Naver Map remains the dependable default for places, walking and public transport. South Korea approved Google Maps data export in February 2026, but full local routing was not yet a safe assumption in August 2026. Carry at least two physical foreign cards and some won. Cards work at most staffed shops, while local wallets, unattended kiosks and Korean websites can still reject visitors. Public transport needs Tmoney or another accepted transit product, not an ordinary bank-card tap at the gate. MobileTmoney now works well for supported iPhones and Apple Watches, but a physical Tmoney card remains the universal fallback. Use k.ride, Uber or Seoul-only TABA instead of fighting Kakao T registration. Baemin guest checkout and CATCHTABLE now remove major phone and payment barriers. KORAIL+ is the official train option, though its August 2026 overhaul is new, so keep the official website as a fallback. Install the current Emergency Ready App, save Korean names and addresses, and keep 112 for police, 119 for fire or ambulance, and 1330 for non-emergency tourist help.
An optional visitor prepaid card and app for domestic card payments, exchange and kiosk management.
These apps need data
Guac eSIM covers South Korea with plans from $0.58 per GB. Install it before you land and activate instantly.
How to Pay in South Korea