Korean Apps – 17 Essential Apps You Need To Install Right now!

korean apps

If you are about to work or visit South Korea for quite a long time, then you will need these apps to help you during your stay in Korea. When I first visit Korea, I only use google maps, google translate and my local friends to help me in this wonderful country. After staying for a while, I realize google is not enough, that’s why I want to share the essential korean apps you need to install to help you during your stay in Korea.

From food delivery to korean language translator, these apps will definitely able to help you meet your needs in Korea. In order to help you better understand and navigate this korean apps, I will separate this apps into some category such as korean apps for food, travel, translation, etc. Alright, let’s dive right into these essential apps you need to install.

Table of Contents

Korean Apps For Travel

Here are some korean apps to help guide you during your travel journey in South Korea, including some korean transportation apps including.

1. T-Money

korean apps

T-Money is the card you will need to use public transportation in South Korea, in which you can get in almost any convenience stores or subway station. This apps help you manage and check your balance as your travel as well as check your transaction history and even top up your balance.

In addition, you can also get more info about the public transportation schedule, routes and discounts available. All you need to do is just to install, sign up and set up your account with your T-Money card number.

2. Visit Korea

korean apps

Visit Korea is Korean Tourist Organization (KTO) made korean apps to guide you through your travel journey in South Korea. This local app will give you accurate information about tour courses, tourist destination, festivals, restaurants, shopping centers, weather and even the currency rates.

Since this is a South Korean government made korean apps, you don’t need to worry whether the information is reliable.

3. Trazy

korean apps

Trazy is abbreviation of ‘travel crazy’, a korea travel guide apps that sell some tours and transportations. Other than that, if you are lucky, sometime there’s a juicy discount for their product service. In addition, they also give info about the latest attractions you can visit.

4. Klook

korean apps

Klook is international travel apps that is well known among international travelers. This app is very useful if you love travel, anywhere, not just South Korea. More over, they offers a juicy deals on tours and tickets, as well as serve as a travel guide. In addition, they give special discount for loyal members.

Korean Apps For Korean Translation

If you are someone who doesn’t speak korean and don’t want to learn it, then you can use these korean translation apps to help you communicate with locals. Other than in Seoul capital city, koreans aren’t really good at english. Here’s some korean translation apps you can use including.

5. Papago

Best Korean Translation Apps

Papago is AI korean translation apps made by Naver company that support up to 13 different languages. In addition, it can also translate through images, voice and handwriting. Compare to google translate, papago is a lot more accurate and much better.

6. Naver Korean Dictionary & Translate

korean apps

Naver dictionary is another great translation and dictionary apps made by Naver company. In case you want to learn korean language while have a great translations apps, then you can install this korean apps by naver.

Korean Apps For Social Networking (Chat)

In case you make some korean friends while you travel and you want to regularly and continuously contact them, then you can ask their messenger. Koreans use Kakaotalk everyday, from the youngest to the oldest to contact with one another.

7. Kakao Talk Messenger

korean apps

Kakaotalk is a number one messenger in South Korea, use by everyone everywhere in South Korea. This app has features same like any other messenger you can think about, with a slight plus is that they have cute stickers you can use.

In addition, you can also buy and send money as well as the sticker as a gift to your kakao friend. Since all koreans use this app, if you want to stay in airbnb, this app is very necessary.

Korean Map Apps

Whether you are going to another city or another country, maps is the number one apps you need. I believe most of you already have google maps installed, however, the most accurate maps you can use in South Korea is Naver Map.

8. Naver Map

korean apps

Naver map is the best korean map app you must install as long as you are living in Korea. This app will not just give you accurate precise locations, it also support other language including english, japanese and chinese.

In addition, you can download any address you want to go and save it for later to use it offline without any data charge.

Korean Transportation Apps

Korean transportation apps might not be as necessary as the other, however, sometimes these apps gives a juicy discount that you might be interested in.

