Korea Travel Apps 2026: 14 Apps to Download Before You Go

Once the flights to Seoul or Busan are booked, the next question is what to put on your phone. Lists of Korea travel apps often still name apps that have been renamed, and some assume Google Maps works the way it does at home, which it does not.

Before you fly, install at least NAVER Map for walking directions, Subway Korea for subway routes and the Papago translator. For a transit card, pick WOWPASS or MobileTmoney. For taxis, install k.ride. Within 72 hours before you land, you may also need to fill in the e-Arrival card at e-arrivalcard.go.kr, depending on your passport. The full list below has 14 apps, in the order you will need them on a trip.

Each app on the list meets three tests: it is still updated in 2026, its App Store listing includes English, and it is listed in the US, UK and Australian App Stores. Details come from each app's official site and App Store listing, notices from Korean government bodies, and news reports, all checked in September 2026. Aizzie, which appears under trip planning, is this site's own planner.

Key Takeaways

• Whether you need a K-ETA depends on your passport. Travelers from the exempt countries and regions, including the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, need no K-ETA until 31 December 2026 and fill in the free e-Arrival card instead.
• For walking directions, use NAVER Map. Google Maps in Korea shows public transit routes but has no walking or driving navigation.
• For taxis, use k.ride. It is Kakao's ride app for visitors, with an English interface and payment by foreign-issued card. Kakao T, the Korean version, needs a Kakao account.

Korea travel apps at a glance

The table covers the 14 apps for Korea travel in this post. The language column lists the interface languages in each app's US App Store listing, not the languages it can translate.

Languages and store listings change. The table reflects the App Store as of September 2026.

Before you fly: trip planning and the e-Arrival card

Aizzie: plan each day before you go

Map apps tell you how to get from A to B. Before the trip, you also have to decide where to go each day and in what order. Seoul's sights are spread across both sides of the Han River, and a sensible order means fewer transfers on the day. Aizzie is an AI trip planner for that step. Enter a destination and dates, then pick a travel style and interests, and it drafts a day-by-day itinerary. You can change a single day or optimize the route in its copilot chat. Place data comes from Google Maps, with opening hours and ratings. Tripmates can co-edit in a browser without installing the app, though each needs an account.

Each leg shows the travel mode, time and distance, whether you set it to walking, driving or public transit. Treat the times and distances as a guide for planning. Each leg also has a Google Maps link, but Google Maps in Korea shows public transit routes and has no walking or driving navigation (Korea Herald), so on the day, navigate with NAVER Map.

For other AI planners, see the best free AI trip planners in 2026. Aizzie's core features are free after sign-up with no credit card. Its mobile app shows your trips offline.

e-Arrival card: fill it in online within 72 hours before you land

Whether you need a K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) depends on your passport. Korea's Ministry of Justice has extended the temporary K-ETA exemption until 31 December 2026 (K-ETA). The exempt list includes the United States (with Guam), Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark and Austria (Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Switzerland).

Lists published by different Korean government sites differ in small details, so confirm your own passport on the K-ETA website. Exempt passports get a pop-up during the application (K-ETA). Exempt travelers can still apply for a K-ETA, for a fee, and then skip the e-Arrival card (Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Switzerland). The rules from 2027 have not been announced yet, so check again before you go.

If your country can enter Korea visa-free but is not on the exempt list, apply for a K-ETA before you board. An approved K-ETA does not guarantee entry. A K-ETA is valid for 3 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, and the visa-free stay allowed differs by country (Korea Tourism Organization). The official K-ETA app comes from Korea's Ministry of Justice and is in English only (App Store).

Travelers who enter without a K-ETA, or on a visa, fill in the e-Arrival card instead. K-ETA holders do not (Korea Tourism Organization). The card is filled in online at e-arrivalcard.go.kr and costs nothing. Submit it within the 3 days before you arrive, Korean time. If you do not enter Korea within 72 hours of submitting, it expires and you have to file again (e-Arrival card). You can save it as a PDF or a screenshot, but you do not need to show it at immigration (Korea Tourism Organization).

Korea taxi apps: k.ride, Kakao T and Uber

For taxis on a first trip to Korea, install k.ride. It is Kakao Mobility's ride app for visitors. You sign up with a phone number plus a Google or Apple account or an email address, and it charges a foreign-issued card automatically (Kakao Mobility). If you were looking for a version of Kakao T for foreigners, k.ride is the app Kakao built for that. Kakao T is the Korean version, with an interface in English, Japanese and Korean, and it needs a Kakao account.

k.ride: the taxi app for visitors

k.ride books Kakao T taxis (Kakao). Destination search and chat with the driver are translated automatically, and you pay by credit card, debit card or mobile payment (k.ride). The App Store lists its interface in English, Japanese, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese (App Store). Before your first ride, you register a card and verify it (Korea JoongAng Daily).

