Everyone in Korea uses KakaoTalk and other apps I've never heard of?

KakaoTalk (카카오톡) is the absolute non-negotiable starting point. It's used by 95 percent of Koreans and replaces SMS, WhatsApp, and a chunk of Facebook. Sign up with your Korean phone number, add contacts by phone or QR code, and you'll instantly be in the loop. Kakao group chats handle work teams, friend circles, and family. The 카카오스토리 timeline is older-skewing but still active. Bonus: Kakao opens up KakaoPay (digital wallet for splits, P2P transfers, vendor payments), KakaoMap (better than Google Maps in Korea), KakaoTaxi (T-map), KakaoBank (digital bank), and Kakao Shopping all with one login.

Naver (네이버) is the Google of Korea. Naver Search dominates over Google for local information (restaurants, blog reviews, business hours). Naver Map is essential for navigation and shows real-time bus arrivals, indoor mall maps, and reviews. Naver Pay handles online shopping payments. Naver Cafe is the bulletin-board community network where local foreigner groups, hobby clubs, and apartment communities gather. Naver Webtoon and Naver Series for entertainment.

Messaging and social: LINE (라인) is less used in Korea but useful if you have Japanese contacts. Instagram dominates younger Korean social use, while TikTok is huge for Gen Z. For dating, Tinder works but Korean apps Glam (글램), Wippy, and Amanda are more popular among Koreans.

Daily life essentials: Coupang for shopping, Baedal Minjok or Coupang Eats for food delivery, T-money or Tmoney Pay for transit (or use Apple Wallet's transit card), Toss for finances and bill splitting, Karrot Market (당근마켓) for neighborhood secondhand items and free items. Subway by Mapway has the cleanest English subway app. Naver Papago is the best Korean translator (better than Google Translate for Korean). Government apps: Hi Korea for visa, Hometax for taxes, NHIS for insurance, and Government24 for documents.

Setup tips: Many apps require Korean phone number and bank verification, so set up your Korean SIM and bank account early. Use the One ID System (아이핀 or PASS app) for government and payment authentication, which streamlines logins everywhere. Most apps have an English mode buried in settings labeled 언어 or 言語. Try them one at a time over your first month. Once you have Kakao, Naver, and Coupang configured, you'll have 80 percent of Korean digital life covered.