It can be stressful to plan a trip to a foreign country, especially if you don’t speak the local language.
If you’re planning to visit Seoul (or anywhere in South Korea), we’ve gathered a list of apps that can make your stay more comfortable (some are paid apps).
Note: Click on learning Korean and transportation for respective links covering those topics.
After signing up, you will be assigned a dedicated personal team comprising fully vetted, bilingual professionals in Korea. Just tell them what you need and they take care of it while you enjoy yourself doing other things. Chickadee will make your life easier in Seoul and throughout South Korea.
Use the coupon “10mag“, without quotation marks, to get $100 off of your first Chickadee plan!
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Airbnb
If you don’t feel like staying in an expensive hotel, this is the perfect app for you. Airbnb does not directly lease and instead serves as a broker between hosts and guests by charging a commission.
You can find short-term lodging, including apartments, studio flats, hostels, all the way up to houses. Hosts set prices while prospective renters view pictures of accommodations, read reviews, and send reservation messages. Depending on the size of a property, guests can book up to 16 adults. (Be sure to check for the most recent Covid-related restrictions.)
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Note: Most hosts speak English, but their cancellation policies, available dates, and rules might only be available in Korea.
Shuttle
Shuttle is an English service app for food delivery in Seoul with a wide range of dining options including Italian, Mexican, Middle-Eastern, American, and all types of local Korean cuisine.
Shuttle requires a Korean delivery address, so have it handy when ordering. Please note that restaurants typically only deliver within their districts (gu) and have various operating hours.
Use this link when you sign up to get 4,000 KRW off your first order!
Available Year-round 7 Days a Week
11:00 am – 11:00 pm
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Analog Seoul
Analog Seoul, is the eighth edition of Analog Film City, an app that allows access to 20 specialized photo filters. With these filters, one can make the pictures they capture give off an authentic Seoul vibe.
You can share your photos on a variety of social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Weibo. There are also over 10 editing tools available for users who wish to further modify their pictures.
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Note: Analog Seoul is not free, it requires a payment of 1.09 USD
Papago Translate
For those who don’t speak a word of Korean, this app will be a lifesaver. Papago is a translation service, that supports six languages; including Korean and English.
The main services offered are text, voice, conversation, and image translation. There is also a dictionary and phrasebook, which allows users to check for more definitions and learn basic expressions. The phrasebook even contains written and verbal examples of everyday conversations!
Other features include a currency converter, that gives updates on exchange rates for currencies such as USD and KRW. For ambiguous words, there is a WSD (Word Sense Disambiguation) that provides images that give the word a clearer definition.
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Security Cards Widget
It’s no secret that losing your passport or credit cards on vacation is everyone’s worst nightmare. Fear no more, because Security Cards Widget is an app that removes the need to carry cards in your wallet.
You can simply wire money with one touch and store an unlimited amount of cards. Each card that you store comes with secure encryption and requires a passcode to unlock. In fact, users can lock the app itself to keep their information safe from prying eyes. If you aren’t comfortable with using a passcode, the app also offers fingerprint verification.
To make things even better, there’s no need to manually enter your card’s information. Users can take a picture of their cards and the app will automatically store the information.
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Note: Before downloading, the app requires a payment of 1.09 USD.
We hope these applications will make your trip to Seoul much more enjoyable! If there’s one we missed, leave a comment below.