Kakao T: the Korean version, as a backup

Kakao T needs a Kakao account to log in (Korea JoongAng Daily), and the App Store lists its interface in English, Japanese and Korean (App Store). It suits travelers who already have a Kakao account. Kakao itself presents k.ride as the way for visitors to hail a ride without language, account or payment barriers (Kakao), so this list treats Kakao T as the backup.

Uber also operates in Korea (The Herald Business). Its app has an English interface (App Store). You can use it if it is already on your phone.

Korea map apps: NAVER Map, KakaoMap and what Google Maps can do

In Korea, NAVER Map is the main app for getting around on foot. Google Maps shows places, reviews and public transit routes, but it has no walking or driving navigation (Korea Herald). The walking parts of transit routes appear only as dotted lines (same source).

In February 2026, the Korean government conditionally approved Google's request to export Korea's 1:5,000 high-precision map data (Yonhap). Google says it will launch a full service with navigation in Korea but has given no date (Korea Herald), and it had not launched when this post was checked.

NAVER Map in English: the main app for directions

NAVER Map's App Store listing includes an English interface, alongside Japanese, Chinese and Korean. Its maps come in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese, and navigation is provided in English (App Store).

If your phone's system language is English, NAVER Map opens in English, with no setting to change. Search by a place's English or Korean name. If it does not come up, paste the Korean address from the venue's website or your booking.

KakaoMap: a backup to NAVER Map

KakaoMap's interface is in English and Korean (App Store). If NAVER Map cannot find a place, try KakaoMap.

Korea subway and train apps: Subway Korea, T locker and KORAIL+

For subway routes and transfers, use Subway Korea. To leave bags at a subway station, use T locker. For KTX trains, use KORAIL+, the app formerly called Korail Talk (코레일톡). SRT has merged into KTX, so KORAIL+ books it too.

Subway Korea: subway routes and transfers

Subway Korea is made by Malang Studio, and its App Store listing includes English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean (App Store). Kakao Metro (카카오지하철, by Kakao Mobility) and Seoul Subway (또타지하철, by Seoul Metro) also search subway routes, with interfaces in English and Korean only (App Store, App Store).

T locker: subway station lockers

T locker (또타라커) is the app for lockers in Seoul subway stations. Seoul subway lines 1 to 9 have these lockers (only some stations on lines 1 and 9). You find a free locker, book and pay in the app (App Store). Its App Store listing includes English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean (same source).

Lockers come in small, medium and large, and the large size is 50 × 90 × 60 cm (Seoul Metropolitan Government). Older lockers differ from one to the next, so follow the instructions posted on them, and the help line is in Korean only (same source). Check in the app whether it takes your overseas card before you rely on it.

KORAIL+: KTX tickets

Korail Talk became KORAIL+ (코레일+) on 3 August 2026 (Newsis). From 1 September 2026, SRT merged into KTX and runs under the KTX name, and every train can be searched in KORAIL+, according to Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Korea.kr).

KORAIL+ is the official app of Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), and its App Store listing names 7 languages, including English (App Store).

Korea transit cards and payments: T-money, WOWPASS, NAMANE and MobileTmoney

A T-money card is Korea's rechargeable transit card. You top it up, then tap it on buses and subways. There are four ways to carry a transit card. If you want a physical card that also handles money exchange, use WOWPASS. For a physical card with your own design, use NAMANE. On an iPhone, install MobileTmoney and keep T-money in Apple Wallet. On Android, install KOREA TOUR CARD.

WOWPASS: a transit card that also exchanges money

WOWPASS is a prepaid card for foreign travelers that covers money exchange, payment and transportation (App Store). It works on buses, subways and taxis (WOWPASS). To top up WOWPASS, use cash at its machines, which take 16 currencies, or top up in the app with an international card or e-wallet (same source). If you lose the card, you can pause it in the app (App Store).

NAMANE: a transit card with your own design

NAMANE is a prepaid card with a design you choose, and it keeps two balances. The transit balance pays for public transportation, and the pay balance works in Korean shops (App Store). You top up in the app with Alipay and Alipay+, or with cash at convenience stores (same source). The app is in English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean, shows NAMANE kiosks on a map, and lets you lock the card if you lose it (same source). The app also takes credit and debit cards issued outside Korea, but not Korea-issued cards (NAMANE).

You print the card at a NAMANE kiosk in Korea. You can also pay on the NAMANE website first and scan the QR voucher at a kiosk (NAMANE).