9. Subway Korea

korean apps

Subway Korea is a local subway map app that will give informations about the subway routes. If you love to plan everythings out, then this app will help you organize your travel. In addition, this app will also give you the fastest route to go to your destinations and the subway train schedule even when you are offline.

10. Kakao Metro

korean apps

Kakao Metro is a local subway navigation app design to help you find the best transportation, nearest stations, the schedule and the speed of the transportations.

11. Kakao Taxi

korean apps

Kakao Taxi is a local trusted taxi apps that works just like Uber app. All you need is just to show your current locations and put your destination address, then request for taxi. The best part is that this app have the data of the driver who will drive you to your destinations, so you don’t need to worry about your safety.

Korean Shopping Apps (Marketplace)

Who doens’t love shopping? This app will help you shopping online from the comfort of your house, whether it be groceries or branded stuff.

12. Coupang

korean apps

Coupang is well known as the biggest Korean online marketplace where all size of sellers market their products. The downside is that you will need to understand korean language to use this app.

The best part about this marketplace is that you can find almost anything and everything here, from the smallest to the largest, and you can find all kinds of brands, from the unknown to the well known brands.

In addition, their delivery system is amazing, they can literally deliver fresh food and groceries you order overnight. However, you will need a korean phone number and address to sign up on this platform.

Korean Housing Apps

One of the most important things to do is to find the right housing for your trip. If you are just staying for a while, you can just use Agoda or Airbnb. However, here is local app you want to install just in case you are looking for a longer period of time.

13. Zigbang

korean apps

Zigbang is a korea housing apps that will help you find your house, whether it be apartment, villa, studio or officetel. All you need to do is just to put the type of housing you want and the locations you prefer. The app will automatically filter all the housing available based on your preference. 

In addition, you can also put your preference payment, such as monthly rent, yearly rent with deposit or lease with large deposit without monthly rent, etc). Once you find your desired house, you can contact the realtors via this app.

Korean Food Delivery and Recommendation Apps

All of the travelers will look for the best traditional local cuisine available, if you are one of them, then here are some app you need to install in your phone to help you find the food recommendation and delivery service including.

14. Shuttle

korean apps

Shuttle is a groceries and food delivery app in South Korea, especially for tourist. This app list all the best bakery, cafe as well as restaurants available, so you can just pick and choose. It offers delivery on most of big city like Seoul, Daegu, Busan, Osan and Pyeongtaek.

15. MangoPlate - Korean restaurant discovery apps

korean apps

Mangoplate is a korean restaurant discovery and recommendations app to help you find the best restaurant in South Korea. With more than hundreds of thousands of restaurants on their list, you will never out of list in terms of food recommendations. In addition, this apps is using english language which is very tourist friendly.

16. Baedal Minjok - #1 Korean delivery apps

korea-food-delivery-apps

Baemin aka Baedal Minjok is a number one delivery service app in South Korea, delivers food from cafes, restaurants, convenient stores, supermarkets, shopping malls even specialty stores. All you need to do is just to choose the service you need, whether it be a food delivery, supermarket delivery, or you can type any store you had in mind.

In case you are new and have no idea about which restaurant you want to choose, this app help you by filter it based on categories, such as chicken, sushi or others. The apps also have restaurant ratings and estimated delivery time.

17. Yogiyo

korea-food-delivery-apps

Yogiyo is another food delivery app that will sent your food anywhere you are, even when you are outside. Just order your chosen food via their app and they will deliver it to you as soon, whether you are in amusement park, parking lot, or in the middle of nowhere.

Sum Up

Living in a new country with different language, culture and environment can be daunting for most people. That’s why it is necessary to know some local apps to help us blend and adapt with our new environment.

Here are all the local apps that will help you during your transition process if you are looking to travel for a long time or stay for good in South Korea. Have you ever know about these apps before? Let me know in the comment sections below!

korean apps
korean apps

Every share and every ounce of your support brings my passion for Korea to life – Thank you for visit.

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