Useful Apps for Life in South Korea

Nov 4

Nov 4 Useful Apps for Life in South Korea

Adjusting to life in a foreign country will always have its challenges so here are a few apps that I use daily that help me navigate life a little easier.

WhatsApp - for communicating with friends and family back Stateside. (Or as they would probably say, for ignoring them for days on end and finally popping up occasionally.)

XE Currency Exchange - I literally check this everyday, especially as the exchange rate fluctuates.

AirVisual - Not one I personally check a lot, however it does send me updates throughout the day as the air quality changes. It is helpful in determining if what I’m seeing is fog or pollution. Lots of pollution drifts from the desert and China across to South Korea and it can make breathing difficult for those already suffering from asthma.

Shuttle - Korea’s version of DoorDash with less ridiculous fees. My husband would Shuttle dinner everyday if he could.

NAVER - the best navigation app, however it doesn’t work on military bases. (See Waze for that.) One thing I love about Naver is that it highlights exactly which lane you need to be in which is incredibly helpful when it comes to exiting or merging on the highways. Driving in larger cities like Seoul can be incredibly overwhelming and this is a life saver!

Waze - works on military bases but is a very, very basic platform. Not the app you want to be using when driving in Seoul and it loves to take you on all the backroads.

Google Translate - this is my preferred translation app although a ton of my friends like Papago. It is not uncommon to see a foreigner and a local whip out their phones to have a conversation, it’s the norm. It’s helpful for translating street signs, restaurant signs/hours, anything and everything.

Other apps I use on a less frequent basis: Gmarket (Amazon for Korea), KORAILTALK (I use the subway more than the train), 1330 (Incredibly helpful Korean travel guides for foreigners, they can contact and communicate with businesses for you). Hopefully this is helpful for your travels to Korea!