MobileTmoney: T-money on an iPhone

MobileTmoney is made for travelers and needs no sign-up. You top up in the app with Apple Pay, which needs a credit or debit card added to Apple Pay first (App Store). It needs an iPhone XS or later with iOS 17.2 or later, and its interface is in English and Korean (same source).

Since March 2026, MobileTmoney has accepted cards issued outside Korea for top-ups. At the time, it listed Mastercard, American Express and UnionPay, and Visa was not yet accepted (Korea JoongAng Daily). The app's App Store release notes now list Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay and JCB (App Store). Mastercard confirmed in April 2026 that its cards work for these top-ups (Mastercard). Check other card brands in the app before you go.

MobileTmoney is for iPhone only. On Android, install the KOREA TOUR CARD app instead, which can also be topped up with Mastercard (Mastercard).

For everything else, pay by international card, WOWPASS or T-money. If you rely on a wallet app from home, check in that app whether it works in Korea.

Translation and messaging: Papago and KakaoTalk

For translation, use NAVER's Papago translator, and to keep in touch, use KakaoTalk. Both have English interfaces.

The Korea Tourism Organization's official app, VISITKOREA, has an English interface (App Store). The organization also runs the 1330 travel hotline and a live chat (Korea Tourism Organization).

Papago: text, photo and conversation translation

Papago is NAVER's translation app and translates between 14 languages, including English and Korean (App Store). It translates typed text, text in photos such as signs, and speech. It also has a two-person conversation mode, and text translation works offline (same source).

When you translate English into Korean, the Papago translator has an honorific switch, added in 2019, which turns the result into the polite form you would use with shop staff or older people (Korea Herald).

KakaoTalk: messaging, and your Kakao account

KakaoTalk is Kakao's messaging app. Its App Store listing names 15 interface languages, including English (App Store). If you plan to use Kakao T for taxis, you need a Kakao account first.

Food: CATCHTABLE and delivery apps

For restaurant bookings and remote waitlists, use the global version of CATCHTABLE. Delivery apps have English interfaces, but check the sign-up and payment rules first.

CATCHTABLE: restaurant bookings and remote waitlists

CATCHTABLE's global version needs no Korean phone number. You book with an email address and a credit card, search in 20 languages and join a waitlist remotely (App Store). The App Store has two CATCHTABLE apps. The Korean version is a separate app, listed in Korean only (App Store), so install the global one.

The delivery apps Baemin (배달의민족) and Yogiyo list English among their interface languages (App Store, App Store). Check in the app whether a visitor can sign up and how to pay. Coupang Eats also has an English interface (App Store).

Apps and advice to skip from older lists

These still show up in Korea travel app lists, but official information says they have changed.

Korail Talk (코레일톡) became KORAIL+ on 3 August 2026, and the old app turns into the new one when you update it (Newsis). SRT merged into KTX on 1 September 2026, so trains older lists call SRT now run as KTX and are booked in KORAIL+ (Korea.kr). Some lists recommend Kakao Taxi, but the app in the App Store is called Kakao T (App Store), and visitors are better served by k.ride.

"Google Maps doesn't work in Korea" is out of date too. Public transit routes work. What is missing is walking and driving navigation (Korea Herald).

Going to Japan or Thailand as well? See Japan travel apps and Thailand travel apps.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best apps for Korea travel?

At minimum, install NAVER Map for directions, Subway Korea for subway routes, Papago for translation and k.ride for taxis. For a transit card, use WOWPASS, or MobileTmoney on an iPhone. If your passport is exempt from K-ETA, fill in the e-Arrival card online within 72 hours before you land.

Does Google Maps work in Korea?

Partly. Google Maps in Korea shows places, reviews and public transit routes, but it has no walking or driving navigation (Korea Herald). For walking directions, use NAVER Map, which has English navigation (App Store) and opens in English on a phone set to English.

Can foreigners use Kakao T?

Kakao T needs a Kakao account, and its interface is in English, Japanese and Korean (App Store). For visitors, Kakao Mobility makes k.ride, which needs no Kakao account and takes foreign-issued cards (Kakao Mobility).

What app do I use for the subway in Korea?

For routes, use Subway Korea, which has an English interface (App Store). To tap through the gates, use a WOWPASS card, or on an iPhone, MobileTmoney with T-money in Apple Wallet.

Do I need a K-ETA for Korea?

It depends on your passport. Until 31 December 2026, travelers from the exempt countries and regions, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, need no K-ETA and fill in the free e-Arrival card within 72 hours before arrival instead (Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Switzerland, e-Arrival card). Other visa-free travelers apply for a K-ETA before boarding. The rules from 2027 have not been announced yet, so check again before you go.