How to use Naver Map in English in South Korea

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If you're travelling to South Korea, Naver Map can help you find places and plan how to get there.

The app supports English and gives directions for walking, public transport and driving. You can also check local place information, save locations and read translated reviews.

Some smaller businesses can still be harder to find in English. This guide covers how to set Naver Map to English, use its main features and find places when an English search doesn't work.

We'll also introduce the Wise card, a handy travel companion to make seamless card payments when you're overseas.

Can you use Naver Map in English?

Yes. Naver Map supports English, Korean, Simplified Chinese and Japanese.¹

You can select English in the app’s settings, while some content may also follow your phone’s language settings.

Naver Map provides translated information for places, including:

• Opening hours
• Facilities
• Visitor reviews
• Selected place filters

It can also translate Korean reviews using NAVER’s Papago translation technology.² This is useful when you want more information about a restaurant or attraction than its star rating alone can give you.

That doesn’t mean everything will appear perfectly in English. If a restaurant, café or shop won’t show up, try searching for its Korean name or address instead.

How to change Naver Map to English

Changing the language only takes a few steps. It’s worth setting up the app before leaving Singapore so you can get familiar with it and save a few important places.

Download Naver Map

Download NAVER Maps, Navigation from NAVER Corp. through Google Play or the App Store.³

Once it’s installed, save your hotel and any airports, stations or attractions you already know you’ll need. That way, you won’t have to search for them after landing.

Change the language to English

On Android:

1. Open Naver Map.
2. Tap MY.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Select Language.
5. Choose English.

On iPhone:

1. Open Naver Map.
2. Tap MY.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Select Language.
5. Choose English.

You can also go to Settings > NAVER Map > Preferred Language > English on your iPhone.¹

If the Preferred Language setting doesn't appear, add English under Settings > General > Language & Region first.¹

How to use Naver Map in South Korea

Once you’ve switched the app to English, you can start searching for places and comparing routes.

The basics are fairly straightforward, but a few small checks can save you from following directions to the wrong branch, or the wrong side of the city.

Search for a place

Type the name of an attraction, restaurant, hotel or address into the search bar.

Naver Map lets you search for places as well as bus and subway information.³

A few tips:

• Check that the map pin is where you expect it to be
• Look out for businesses with several branches
• Try the Korean name if the English name doesn't return the right result
• Search using the address if you already have it

If you’re looking for a smaller business, copy its Korean name from its official website or social media page and paste it into Naver Map. This will often work better than trying different English spellings.

Get walking directions

To get a walking route:

1. Search for your destination.
2. Tap Directions.
3. Confirm your starting point.
4. Choose the walking option.
5. Pick a route.

Naver Map can calculate walking routes between your starting point and destination.⁴

NAVER also offers live walking guidance on Android. This follows your location as you move and can recalculate the route if you go off course. NAVER currently says iOS support is planned.⁵

If you're using an iPhone, check the latest version of the app before relying on live walking guidance.

Find bus and subway routes

Choose the public transport option after entering your destination.

Naver Map can show different bus and subway routes, including options with:

• Journey time
• Number of transfers
• Walking distance

Depending on the route, you may also see:

• Estimated journey time
• Real-time arrival information
• Subway lines and stations
• Bus stops
• Transfer instructions
• Where to board and get off

NAVER says its multilingual map service includes real-time public transport information, subway maps and boarding and disembarking guidance.⁷

For buses, you can also search by bus number or stop number. Real-time bus information is available for supported routes and stops.⁸

Tip: don't only compare total journey time. A slightly longer route may be easier if it means less walking or fewer transfers.

Use Naver Map for driving

Naver Map also provides driving routes and navigation.

The app supports English navigation and uses real-time traffic information when calculating routes.³

Search for your destination, choose the driving option and compare the available routes before setting off.

Follow local road signs and traffic rules as well as the directions shown in the app.

What to do if you can’t find a place in English

Some Korean businesses are easy to find in English. Others aren’t.

Before giving up on a restaurant or café, try these five options.

