PyeongChang Winter Olympics 2018! ~ 평창 2018년 동계 올림픽 Day 2

After watching the men's single short skate the day before, we had no other plans for our time at the Olympics. That was at least, until the ice skating event ended and they announced the line up for the kpop guests that would be at the live stage the following day. I had had no idea that BAP was going to be at the Olympics while I was there, so my friend and I both were extremely excited to learn that they would be coming. BAP is my favorite kpop group of all time and they will forever be Best Absolute Perfect in my heart. They are all so talented and hard working.

Not ONLY was BAP going to be at the Olympics, other than paying 2,000 won to enter the Olympic Park it was completely free to see them! With that being the case, my friend and I assumed that there would be many fans there to see them, because it was a first come kind of set up. Even though they didn't perform until 8pm, we arrived at the Olympic Park at noon. We tried to waste time inside the park, but in all honesty there wasn't much to do there if you didn't have tickets to an event. We sat on the ground at the live stage and watched the event live streaming on the big screen there, watching the Men's Free Skate. Then we wandered around, played on the VR Bobsleigh machine, and frequently visited an art exhibit nearby (because there was heat). It was cold outside, which would have been tolerable for a few hours, but not quite all day. We were freezing. My toes hurt so bad because they were cold. However, we refused to leave our things and the spot we had claimed for the show. We WOULD be front row, no matter what. I ended up breaking down and buying ramyeon to eat, and also bought myself some hot packs and earmuffs from the official goods store (had to use up my Visa money anyway...).

We watched a few live performances throughout the day, a DJ, BBoy Crew, traditional dancing, but time passed slowly. I got bored. And I got cold. That is when we had a surprise. BAP suddenly walked out on stage at like 6 pm. They were doing a soundcheck, but I was thrilled to see them earlier than I had expected. My friend frantically waved at Zelo and he returned her wave too, so we were both dying a little. They were the kick that kept us going the next two hours until the show began. We thought that they performed first, because the line up listed on all the posters showed them first. So, the plan was to see them perform and then go home. We were wrong. They went last, which proved to be a problem for us later. Almost a very big problem.

We saw a variety of other performances, from bands and girl groups to soloists, and then finally at like 9:30 BAP came out on stage. Of course I screamed and waved a little, super excited to see them so up close. They played three songs in total, one of which was from their newest album. They seemed to be enjoying themselves on stage despite the cold weather. I hope their dancing managed to keep them warm while they performed, since they took their coats off to dance.

The highlight of my night though was Daehyun. He is my bias, and forever my top favorite singer. During their final song, my friend and I saw him wave to a member of the crowd, and so naturally we started waving at him too, hoping to get his attention. Being in the front row benefited us greatly, as he not only saw us both waving at him, but HE WAVED BACK. He waved at me and I nearly died right there I was so excited. After the show we tried to stick around and see if they would greet fans, but they didn't. Probably ran off somewhere to get warm, which I wouldn't blame them for doing.

💓 💓💓

BAP slays the crowd with their amazing vocals, rap, dance and pure talent ~

See the full video of their performance below:

Now I mentioned the fact that BAP performing last was almost a very huge problem. Here is why...

So, we finished at the Olympic park and had to get back to Jinbu where we were staying. It was about 50 minutes away by bus. We waited in line, took a free shuttle back to the bus terminal, and went to buy tickets home. With the Olympics going on I had heard they'd added a lot of buses to all the routes nearby, so I hadn't been worried. I should've been worried, and then finally I was very worried. There were no more buses to Jinbu when we arrived at the terminal. I was shocked, it was still early, and the events had just ended. How did they expect everyone to get home!?!

We asked two locals for help and they confirmed our fears, buses to Jinbu were finished until morning. My friend and I jumped straight to our Korail application and there was one last train heading to Jinbu, and it was a miracle we were able to buy tickets. Then we had to make it on the train though... it left in like 25 minutes, and we had to get to the station, get through security, and make it on the train before it left. We ran through the terminal and to the taxi stand (luckily we knew where it was already). Then once he dropped us off at the terminal we ran to security, with several people rooting us on, clearly obvious that we were trying to catch the train. We made it, luckily, but it was another exhausting effort on our part. We pretty much collapsed upon returning to where we were staying. Seems like I can never travel anywhere without some sort of transportation disaster scenario. As stressful as it is and as much as I hate it when those situations happen though, usually it has always been worth it.

