Korea has some of the best mobile internet in the world, working in subway tunnels and on mountainsides, and it also has the single most common practical problem that first time visitors run into: the international map app on your phone does not work here properly. Walking directions are largely missing, driving directions frequently are too, and half the businesses are not listed. People spend their first day assuming they are using it wrong. They are not. The data simply is not there.
The mapping problem
Detailed Korean mapping data is subject to long standing export restrictions.
International apps therefore lack walking and driving routing across much of the country.
Business listings are patchy in them, and hours and floor numbers frequently wrong.
Transit directions in international apps generally do work, which is why the problem is not obvious immediately.
Naver Map and Kakao Map have the complete data, in English.
Install one before you fly, which is the entire fix.
Why the Korean apps are better anyway
Floor numbers, which matter in a country where the good places are on the fourth floor.
Opening hours that are accurate and updated.
Reviews and photographs, in volume, for almost every business.
Bus arrival times, live, at every stop.
Subway exit numbers, which is how Koreans give directions.
Walking routes through building interiors and underground arcades, which exist here.
The data options
An eSIM, bought before you fly, active on landing, no counter and no passport.
A prepaid physical SIM from an airport counter, competitive for longer stays.
A pocket wifi router, which makes sense for a group sharing one connection.
Roaming, which is generally expensive unless your plan includes Korea specifically.
Airport wifi and public wifi, which are widespread and not a substitute.
Data is cheap here, so buying more than you need is the right error.
The other apps worth having
A taxi hailing app, which removes the fare and language question entirely.
A translation app with camera translation, for menus and signs.
Papago style translation, which handles Korean noticeably better than general translators.
The transit function inside your map app, which is better than any standalone one.
A transport card in the phone where supported, though the physical card is simpler.
Not the domestic payment apps, which require a Korean bank account.
Where this fits in a Korea trip
Fifteen minutes of setup before you fly, which prevents the most common first day frustration.
For getting around the country and what everything costs, our guide to Korean transport covers the ground.
For the card that pays for all of it, our guide to the T-money card covers how it works.
And for the first decision you will make with that working phone, our guide to Seoul airport transfers covers the options.
The short version
Install Naver Map or Kakao Map before you fly, because the international app on your phone lacks the Korean walking and driving data and you will otherwise spend your first day thinking you are using it wrong. Arrange an eSIM so you land with working data rather than queuing at a counter. Add a taxi app and a camera translator. Navigate by station and exit number rather than by street address, and check the exit before you come up the stairs.
