That perfect day out is only a few apps away
Published: 09 Apr. 2022, 07:00
Updated: 03 Mar. 2023, 17:33
However, the feeling of uncertainty all of us newly-arrived expatriates share makes you reluctant to leave your house and neighborhood.
Where should I visit and when? Where can I go for a meal, dessert or even just a coffee? What if I lose my way and do not know how to ask for help? How can I afford all those activities I have been dying to do? And finally, how do I get home once that second round of drinks has caused me to miss the last subway?
We’ve all been there, wrestling with question after question that keeps us from taking the first steps outside our comfort zone. Today is your lucky day because the following list of apps is the ultimate survival guide to a successful day out in Korea.
AirVisual & Naver Nalssi
Let’s start at the beginning — do I spend a cozy day inside or a sunny one outside?
The answer can be found in weather and pollution-monitoring apps AirVisual and Naver Nalssi. When they predict dark dusty clouds and rain outside, you might prefer to hit the cinema and venture into one of the unique cafes on your bucket list. However, if the sky is clear of fine dust and the spring has finally arrived, why not venture outside for a picnic or visit a palace?
Both apps forecast weekly weather conditions, temperatures and degrees of fine dust pollution for your specific area. If you prefer to receive your information in English, AirVisual is the app for you. If you would rather try a local service, add Naver Nalssi to your homepage.
VisitKorea & Visit Seoul
Now that you’ve solved the whole outdoor vs. indoor debate, it’s time to plan your activities for the day.
How do you decide where to go and what to try out? Korea’s Tourism Organization is here to save the day. Whether you find yourself in Daegu, South Jeolla, Busan or even Jeju Island, VisitKorea will always find plenty of adventures to embark on, as does Visit Seoul.
VisitKorea first makes you choose your region and then moves on to question you about your interests — such as attractions, cultural facilities, food and shopping — before compiling a list of potential destinations for you to pick from.
Visit Seoul, which was created specifically for the capital, includes a convenient chatting tool that allows you to shift from broader travel options to specific activities around Seoul. Both apps are conveniently available in English, so go ahead and download them to fill your day off-campus with culture, fun and food.
Mobile carrier apps
A whole day of activities awaits once you arrive at your destination — but only if you can afford them.
This is where mobile carrier apps come into play. All major network providers offer customers with contracts a long list of discounts. The extent of these deductions on specific products and services depends on your contract type and length of membership.
SK Telecom, for instance, offers their VIP and Gold members a 40 percent discount online and a 30 percent discount offline for Lotte World Adventure tickets.
Besides reducing the costs for your trip to the amusement park, the cinema or aquarium, these mobile carrier apps also save you a couple of won during your daily visits to convenience stores, cafes and bakeries.
Simply check out your own membership via your provider’s app under the header “jehyu/hyetaek brand” and start saving on all those activities you thought you could not afford.
Naver & MangoPlate
After hours of exploring you’ll likely be more than ready for a tasty meal, but finding the perfect restaurant, cafe or bar can even be difficult for locals.
No need to panic, Naver and MangoPlate have got you covered.
If you enter the name of the area or closest subway station and the Korean word matjib, slang for restaurant, into Naver, the results will open the door to a world of deliciousness.
However, a lengthy list of options can be overwhelming, so Naver allows you to narrow down your search by menu type — Korean street food, Japanese, steak, cafe, etc — occasion and ambience.
Eating out can also be expensive, but MangoPlate ensures satisfaction for all foodies who make their choice based on reviews. The app is available in three languages, including English, and offers dining options by area, cuisine type and rating.
The Picks section on MangoPlate includes top lists of your favorite foods, be it carb-loading pastries or naengmyeon for those hot and sweaty summer days.
Naver Dictionary & Papago
These tips are all well and good, but what if you lose your way and your lack of Korean proficiency does not allow you to ask for help?
Once again, Naver comes to the rescue. Simply download Naver Dictionary and Papago and your language troubles will be no more.
If you just cannot think of the proper Korean term for a specific word, open Naver Dictionary and choose your preferred language-to-Korean dictionary. For the best results and detailed descriptions, English-to-Korean is recommended.
What if you are just starting to learn Korean, or you are desperately trying to figure out what the sign on the restaurant window is trying to tell you? Papago, the foreigner-friendly translation app, presents a wide range of tools from text and voice translation all the way to a phrasebook and image caption.
Asking your Korean friends for help can become a burden, so unlock offline translation and make Papago your best friend.
Kakao Taxi & Ansimi
The sun has set on an eventful day off-campus and after a couple of drinks with your friends, you are keen to return home.
Unfortunately, the good conversation and more than a little alcohol has caused you to miss the last subway or bus. Walking home, especially in Korea’s capital city, is often not an option and hailing a taxi late at night might not be the safest choice.
Thankfully, Kakao Taxi provides us with the safe ride home we sometimes need. The app lets you designate your route and type of vehicle and then estimates the price accordingly. Once you have been assigned to a driver, you are given their name and license plate number and you choose between paying via the app or in person. For safety purposes or moments of extreme intoxication, let your friends book the Kakao Taxi for you so they can make sure you arrive home in one piece.
However, your final destination might be around the corner, all Kakao taxis are already taken or you simply cannot afford a ride home. That might create a risky situation in other countries, but not in Korea.
Ansimi is a security app that accompanies you on your walk home. If you feel uneasy late at night, simply press the return home monitoring button.
The control center will follow you via surveillance cameras until you have reached your destination of choice. In case of emergencies during your walk, shake your phone or press the SOS button. The relevant district promptly assesses your situation and sends the police your way.
This electronic safety blanket is available via different apps in Seoul, Gangwon and Ansan, Gyeonggi.
BY STUDENT REPORTER MARIE-JOSEPHINE HATJE
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)