Naver Map and Kakao T for Tourists: What to Install Before Korea

Why doesn't Google Maps work properly in Korea?

Because it still has no turn-by-turn walking or driving navigation there. The Korea Herald reported in August 2026 that Google Maps in Korea offers place listings, reviews and public transit directions, but shows walking stretches only as dotted lines rather than guided directions.

The cause is Korean law on exporting high-precision map data. On 27 February 2026 the government conditionally approved Google's request to take 1:5,000-scale map data abroad, after refusals in 2007 and 2016. The conditions include blurring military and security sites, processing data on servers run by a local partner, and an emergency "red button" for national security.

The approval has not yet reached your phone. The Korea Herald reported in April 2026 that talks had stalled, and Korean reports from 10 September 2026 say the final inter-agency review is still pending, with Google aiming to add car and walking navigation from the first quarter of 2027. For a trip this year, plan without it.

Which app should you install first?

Naver Map, as our pick. The Korea Tourism Organization calls it the most widely used online map among Koreans, and it gives routes and travel times for walking, cycling, driving and public transport. It also pulls in customer reviews, business hours and links from Naver search when you look up a restaurant, café or attraction.

Switch the app to English before you fly. Naver has offered its map in English, Chinese and Japanese since 2018, and setting a non-Korean language also brings up a BE LOCAL tab of places picked for visitors. Keep Google Maps installed if you like its reviews or saved lists, since its transit routes still work, but let Naver Map do the walking directions.

Does Naver Map need a Korean phone number?

Not any more, for booking and paying. Since 4 June 2026, Naver has let foreign users verify their identity with a passport issued outside Korea, on a smartphone, without a Korean mobile number or a call to customer support. Naver says that verification unlocks NAVER Booking, NAVER Order and payment through Naver Map, which covers restaurant reservations and ordering at popular places.

Search is the weak point. The Korea Times found in April 2025 that Naver Map and KakaoMap both struggled to find places typed in English or by English address. When an English search returns nothing, try the Korean name of the place instead.

How do you book a taxi without a Korean number?

Install k.ride. It is the foreign-visitor app from Kakao Mobility, the company that operates Kakao T, and it signs you up with a phone number followed by a Google account, an Apple account or email verification, with no Kakao account needed. The Korea Tourism Organization says it takes overseas credit cards and Alipay+, and Kakao Mobility says destination search and driver chat are translated into 133 languages.

Related guideIncheon Airport to Seoul: AREX, Airport Bus or TaxiThe AREX express reaches Seoul Station in 43 minutes for 13,000 won. The all-stop train costs a third of that, buses reach some hotels, and taxis cover the night.

k.ride offers four vehicle types on its site: Standard, Comfort (a minivan), Deluxe and Luxury. It shows a fare estimate before you book and pays automatically in the app, without cash.

Can a tourist use Kakao T with a foreign card?

The card is not the obstacle, the phone check is. In its own report on foreign riders, Kakao Mobility says Kakao T accepts foreign-issued Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB cards as a payment method. Signing up, though, requires possession verification by text message, and Kakao Mobility itself notes that some overseas SIMs do not receive that text reliably. The Korea Tourism Organization adds that Kakao T needs a Kakao account.

That makes Kakao T the app for visitors who carry a Korean number. LG U+ says its tourist eSIM plans with calls and texts pass text-message verification for taxi and restaurant reservation apps, and that its data-only plans do not. If you want Kakao T, or any other Korean app that sends a code, buy the plan with a number.

Ticket · Creatrip

LG U+ eSIM with a Korean 010 number

LG U+ eSIM with unlimited data and no speed cap, from 1 to 90 days. The Korean number works after a passport check at the airport counter.

Check availability on Creatrip

Whichever app you use, a hailed taxi still works. Seoul Metropolitan Government says fares are paid in cash or by credit card at the end of the ride, and a public transportation card works too. Which cards work where is covered in how to pay in Korea.

Is KakaoMap worth installing too?

Only as a backup. KakaoMap has foreign-language versions including English, but Naver is the one adding features aimed at visitors, from passport verification to reviews translated into English, Chinese and Japanese, and Naver Map had about 27 million monthly users against KakaoMap's 12 million in March 2025, according to the Korea Times. Two maps with the same English search problems add little.

What to install, in order

Our pick is to set these up at home, on Wi-Fi, before the flight. First Naver Map, switched to English, and passport verification if you plan to book restaurants through it. Second k.ride, with your card added. Third, only if you are buying a Korean number, Kakao T.

Data comes before all of it. A map app with no connection gives no directions, and a data-only eSIM cannot receive the text codes that Kakao T and many reservation apps send, which is why choosing a Korea eSIM with a phone number is worth doing first.

Once the apps are ready, the Seoul subway fares guide explains what a ride costs, and the South Korea travel guide covers the rest of the planning.