Google Maps Still Can't Navigate South Korea; Naver and Kakao Fill the Gap

Google Maps can still be used in South Korea for searching places and checking photos and reviews, but it reportedly offers no turn-by-turn driving, walking or cycling directions. Transit directions are also described as limited. Travelers are better served by installing both Naver Map and KakaoMap instead.

On February 27, 2026, the South Korean government conditionally approved Google's request to export its precision 1:5,000 map data overseas. Reports say that if Google processes the data on domestic servers and masks sensitive sites such as military facilities, walking and real-time driving directions could become possible, though no exact start date has been set and the approval could be suspended or revoked if conditions are not met. As of July 2026, Google Maps reportedly still does not offer driving directions in Korea, while Google's separate app, Waze, reportedly can be used for driving navigation there.

Switching Naver Map to English

Naver Map supports Korean, English, Simplified Chinese and Japanese. To switch to English in the app, users tap MY, then Settings, then Language, then English. On iPhone, the language can also be changed by going to Settings, then NAVER Map, then Preferred Language, and if that option does not appear, English must first be added under Settings, General, Language & Region.

Getting around with Naver Map

Naver Map offers walking, transit and driving directions. Transit directions show travel time, transfers and walking distance, and real-time arrival information plus boarding guidance appear depending on the route. Bus routes can be searched by route number or stop number, and real-time walking navigation that recalculates when a user strays off route is reportedly available on Android, with iOS support said to be coming later.

Limitations and workarounds

Not every location is translated into English, so smaller shops may not turn up in English-language searches, and translated reviews can read awkwardly since they are machine-translated. If a place does not appear in search results, shortening the search to the core business or landmark name, or looking up the Korean name on the business's official website or social media, can help. If that fails, searching the official Korean-language address and checking whether the pin lands in the expected area before saving the correct location is recommended.

Why to add KakaoMap

KakaoMap supports driving, walking, cycling and transit directions. An older report said it shows real-time bus stop information and estimated arrival times, and that categories such as food, subway, banks and gas stations appear immediately after a search. KakaoMap's current English-language support could not be confirmed in recent sources. One blog review judged Naver better for place information and KakaoMap better for transit and taxis through its link to Kakao T, though that is an older, personal assessment.

Both map apps require a data or Wi-Fi connection to function, and because a location missing from one app sometimes appears on the other, multiple travel guides recommend keeping both installed.

Relying on Google Maps alone for navigation in South Korea is likely to cause difficulties, so installing both Naver Map and KakaoMap and switching between them as needed remains the most practical approach for now.

Sources: BGR (2026-07-07), The Korea Herald (2026-02), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announcement and TechCrunch (2026-02-27), Wise guide (2026-09), The Korea Times (2018-07), Teuida blog. Information is current as of October 2026 and may change, so it should be confirmed before travel.