Guide

11 Essential Apps for Living or Studying in Korea

Jul 20, 2026 · 11:28 AM 72 0

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Moving to Korea gets much easier with the right apps — for buses and subways, translating notices, calling taxis, ordering food, banking and staying safe.

Note: some services need a Korean phone number, Residence Card, bank account or local card — new arrivals may not have access to everything right away.

🗺 Navigation & transport

1. Naver Map

Best for: directions, buses, subways and finding places.

Bus and subway routes with transfer info
Restaurants, cafés and business hours
Searching Korean addresses

Tip: search by Korean name for better results.
https://map.naver.com/

2. Kakao T (or k.ride)

Best for: calling taxis.

Pick locations on the map — no explaining in Korean
Fare estimates and driver details
Parking and bikes too

Tip: residents use Kakao T; visitors may find k.ride easier (English, foreign cards).
https://www.kakaomobility.com/service-kakaot and https://kride.kakaomobility.com/

3. KorailTalk

Best for: KTX and Korail train tickets.

Schedules, seat selection, mobile tickets
Changing or cancelling bookings

Tip: holiday trains sell out — book early. SRT is separate.
https://www.letskorail.com/

💬 Communication & translation

4. KakaoTalk

Best for: messaging — schools, workplaces and businesses all use it.

University class and club chats
Workplace announcements

Tip: never share ID details in unfamiliar group chats.
https://www.kakaocorp.com/page/service/service/KakaoTalk

5. Papago

Best for: translating Korean text, photos, speech and websites.

Photo-translate menus, signs and notices
Translate copied KakaoTalk messages

Warning: never rely on it alone for legal, medical or immigration documents.
https://papago.naver.com/

🧭 Community & life in Korea

6. Waegook

Best for: foreigner-friendly community help, jobs, marketplace, events and life info in Korea.
A community platform designed for foreigners living in Korea — several practical services in one place:

Buy, sell or give away items
Find foreigner-friendly jobs and local events
Ask practical questions on Find It in Korea
Guides, live info (weather, air, exchange rates) and member chat

Tip: it is a web app — open waegook.com in your phone browser and add it to your home screen.

Open Waegook

🎓 University life

7. Everytime

Best for: university timetables, course reviews and campus talk.

Build your class timetable
Read course and professor reviews
Find clubs and campus discussions

Tip: mostly in Korean, and anonymous reviews are not always fair.
https://everytime.kr/

Ask your university too. Many universities have their own official apps for attendance, learning management, student ID, library and course registration. Everytime does not replace them — check with your international office before classes begin.

🛒 Shopping & food

8. Coupang

Best for: online shopping — daily necessities, electronics, groceries, dorm supplies.

Bedding, chargers, toiletries, cleaning products

Tip: easier with a Korean phone number and local payment method.
https://www.coupang.com/

9. Baemin (or Shuttle Delivery)

Best for: food delivery.

Baemin: the biggest local restaurant selection (Korean interface)
Shuttle: English-friendly, foreign cards, simpler for newcomers

Tip: coverage differs by city and neighbourhood.
https://www.baemin.com/ and https://www.shuttledelivery.co.kr/

🏦 Banking

10. Your Korean bank's official app

Best for: transfers, bills, salary and daily banking.
Install the official app of your own bank (KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori, NH, KakaoBank, Toss Bank…).

Send rent and check salary or scholarship deposits
Pay bills and manage automatic payments

Tip: some banks have separate global/English apps — ask which fits your account.

🚨 Safety & emergencies

11. Emergency Ready App

Best for: multilingual disaster alerts and safety info.

Heavy rain, typhoon and earthquake alerts
Shelters, emergency medical centres, police/fire locations

Emergency numbers: 112 (police) · 119 (fire & ambulance)
Tip: it explains Korean phone alerts in supported languages.
https://english.seoul.go.kr/service/living/disaster-evacuation-tips-citizens/emergency-ready-app/

Waegook Live Info also shows air quality, weather and emergency alerts for your city:

Open Live Info

Start with navigation, translation, messaging and emergency info; add shopping, banking and delivery once your phone number, account and payment methods are set up. Requirements and coverage can change — always check the official service.

Need help with life in Korea? Ask questions, find jobs and events, and connect with other foreigners on Waegook.