English. It’s a lifesaver for getting around Seoul, Busan, and other cities.

배달의 민족  Bedal Minjok

As foodies that we are, we have to have an app that can get us food to our place without leaving. If you are here on a trip, we think that ordering food and creating your own 먹방, Mukbang experience is a must! 배달 민족 or Baemin  is super easy to use and also user friendly. What’s great about this app is that you don’t necessarily need to link your card to it so you can pay the driver when they get to your door. However, do keep in mind that if you’re traveling during COVID times there might be restrictions and maybe this way of doing things might change.  We also recommend that you make sure that you have the correct address and they are not delivering it somewhere else (this has happened to us before). 

Korea Times

One thing about the pandemic and South Korean government is that they make quick decisions. It is good to be up to date and make sure that you are aware of the latest news or restrictions while you are in the country. Korea Times is a news outlet we normally follow and we think it will bring you all the latest news. It’s always good to know the social distancing guidelines or restrictions being put in place.

Papago

This is such an important app to have! Papago is your savior here in South Korea. Not everyone here speaks English and sometimes it might get difficult to communicate with people but Papago will help you a lot. It is a dictionary created by Naver (from Naver Maps) that was made to really translate well from Korean to English or English to Korean. We recommend this app to anyone that is visiting or even wanting to study Korean. It will help you translate and make your trip much easier. 

Tmoney Go

In case you are looking into traveling to the Korean countryside or other cities, this app is for you! Through Tmoney Go, you have access to buying intercity bus tickets from any terminal around the country. But this is not the only purpose of the app! You can also rent bicycles and scooters that are located all around the country, especially near subway stations. And according to the company that owns the app, it will soon release the option to get taxis!   

Instagram

We are pretty sure you have instagram and we are also sure that you were planning to use it here for pictures. However, we have seriously been loving the new feature of finding posts from other people based on the map. We love it so much that it is also a way we use to find the latest or trendiest places here in South Korea. So sometimes we are on instagram only to look for places to eat if we are in an area we are not familiar with.