AboutContactFor employersAdvertise
Log inSign up

The apps you need in Korea

Maps, messaging, taxis, food delivery, translation, shopping and second-hand apps that make life in Korea much easier, and which ones need a Korean number.

Last checked 2 November 2026. Rules change, so confirm anything important with the official source linked in the article.

Korea runs on apps, and many of them are Korean, not the ones you use at home. Install the essentials before you land, and the rest once you have a Korean phone number.

Before you land

App What for Notes
Naver Map or KakaoMap Directions, buses, subway Google Maps doesn’t do walking or driving directions well here. See Naver Map or Kakao Map?
KakaoTalk Messaging Almost everyone in Korea uses it, including employers and landlords
Papago Translation Made by Naver. Very good for Korean, including photos of menus and signs

Getting around

  • Kakao T: calling taxis. You can pay in the app or to the driver.
  • Korail+: KTX and train tickets (the old “Korail Talk” app was renamed).
  • Subway apps: Naver Map and KakaoMap already show subway routes, but a dedicated subway map app is handy offline.

Food and shopping

  • Baemin (배달의민족) and Coupang Eats: food delivery. Mostly in Korean, but pictures help.
  • Coupang: online shopping with very fast delivery, often next morning.
  • Daangn (당근, “carrot”): buying and selling second-hand things locally. Great for cheap furniture and winter coats.

Life admin

  • Your bank’s app, once you have an account. See How to open a bank account.
  • Emergency Ready (안전디딤돌): official safety alerts in English, for earthquakes, typhoons and heat waves.
  • An air quality app, or just check fine dust (미세먼지) levels in your weather app.

The Korean phone number problem

Many Korean apps (delivery, shopping, banking) ask for identity verification (본인인증) when you sign up. This usually needs:

  • a phone plan in your own name, and
  • your ARC.

A tourist SIM often isn’t enough. That’s normal, not a problem with you. Use the apps that work for now, and sign up for the rest once you have your ARC and a monthly plan. See Phone plans and SIM cards and How to get your ARC.

Tips

  • Set apps to English where you can. Naver Map, KakaoMap, Kakao T and Papago all have English options.
  • Turn on translate in your browser for websites that are only in Korean.
  • Keep a payment card linked. Many apps take foreign cards, but some only work with Korean cards.

← All guides