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Naver Map and KakaoMap in Korea: A Practical Guide for Visitors

Google Maps still can't give walking or driving directions in Korea. Here's how to set up Naver Map and KakaoMap in English, search for places that only show up in Korean, and follow transit routes down to the right exit.

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If you have travelled anywhere else recently, you probably opened Google Maps without thinking. In Korea, that habit needs a small adjustment. Google Maps still finds places and shows public transit routes, but it does not give turn-by-turn walking or driving directions here. Most Koreans use Naver Map or KakaoMap instead, and both work well for visitors once they are set up. This guide reflects what we could confirm as of 2026-11. Apps update often, so check your own phone before you fly.

Why Google Maps falls short in Korea

The limit is legal, not technical. Korea restricts sending detailed government survey map data abroad, and Google's earlier requests were turned down in 2007 and 2016. On February 27, 2026, the government conditionally approved Google's request to export 1:5,000-scale map data, with conditions such as blurring security sites and processing the data through a domestic partner. Approval is not the same as a launch, though. In tests published in October 2026, walking and driving directions in Google Maps still returned no route in Korea, and Google had not announced a start date.

In practice, Google Maps is still useful for:

  • Saving places you found before the trip
  • Reading reviews in your own language
  • Checking a rough transit route

For the last few hundred metres, which exit to take and which side of a wide road you need, switch to a Korean app.

Naver Map: the default choice

Naver Map (네이버 지도) offers maps in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese, plus English navigation, according to its app store listing. You can pick English in the app's settings, and some content follows your phone's language.

What it does well:

  • Walking, public transit and driving directions
  • Real-time bus and subway arrivals, with an alert when your stop is coming up
  • Subway exit numbers, which matter a lot in big stations
  • Translated visitor reviews and place filters, added in December 2024
  • An option in transit directions that routes you through entrances with elevators, handy with luggage or a stroller

Since June 2026, Naver has also let foreign visitors verify their identity with a passport on their phone, so you can book, order and pay on Naver Map at places that offer these features, without a Korean phone number. Whether a particular shop takes bookings this way still depends on the shop.

KakaoMap: a good second opinion

KakaoMap (카카오맵) is the other big local map. Its app store listing includes English, and its transit and walking routes are dependable. Many travellers keep it installed as a cross-check when a route on Naver looks odd, or when a small shop shows up better in one app than the other.

How to search so you actually find the place

English spellings of Korean places vary a lot. A cafe might appear as Seongsu, Sungsoo or only in Hangul. The most reliable tricks:

  • Copy the Korean name, or the Korean road-name address, from the place's Instagram, website or a guide, and paste it into the search bar.
  • To find a station, add 역 (yeok) to the name, for example 성수역 for Seongsu Station.
  • If a pin lands on the wrong branch, check the address and neighbourhood, since chains often have several shops close together.

Our place pages list addresses in both English and Korean, so you can copy the Korean version directly.

Following transit directions step by step

1. Enter your destination, tap the directions button and choose the transit tab. 2. Compare the options. Each shows total time, transfers, walking time and fare. 3. Note the exit number at your final station. Big stations such as Gangnam or Hongik University have many exits, and the wrong one can add ten minutes of walking. 4. Turn on the arrival alert so the app tells you when to get off. 5. For buses, check the bus number and which side of the road the stop is on. Seoul buses are colour-coded: blue for trunk routes, green for branch and village routes, yellow for circular routes and red for express routes to outlying areas.

Fares shown in the apps assume a transit card. As of 2026-11, a basic Seoul subway ride costs 1,550 won with a card and a city bus 1,500 won, but fares can change.

Small things that save time

  • Download the app and switch it to English before you land, while you still have good Wi-Fi.
  • Save your hotel's Korean name and address so you can show it to a taxi driver.
  • Map apps eat battery and data. A power bank and a data plan or eSIM make the day easier.
  • If a place may have moved or closed, recent visitor photos and review dates in the app are often the quickest clue.
  • Opening hours in apps are entered by shops and users, so double-check the shop's own Instagram for holiday closures.

Korean map apps feel unfamiliar for a day, then become the tool you open most. Set up Naver Map, keep KakaoMap as a backup, and use Google Maps for your saved lists. Between the three, getting around Korea becomes much easier.

Last checked: Nov 14, 2026 · Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

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