When you open a map on your phone in Korea, the globally familiar Google Maps feels oddly weak for walking and transit directions. So which map apps do Koreans actually use?

Naver Map and KakaoMap are the map apps Koreans actually rely on for walking directions, transit routing, restaurant reviews, and real-time bus or subway arrival information, because detailed turn-by-turn mapping data in Korea has historically been restricted for Google Maps due to export regulations and other local factors, leaving its walking and driving directions noticeably weaker there than elsewhere in the world.

Apple Maps alone and paper maps alone are both understatements of what's actually used day to day; while Apple Maps exists and paper maps technically still work, neither reflects the dominant, richly featured tools Koreans and long-term residents actually reach for on their phones.

Both Naver Map and KakaoMap support English-language interfaces and detailed transit integration, so switching away from the globally familiar Google Maps habit is one of the more practical early adjustments newcomers make when settling into daily life in Korea.