If you're planning to go to Korea or if you're already here, you might forget to think about that they use completely different apps in Korea. When I first came here, I noticed quite quickly how essential some of those apps can be.
Unfortunately, I found out about a few apps way too late and I wish I had known about them earlier. That's why I decided to compile a list of all the apps that are useful to have in Korea.
In case you don't want to go through the whole blog post, here's a list of all the apps mentioned:
Kakao Metro (Subway App)
Citymapper
Kakao Maps
Kakao Talk (Messenger App)
Papago (Translator App)
Air Quality App
Emergency Ready App
MangoPlate (Restaurant and coffee shop reviews app)
Shuttle (Food delivery app)
Visit Korea (Sightseeing App)
Klook
Transportation and Maps Applications
First and foremost, transportation apps and maps. You might think you're all good with Google Maps, but you'll quickly notice that Google Maps in Korea just isn't the same as in other parts of the world. It can be very inaccurate and has often sent me into the complete wrong direction. It also doesn't know about the best bus routes to get you from A to B.
Instead, I would recommend the following apps:
Subway Apps - Kakao Metro
There are several Seoul subway maps that are completely in English, so you probably won't have a problem to find one that works for you. However, some work better than others and have additional functions. I wasn't aware of this until my family that visited me had downloaded a different subway app which didn't work as well as the one I was using.
Overall, you can't go wrong with the Subway app from Kakao called Kakaometro.
The app is very user friendly, completely in English, and provides you with all the information you need to use the Subway in Seoul. It gives you information about transfers, how long it will take you to reach your destination, which carriage you should take in order to transfer faster, and tells you which exit is nearest to you.
Furthermore, it lets you chose which route you want to take based on either the fastest route, or the simplest route meaning less transfers.
What I also love about this Subway app is that the map doesn't only show the subway stops but looks like an actual map, so you can see where the river and several sightseeing attractions and buildings are while you're planning your subway journey.
To plan your journey, you can simply click on a station and select "From" or "To", or "Via" (In case there you want to take a specific route you can select a station that you want to stop by).
One more super practical thing about this app is that it provides you with additional information such as the availability of elevators and exits with escalators. All you need to do is click on the subway station of your choice on the map, and then click on "Info".
In the additional info you can find "Exit Info" including a map. If you zoom in on the map, you can find exits with escalators, as well as the location of elevators.
This comes in super handy of course for people with disabilities, injuries, or people with advanced age that maybe aren't fit enough to take the stairs. Also, it's great if you're traveling with your luggage! It happened to me way too often that I didn't check in advance and ended up heaving up my heavy suitcase up some long stairs.. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Get the app:
Other Transportation Apps - Citymapper & Kakao Map
Most tourists tend to travel by subway as it is the easiest, very convenient, and often also faster than other methods. But, depending on where you live, busses might get you faster to your destination.
Also, if you decide to stay in Korea for the long term, you should give busses a go. I personally often prefer taking the bus as I like looking out of the window while listening to music or my favorite podcast.
One of the biggest reason why tourists mostly take the subway is because bus applications in Korea are often not available in English, or at least not completely in English. Also, the apps are a lot more confusing if you aren't sure which bus stop you need to go to. Therefore, instead of using a bus app, I would recommend using Kakao Map or Citymapper.
Both apps will suggest several routes using either Subway, Bus, by foot or on bike, after you have put in the start and destination of your journey.
If you are not that good at Korean, Citymapper is a great app. While some bus stops are initially written in Korean, once you decided on your route the names will also appear in English.
In general, I find that app easier to use for non-Korean speakers. That is probably because it is widely used in other countries and has originated in the UK, and therefore might be more focused on the English speaking market.
Get the app:
If you can read some Korean, Kakao Map is very handy. While most of the interface is in English, the bus stop names are in Korean. Unfortunately, that's very inconvenient for tourists. But, other than that, this app sometimes has more accurate bus information than some other apps.
Get the app:
Messenger Apps - Kakao Talk
If you're coming to Korea only for a short visit you probably won't need this app, but if you plan to stay a little longer and want to communicate with locals, Kakao Talk is the app you'll need.
By now, I already mentioned a few apps from the company Kakao. The original application that it all started with was Kakao Talk, the main messaging app that is used by approximately 93% of Korean smartphone users.
From my personal experience, many Koreans won't have other messaging apps like Whatsapp, so if you want to communicate effectively with locals you will need this app. The messaging app has lots of useful features such as sending money directly to friends, or even to pay your bills by scanning a QR code.
