We live in a world where having a smartphone is essential to access any information. I will admit, I can barely read one of those old maps that you can buy at a gas station. But, try having to navigate a foreign country left to your own device. Personally, I don’t want you to be nervous or anxious when you come to visit or live here. Therefore, here are five apps you need to survive in South Korea.
1. Kakao Maps:
I feel like this app is very debated, because we all know apps are not perfect, and they have their flaws. I mean check out reviews on the app store for instance. Since Google Maps doesn’t work in Korea, this will be your lifesaver for getting around. It has the exact same functions as maps. Simply type in where you are trying to go in the search bar. Kakao Maps will provide you with navigation options by taxi/car, bus, subway, and on foot. It will also give you information about the place with pictures, reviews, and contact information. But keep in mind, everything is in Korean, which can make using it more challenging for foreigners.
2. Kakao Taxi:
Can’t find a bus to get you where you need to go, or is the walk just way too long? Honestly, we’ve all been there. Kakao Taxi generally works the same way as Uber. All you have to do is punch in where you want to go, and voila! A taxi is on it’s way. This app will give you an estimated cost for the ride, and it also allows you to follow the location of the taxi while you wait. For payment methods, you can register your card with Kakao if you’d prefer. But you can also just choose the option, “Pay the driver” which is what I always do.
3. Papago:
Look, I’ll be honest, I only know maybe 6 words of Korean which is why I’m glad that Papago exists. I was using things like Google translate before, even though deep down the translations suck. A friend suggested Papago and I have been relying on it ever since. Not only is this app a translator, but it also has a Korean phrasebook too. That phrasebook is organized into categories depending on the situation such as; shopping, going to a restaurant, basic phrases, etc. You can even click on the phrases to hear them in Korean or English. Sometimes the translations are a bit weird, but that’s to be expected. I’ve used this app on numerous occasions with taxi drivers or cashiers and it hasn’t failed me yet.
4. Subway Korea:
There are two versions of this app, please do yourself a favor and only download the blue one, not the turquoise “Seoul Subway” app. The South Korean metro system is pretty complicated even though the station names are in English. Took me a good month or so before I figured it out. With the Subway Korea app, you get a map of the metro, click on your start and end point, and it tells you exactly how to get there (each stop and transfer). It will even tell you as far as if the train is an express or regular. There is a train schedule provided in the app too. But I wouldn’t 100% trust it because it has failed me a couple of times. The app will seriously make your life so much easier when navigating the Korean subway. I highly recommend it.
5. KakaoTalk:
Welcome to the Korean version of Whatsapp. I downloaded this when I got my job, because I had to use it to keep in touch with my school and recruiter. This is a free instant messaging app and the best means of communicating with anyone via smartphone in Korea. I’m not 100% a fan of the system, but it makes communication that much easier. I use it to talk to the majority of my friends. It comes with things like video and voice calling, sending voice messages, pictures, videos, and even has a calendar function to plan events and which can be sent to group chats.
I hope you enjoyed reading this useful bit. Stay tuned as I document my life living abroad.
Comments