Best Apps & Wesbites for living in South Korea

Korea uses a lot of different apps to what you might be used to in your home country. This post is to introduce you to some of the most used apps in Korea and their functionality. Please note that with some apps (for example Musinsa), there is a global version and a korean version of the app so please use and download the right one!

Apps:

• KakaoTalk (국민 메신저) – Korea’s most widely used messaging app; essential for chatting, calls, group chats, and even some business communication.

• Naver Map (네이버 지도) – Highly accurate navigation and public transport directions within Korea (better than Google Maps here).

• Kakao T (카카오 T) – Taxi and mobility app for booking taxis and checking transport options around you.

• Papago (파파고) – Best translation app for Korean–English (and other languages) with camera, voice & text translation.

• Subway Korea – Dedicated metro app showing routes, transfers, exits, and schedules for major Korean cities.

• Coupang / Coupang Eats – One-stop shop for online shopping (fast delivery) and food delivery service.

• Baemin (배달의민족) – Korea’s most popular local food delivery app — useful once you’re settled with a Korean phone number.

• Hi Korea – Official government app/portal for visa, ARC (Alien Registration Card), stay extensions, and immigration services.

• T-money / Tmoney GO – Digital transport card and payments for buses, subways, taxis, convenience stores, and more.

• Seoul Bikes (서울자전거 따릉이)- Seoul have their own bike rental service. Just use the map on the app to find the closest bike station to you.  If you are not in Seoul, you can use Kakaobike, but they offer electric bikes rather than normal bikes but these can be found anywhere someone else has dropped them off at. 

• Musinsa- The largest online clothes and homegoods store. Shipping is usually free and they have sales at least once a month. 

• BBC News/wherever you get your international news from- most Korean news outlets focus on Korea and the effect of international events on Korea.

• Google drive- for all docs- keep a copy of all of your important documents with you in case of any problems. 
• PASS- an app for id verification (can only be used after getting your ARC)
• Health app- in case of emergencies, have a medical ID set up on your phone with any allergies you have written in Korean and English (you can just use a translator)
• Olive young- one of the biggest beauty and wellness stores in Korea. They have a lot of in-person stores but the prices are always cheapest online. 

Any apps not available on the Korean app store- such as country-specific apps like banking or some types of sport apps. 

Websites:

• K-ETA- please check whether you require a K-ETA before entering Korea (some countries are exempt)- https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/newapply/index.do

• Hi Korea- Official immigration portal for visa types, extensions, ARC info, and appointment bookings.

• Ministry of Justice- Oversees immigration policy and legal stay regulations.

• Government24- Public services portal (residency documents, certificates, administrative services).

• Hometax- https://hometax.go.kr/websquare/websquare.html?w2xPath=/ui/pp/index_pp.xml&menuCd=index3

• National Health Insurance Service- Mandatory national insurance system details.

• Seoul Global Center- Multilingual help with legal, tax, and general living-in-Korea info.

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