At a glance
This is how to actually use the two apps introduced in the Google Maps guide. Both are free, and search and directions work without logging in.
- If you install only one, make it Naver Map: it comes in Korean, English, Japanese and Simplified Chinese, and translates place details and visitor reviews into the language you pick
- Keep KakaoMap as a second app: its menus are Korean or English only and place details stay in Korean, but its transit directions are detailed and it is handy for comparing routes
Language settings
Naver Map follows your phone's language, and you can also change it in the app's settings. In English, Japanese or Chinese, business names, addresses, categories and visitor reviews are all translated. Blog reviews and notices posted by the business often stay in Korean.
The multilingual version is in the app only. Open Naver Map's website in your phone's browser and it shows in Korean.
KakaoMap can be switched to English under App Settings in its settings menu. There is no Japanese or Chinese. The menus turn English, but place names, hours and reviews stay in Korean.
Finding a place
The Korean name is the most reliable
Naver Map usually finds a place from an English search such as "Gyeongbokgung". But English names get mixed up with businesses of the same name: type "Gyeongbokgung" and restaurants called that in Andong, Pyeongtaek and Goyang show up too. Check that the address says Seoul (서울) before you pick one.
KakaoMap is weaker at English search. Kakao itself has said that English place names aren't standardized.
The surest way is to copy the Korean name and paste it in. If the Korean name doesn't find it, try the road-name address or the business's phone number.
Opening a place or route from Harugil
- Place pages: the Korean name sits right under the title. Copy it and paste it into either app
- Route results: each leg has Google Maps, Naver Map and KakaoMap icons. Tap one and transit directions open with the start and destination already filled in
Tapping an icon may show an in-between page before the app opens. On Naver's, tap Go to NAVER Maps App; on Kakao's, tap the button that opens the app. If the app isn't installed, you'll see an install button instead.
Harugil's travel times are measured planning figures, each with the date it was measured. Right before you set off, check the live route in the map app. Before you start directions, also make sure the destination pin is where you actually mean to go.
Reading a transit result
Both apps show several routes, and tapping one lists each step: walking, riding and transferring. These are the things travelers most often miss.
Exit numbers
Many subway stations have more than ten exits, and taking the wrong one can leave you on the far side of a wide road. The result tells you which exit to take, as in "490m walk from Gyeongbokgung Station exit 5", so follow that number. Exit signs are posted throughout the station. Some exits have a branch number, such as 3-1.
Express trains, bus types and last trains
On some lines, express and local trains take turns at the same platform, and boarding an express by mistake carries you past your stop. The apps tell you which train to take.
- Express trains: Naver Map marks an express with a red 급 (express), and KakaoMap labels each train 급행 (express) or 일반 (local)
- Bus types: both apps show a bus's type, such as 간선 (trunk), 지선 (branch) or 광역 (wide-area), beside its number. These match the bus colours
- Last trains: search late at night and routes that have stopped running are dropped or pushed down the list. If you'll be out late, set the departure time in advance when you search
Which lines run express trains, the bus colours, last-train times, night buses and the rush hours to avoid are all in the Seoul subway and bus guide.
The fast-exit door
When you board the subway, the result sometimes shows something like "빠른하차 1-4" (fast exit 1-4). It means that if you board at car 1, door 4, you'll be closest to the transfer or exit stairs when you get off. Car and door numbers are marked on the platform floor and the screen doors. You can ignore it when you're not in a hurry, but at stations with long transfer passages it saves a few minutes.
Naver Map also tells you which side the doors open when you get off.
Other useful features
- Live arrivals: see how many minutes until the next bus or train, without logging in. Naver Map labels each leg as live or timetable-based
- Stop alerts: both apps can alert you as your stop approaches. Worth turning on for a line you haven't ridden before
- Crowding: some lines show how crowded each car is
Reviews and opening hours
Tap a place to see its hours, closing days, menu and reviews.
- Naver Map has the most visitor reviews, and the app translates them into your language. If the place is closed today, "오늘 휴무" (closed today) appears at the top
- KakaoMap often lists a restaurant's break time and last order separately. All of it is in Korean
Many Korean restaurants close for a few hours in the afternoon. See the restaurant guide for more.
Hours and closing days are entered by the business owners, so they are sometimes wrong. For a place you're travelling far to see, compare the two apps and look for "휴무" (closed) or "폐업" (closed down) in recent reviews.
Saved lists
You can save places you want to visit into folders and see them all on the map. Both apps let you share a list with others. Saving requires logging in.
- Naver: since June 2026 you can verify a Naver account with your passport. No Korean phone number is needed, and a verified account can also use Naver booking
- Kakao: you can make a Kakao account with an email address, but sign-up sometimes asks for SMS verification on a phone. Virtual numbers are not accepted
See the identity verification guide for more. If making an account is too much trouble, the places and routes you pick in Harugil are enough on their own.
Both apps' features and languages change often. This guide is current as of September 2026.