While the app is in English, some of those additional features are mostly available only in Korean. Nonetheless, a must have!
Get the app:
Translator Apps - Papago
If you've been using Google Translator up until now, you gotta try out the Naver version of it. Naver is South Korea's most popular search engine and they also have their own translator called Papago which works a lot better for translating English to Korean and vice versa.
While most tourist areas are used to non-Korean speaking visitors, a translator app can be helpful even if you don't plan to stay too long in Korea. For those of you that come here for an exchange semester or a longer visit, a translation app will be very useful as in everyday life you will encounter many situations where you won't be able to get information in English.
Great features of the app include of course voice translate, as well as picture translate.
Get the app:
Air Quality Apps - Air Visual
This application is something you might not need in the city where you're from, but in Seoul at least we sometimes have very bad air pollution and "yellow dust" (미세먼지).
Of course you don't want the air quality to ruin your stay, but your health comes first. So, on a particularly bad day you might want to consider inside activities instead of having a picnic at the han river or climbing up the Namsan tower.
There are lots of different air quality apps available, and I've tried out many of them. The app of my choice is the Air Visual App. This is because so far it the results it has given me were mostly accurate in comparison to other data online. Some of the other apps I've used in the past were sometimes highly inaccurate or didn't update frequently.
This app automatically updates the air quality scores in your area every few hours, displays them on your front screen, and also provides a forecast for the following days.
Next to that, the app explains in a simple manner what effects the different ranges of air quality can have, and includes recommendations, such as to close one's windows or to minimize outdoor activities, in the case of severe air quality.
According to the app, the air quality scores are provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Get the app:
Emergency Apps - Emergency Ready App
When you're in a foreign country, you probably don't remember all of the emergency numbers. In order to stay safe during your stay in Korea, I recommend using the Emergency Ready App. With this app you've got all the emergency information you need.
Of course, you can make an emergency call through this app, but next to that the app offers a lot more. You can search for shelter location and information, it provides information on emergency medial centers, fire stations, and police stations.
What's also great about this app is that it translates all the security alerts and emergency text messages you receive from the Korean government.
If you have a Korean cell phone, you might be confused by those text messages you receive from the government. Those text messages can be about extreme heat or cold, other extreme weather situations, sicknesses, etc. Which is super helpful isn't it? However, those messages are all in Korean, which can be quite a challenge for foreigners.
Luckily, you can access all of those security alert messages in English on the Emergency Ready App.
Get the app:
Restaurant And Cafe Review Apps - MangoPlate
During your visit in Korea, it can be difficult to choose a restaurant or coffee shop since there are so many options. A great way to find the best restaurants and coffee shops in your area is the app MangoPlate. Essentially, it's similar to yelp.
Restaurants and cafe's are ranked based on customer reviews, and the great thing is that the app has lots of English reviews as well. So far, MangoPlate never disappointed me. I love that it gives me recommendations for my area, but I can also look up other areas in advance, or just check all the best places in the whole city.
The interface is completely in English, another plus points for tourists and foreigners living in Korea.
Get the app:
Food Delivery Apps - Shuttle
You don't want to go out today and rather want to order in? No problem. Food delivery is super common in Korea, and you can order literally any food for delivery. The only problem might be the language barrier. If you can read Korean, you should be fine with most of the local food deliver apps. However, if you don't, you can use the app Shuttle.
The app might not have as many options as some Korean food delivery apps do, but it's completely in English. You can easily see all the food places near you, and the app tells you the additional delivery costs.
Get the app:
Sightseeing Apps - Visit Korea & Klook
Lastly, let's talk about Sightseeing apps. Especially if you're here for a vacation, these apps are gold! But even if you've stayed in Korea for a longer time like myself, these apps can be great for some spontaneous activities or for looking up some information.
While looking up some information on activities or places to visit in Korea, you probably came across Visit Korea, the official website from the Korean tourist organization. The website provides super helpful and detailed information on everything you need to know for your stay in Seoul.
Using the website is great of course, but when you're out and about, the app is a better choice to check the information on your next location, or to find some other place you can go to if you've already finished the program for the day. Simply, a must have for every tourist.
Get the app:
Another great app is Klook. With this app you can book tickets for attractions and activities, and guided tours. They often have special deals through which you can save some money, so it's a good idea to always check this app before purchasing the tickets at the location or on their official websites.
Get the app:
Which app do you think is essential for a stay in Korea?
Since I'm always on the hunt for great apps, If you've got any recommendations, I would love to know :)
See you next time~
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