Helpful Apps Every International Student Needs in Korea

Google Maps barely works in Korea (map data export restrictions mean it’s missing turn-by-turn directions and most business listings), and a lot of daily admin runs through apps that don’t have an obvious Western equivalent. Download these before or right when you land.

Messaging

KakaoTalk KakaoTalk — Required. Professors, labmates, landlords, and delivery drivers all use this instead of SMS or email for anything time-sensitive. Set this up before you arrive if you can (you can use your home country phone number first before you have your own korean number).

Naver Map Naver Map or KakaoMap KakaoMap — Use one of these instead of Google Maps. Both have accurate walking/transit directions and actually show Korean businesses, unlike Google Maps here.

Translation

Papago Papago — Naver’s translation app, much better than Google Translate for Korean, especially with menus, signage, and informal speech. Has a camera-translate feature that’s genuinely useful for reading physical documents.

Payments & Banking

Toss Toss — Optional. (Usually they just used Kakaopay - easier). This is also another apps for checking balances, transferring money to classmates (splitting bills, group dinners), and paying bills once you have a Korean bank account.

Transport

Kakao T Kakao T — Required. Korean used taxi a lot and this is the standard taxi-hailing app. Also handles bike/scooter rentals in some cities.

Food Delivery

Baemin Baemin (배달의민족) or Coupang Eats Coupang Eats — Food delivery is enormous in Korea and often cheaper and faster than cooking, especially during exam weeks (there is a subscription fee every month).

Shopping

Coupang Coupang — Korea’s Amazon-equivalent, known for next-day (“Rocket”) delivery. Useful for anything from groceries to electronics.

Secondhand Marketplace

Danggeun Market Danggeun Market (당근마켓) — A hyperlocal secondhand marketplace, the go-to for furnishing a dorm/officetel cheaply when you first move in, and for reselling everything before you leave.

Rent & Housing

Dabang 다방 (Dabang) or Zigbang 직방 (Zigbang) — The two biggest apps for searching officetel/one-room listings directly from landlords and agents, useful if the dorm isn’t an option or you’re finding your second-year housing yourself.

Sendy 센디 (Sendy) — A same-day moving/truck-booking app, handy when you’re moving into (or out of) a place and don’t have enough to justify a full moving company.

Government & Visa Admin

Hi Korea — Immigration’s official app/portal for ARC-related, making appointments and visa administration. Worth bookmarking even if you mostly handle things through your university’s international office.

One thing to know: several of these (Toss, Kakaopay, Kakao T’s payment features, some banking apps) require a Korean phone number to fully register, so a few of them won’t be usable until after you have your SIM card and ARC sorted.