Korea runs on apps. The subway, the taxi outside your hotel, the fried chicken at midnight — locals do all of it from their phones. As a visitor, you can do the same, but only if the apps are installed and set up before you land.
The 10 apps you actually need before visiting Korea are Naver Map, Papago, KakaoTalk, Kakao T, k.ride, Baedal Minjok, Coupang Eats, Shuttle Delivery, KakaoMap, and Google Translate. Together they cover navigation, translation, messaging, taxis, and food delivery. Install and configure them at home, because the first hour after landing is the worst possible time to be wrestling with sign-up screens.
Photo: Tim Walker, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Which 10 apps should I install before flying to Korea?
Start with this list. Every app here is free, and every one has a real reason to be set up before departure rather than after arrival.
| App | What it is for | Why set it up before arriving |
|---|---|---|
| Naver Map | Walking, subway, and bus navigation with real-time arrivals | Switch to English and save your hotel now, so routes are one tap away on arrival |
| Papago | Korean translation by text, voice, camera, and handwriting | Download the offline Korean pack at home for menus in no-signal basements |
| KakaoTalk | Messaging — the app nearly everyone in Korea uses to chat | Hosts, tour operators, and travel companions will expect you on it |
| k.ride | Taxis for foreign visitors, no Korean number needed | Register your foreign number and card now for a ride the moment you land |
| Kakao T | Korea's main taxi app with the largest driver network | SMS verification sometimes fails on foreign SIMs — test it early |
| Baedal Minjok | Food delivery, from fried chicken to late-night snacks | Sign in with your Google account and add your foreign card before the midnight craving hits |
| Coupang Eats | Food delivery with a full English interface | Switch the language to English and register your international card in advance |
| Shuttle Delivery | English-language delivery built for foreigners | No Korean number needed — a reliable backup if the big two stall |
| KakaoMap | Detailed maps with offline downloads | Save Seoul offline now as a dead-zone backup |
| Google Translate | Backup translation and camera mode | Keep it as a second opinion for stylized Korean fonts |
Why is Naver Map the first app I should set up?
Because Google Maps does not offer walking directions in Korea, and Naver Map does — along with subway routes, live bus arrivals, and the all-important exit numbers, all in English.
South Korea's map-data rules mean Google never got the data it needs for turn-by-turn navigation here. Naver Map has no such problem: precise walking directions, real-time subway and bus departures, and indoor maps of big stations. Switch it to English in Settings. One trick: if a small restaurant will not appear in English, paste its Korean name from a blog or review. No account or Korean number is needed for directions, but signing in lets you save your hotel and sights before the flight.
How do I read menus and signs I cannot understand?
Point Papago's camera at the menu. It translates Korean text in real time, and it was built for exactly this job.
Papago handles Korean more accurately than general translation tools — it knows menu words are food, not literal translations. For a crowded, stylized menu, photograph one section and use partial-selection mode to highlight just the dish name you are curious about. The conversation mode translates speech both ways for taxis and pharmacies. Download the Korean offline pack before the trip — elevators, basements, and hiking trails have no signal.
Photo: ZKang123, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Can I take a taxi without a Korean phone number?
Yes. Install k.ride, Kakao Mobility's app made for visitors: it signs you up with your foreign number, accepts foreign credit cards, and runs in English.
Kakao T itself has no rule against foreigners, but sign-up requires a text-message check that some foreign SIMs never receive while roaming. If that stalls, k.ride is the answer: same taxi network, no Korean number, and your foreign card pays in-app. As a fallback inside Kakao T, choose pay-to-driver and settle the fare with your physical card at the end of the trip. Uber also operates in Korea. In central Seoul, drivers increasingly rely on app dispatches and may pass up a waving hand, especially late at night.
How do I order delivery food as a tourist?
Open Baedal Minjok or Coupang Eats, sign in with your Google account, and pay with your foreign card. The old Korean-number barrier is gone.
This changed recently and it changed completely. Baedal Minjok now accepts international cards through Apple Pay and global payments, Coupang Eats lets you register a foreign card directly and runs a full English interface, and Seoul's tourism partnership with the platforms brought multilingual pickup guides to delivery zones across the city. Set your phone's language to English and both apps follow. Enter your hotel address in English with a lobby pickup note so the rider finds you. Ordering fried chicken to a Han River park finally works without a local number.
Photo: Tristan Surtel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
How do I stay in touch with hosts and travel companions?
Install KakaoTalk. It is the default messaging app in Korea — hotels, tour hosts, and local friends all assume you have it.
Set it up with your own number before the trip and you are reachable the moment you land. Many Korean services also use it for confirmations and customer chat.
What if I have no mobile data?
That is exactly why KakaoMap's offline Seoul maps and Papago's offline pack are on the list. Download both before the flight.
Incheon Airport has free wifi, but public wifi is patchy, and dead zones sit exactly where you need directions most. With offline maps and an offline translator on the phone, the trip keeps working when the signal does not. The rest need a connection, so sort out your data plan before departure too.
Photo: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
FAQ
Do I need a Korean phone number for any of these 10 apps?
No. Every app on this list works with a foreign number. k.ride, Baedal Minjok, Coupang Eats, Naver Map, and Papago all accept international users. Only Kakao T's own sign-up can be fussy, because its SMS check does not always reach foreign SIMs — that is why k.ride exists as the visitor-friendly alternative.
Are all 10 apps free?
Yes. Every app on this list is free to download and free for the features described here. You pay only for the services themselves — the taxi fare, the delivered food — exactly as you would without the apps.
Should I switch my phone's language to English before opening these apps?
If your phone is not already in English, yes. Several of these apps, including Baedal Minjok and Coupang Eats, follow your phone's system language automatically, which is the fastest way to get the English interface without hunting through settings.
What should I do first after installing everything?
Download Papago's offline Korean pack and KakaoMap's offline Seoul maps, save your hotel in Naver Map, and register your card in k.ride. Then navigation, translation, and a ride home are ready before the plane doors open.
Related guides
How to Use Papago for Menus and Signs
How to Order Delivery Food in Korea as a Tourist