Essential Apps for Life in Korea

Navigate daily life with ease using these must-have mobile applications.

Must-Have Apps Guide

This is a curated list of essential apps that will make your life in Korea more convenient and enjoyable.

6 apps found
01

App Recommendations

A curated list of essential apps for foreigners.

카카오맵 (Kakao Map)

Kakao Map

The most popular map and navigation service in Korea. Essential for finding directions, public transit routes, and places.

Real-time bus trackingSubway navigationDriving directions

네이버 지도 (Naver Map)

Naver Map

A great alternative to Kakao Map, offering detailed navigation and place information. Some users prefer its interface.

English interfaceDetailed place reviewsNavigation

배달의민족 (Baedal Minjok)

Baemin

Korea's number one food delivery app. Order everything from Korean fried chicken to your daily groceries.

Wide variety of restaurantsGrocery delivery (B-Mart)User reviews

요기요 (Yogiyo)

Yogiyo

A major competitor to Baemin, offering a great selection of restaurants and frequent discounts.

Regular couponsEasy-to-use interfaceExpress delivery options

카카오톡 (KakaoTalk)

KakaoTalk

The undisputed king of messaging apps in Korea. Essential for all social and professional communication.

Free messaging & callsGroup chatsKakao Pay integration

파파고 (Papago)

Papago

A translation app by Naver, widely considered to be more accurate than Google Translate for the Korean language.

Text translationVoice translationImage translation

How to Download Apps

If you can't find these apps, you may need to change your App Store or Google Play country/region to Korea.

1Open your App Store / Google Play settings.
2Go to your account and find the 'Country/Region' setting.
3Change your region to 'Republic of Korea'.
4You may need to add a Korean payment method or address.

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Essential Apps for Korea | First Step Korea