1. Shorten the place name

Search for the main business or attraction name instead of entering a long English description.

Removing neighbourhood names or descriptive words may help Naver Map find the right listing.

2. Copy and paste the Korean name

Find the business’s Korean name on its official website or social media page, then paste it into Naver Map.

This is often the easiest way to find smaller restaurants, cafés and shops that don’t have a consistent English name.

3. Search using the Korean address

If the name still doesn’t work, copy the official Korean address into the search bar.

Where possible, get the address directly from the business’s website or social media account rather than an old blog post or reposted listing.

4. Check the map pin

Found a result? Make sure it’s actually where you expect it to be.

If you’re looking for somewhere in Hongdae but the pin appears on the other side of Seoul, you may have selected the wrong branch or a different business with a similar name.

5. Save the right listing

Once you’ve found the correct place, save it. Naver Map lets you bookmark places and organise saved locations.³

This is much easier than repeating the same search when you’re already on your way there.

Useful Naver Map features for travellers

Naver Map does more than give directions. Its saved places, translated reviews and selected booking features can also help with planning your trip.

Save and organise places

You can bookmark places, group them into lists and share saved locations with other people.³

Before your trip, save:

• Your hotel
• Airports and railway stations
• Restaurants and cafés
• Attractions you’ve booked
• Shops you want to visit

Saving your hotel is particularly useful. Wherever you end up, you can open it from your saved places and find your way back without searching for the address again.

If you’re travelling with someone else, sharing a list can also make it easier to agree on restaurants and attractions before the trip.

Check translated reviews

Naver Map can translate Korean visitor reviews into English, Chinese and Japanese using Papago.²

Translated place filters may also help you narrow down restaurants based on cuisine, opening hours and other characteristics.

This can be useful when you’re choosing between several places and want more context than a rating gives you. Just remember that the translations are machine-generated, so some sentences may sound unusual.

Book supported places

Some businesses listed on Naver Map can also be booked through NAVER.

In 2026, NAVER introduced passport verification for foreign visitors. Eligible travellers can verify their identity without a Korean mobile number and use supported NAVER Booking, NAVER Order and payment services.⁹

Not every listing supports these services, so check the individual business page to see what’s available.

Naver Map vs KakaoMap vs Google Maps

Naver Map isn’t your only option in South Korea. KakaoMap and Google Maps may also be useful, depending on what you’re searching for and how you prefer to navigate.

You don’t have to choose one app for everything. Keeping another map app on your phone gives you an easy way to double-check a route or search result.

Naver Map vs KakaoMap

KakaoMap is another Korean map app. It provides public transport, driving, walking and cycling routes, along with local place searches.¹⁰ ¹¹

You may prefer Naver Map if you want:

• Translated Korean reviews
• Multilingual place information
• Public transport guidance
• Supported NAVER booking features

KakaoMap can be useful as a second option when a place won’t appear or you want to compare routes.

If you’re unsure, download both before your trip and see which interface you find easier to use.

Can you use Google Maps in South Korea?

Yes, but be careful with older advice about what Google Maps can and can’t do in South Korea.

In February 2026, South Korea approved Google’s request to export high-precision map data, subject to security conditions.¹²

That didn’t mean every Google Maps feature changed immediately. The directions and navigation available to you may still depend on the location.¹³

The simplest approach is to check what Google Maps currently offers for the places you’re visiting. If a route or search result doesn’t look right, compare it with Naver Map or KakaoMap.

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Sources:

1. NAVER Help Centre — language settings
2. NAVER Corp — multilingual reviews and place filters
3. NAVER Maps — Google Play
4. NAVER Help Centre — directions
5. NAVER Help Centre — walking guidance
6. NAVER Help Centre — public transport routes
7. NAVER Corp — multilingual Naver Map guide
8. NAVER Help Centre — real-time bus information
9. NAVER Corp — passport verification for foreign visitors
10. Kakao Corp — KakaoMap
11. KakaoMap — App Store
12. South Korea Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport — Google map data decision
13. Google Maps Help — directions