Best Transport & Transit Apps in Korea (2026)
Short answer
Subways, buses, trains and transit cards for getting around Korea. Our top pick is Naver Map — Korea's most accurate maps — where Google Maps falls short.
Korea's public transport is fast, cheap and dense — but the apps that run it are Korean-first. Between subway maps, real-time bus arrivals, intercity KTX trains and the ubiquitous T-money card, a couple of apps cover almost every trip.
Most foreigners pair a map app for live routing with an offline subway map as an underground backup, and use KorailTalk when booking long-distance trains.
At a glance
| App | English | Korean number | Korean card | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Naver Map | Full | No | No | Free |
 Kakao T | Partial | No | No | Free + metered fare |
 KakaoMap | Partial | No | No | Free |
 Subway Korea | Full | No | No | Free |
 T-money GO | Partial | No | Yes | Free |
 WOWPASS | Full | No | No | Free app + card/top-up costs |
 NAMANE Card | Full | No | No | Free app + card/top-up costs |
 KorailTalk | Partial | No | No | Free + train fare |
 KakaoBus | Partial | No | No | Free |
 KakaoMetro | Partial | No | No | Free |
The apps
Naver Map
네이버 지도
Maps & Navigation
Korea's most accurate maps — where Google Maps falls short
English OKFree
Kakao T
카카오 T
Taxi & Ride-hailing
Korea's default taxi app — hail a cab without speaking Korean
Some EnglishFree + metered fare
KakaoMap
카카오맵
Maps & Navigation
Kakao's map app — clean interface with solid transit directions
Some EnglishFree
Subway Korea
지하철 종결자
Transport & Transit
Offline subway maps for every Korean metro line
English OKFree
T-money GO
티머니GO
Transport & Transit
Load and manage your T-money transit card from your phone
Some EnglishNeeds Korean cardFree
WOWPASS
와우패스
Payments
Tourist prepaid card and app for paying like a local
English OKFree app + card/top-up costs
NAMANE Card
나마네카드
Payments
Custom prepaid card with app top-ups and transit balance
English OKFree app + card/top-up costs
KorailTalk
코레일톡
Transport & Transit
Book KTX and intercity train tickets from your phone
Some EnglishFree + train fare
KakaoBus
카카오버스
Transport & Transit
Bus arrivals and route tracking when maps are not enough
Some EnglishFree
KakaoMetro
카카오지하철
Transport & Transit
Subway-first routing with station detail for Korean metros
Some EnglishFree
Frequently asked
Do I need an app to ride the Seoul subway?
No — you can tap a T-money card and go. But Subway Korea (offline maps) and Naver Map (live routing) make transfers, exits and timing far easier.
Can I book KTX train tickets in English?
Yes. KorailTalk has an English mode for booking KTX and intercity trains, though some payment steps work best with a Korea-friendly card.