PyeongChang Winter Olympics 2018! ~ 평창 2018년 동계 올림픽

I DID IT! I WENT TO THE OLYMPICS! :D

I'd know about the Olympics for months, but I wasn't sure about attending them. First off, tickets were pricey, and I wasn't sure it was worth the 7 hour trip from Naju and the money to go. So like everything else I put it off, unsure. Then, after my trip to Japan, my friend and I were discussing the Olympics, which were about 2 weeks away. We wanted to go. There were so many obstacles though. 

First a place to stay...surely they would've all been sold out or the prices jumped. Lucky for me though, a friend of mine lives in Jinbu, right in the middle of all the Olympic arenas. We talked to her and squared it away to stay with her if we could get tickets.

Transportation was the next step...was it available? For me, coming from nearly the opposite end of the country, transportation was an issue. I couldn't get there directly, so it was a mix of overlapping bus times or trains and unpredictability of traffic jams (due to it also being Seollal - Korean New Year, and one of the biggest holidays of the year). The easiest and cheapest path I could find that was manageable was to bus 4 hours to Seoul, and then later that day KTX to Jinbu from Seoul Station. It cost about 40,000 won total. 

Now the most important step...We had a place, transportation was available...but Olympic tickets? Now THAT was a challenge. I feel like because I am a foreigner but living in Korea it was especially difficult. We could buy tickets online, but ONLY if we had a Visa Card. This turned out to be the biggest problem of our entire trip. I have a Visa, but it is my American Card and since I've been living in Korea for over a year I don't exactly have loads of money in my American account. Not to mention if I used my American credit card, I would have to lose a lot of money to currency exchange to send money home later to pay off the bill. It was not easy. All I had was my NH card, and my friend only had MasterCard. It wasn't like we could get a Visa overnight either. So we ended up relying on people we knew, and a teacher at my friends school bought our tickets with her card and we transferred her money. It was the easiest way we could use, but because of it we only bought ticket to one event. We didn't want to use her too much, and she wasn't around all the time to help either. As much as I would've loved to go to more events, I don't think I could've afforded it in the long run anyway though. Ticket availability was also a road block. Everything was sold out unless it was like the 300,000 won tickets for seating. My friend and I had our hearts set on seeing figure skating, as it was both of our favorites and the only thing I ever watched on TV as a kid. Only men's singles were available the weekend we intended on going, and they were sold out. 

We ended up scouring the fan to fan page looking for people that were selling the cheaper seat tickets. We found only 1 ticket. My friend was going to buy it and just hope that another turned up, even if it meant not sitting together or only one of us getting in. However, by some MIRACLE, the moment she went to buy the one ticket someone else posted on the site selling two tickets and she managed to grab them. It was an Olympic miracle for us! Tickets bought, transportation reserved, and a place to stay squared away we just had to wait for the day we left. We would go for two full days and two half days, but our only plan was to see the Men's Single Short Skate Program on our first full day there. 

With it all set I announced to my family that I was going, and there were growing concerns. They were worried about North Korea's presence, about security, about the people, about a norovirus that was apparently going around making people sick. It was a list. A list I promptly ignored lol. I was going to be perfectly fine. And, I WAS. 

Sulbing (설빙) - Korean Dessert Cafe

Sulbing...What I believe is the best dessert cafe in S. Korea.

설빙 빙수 맛있어요~

One thing that I have learned during my time here in South Korea is that bingsu is one of the most delicious deserts ever. I mean, it is like eating fresh clean snow, but with delicious toppings all thrown on top and sweet milk to mix it all together. What could be better than that?

While I am aware the Sulbing offers more on their menu than just bingsu, I haven't tried anything but this delicious dessert. It may be a bit on the pricey side, but it is well worth the taste. However, it is a dessert that is meant to be shared, as one bowl would be a huge serving to eat by yourself. Often times it is a dessert best shared between friends, family, or your significant other. 

If the satisfying taste wasn't enough to make bingsu a dessert that makes your mouth water, it is also an extremely visually appealing dessert. Anyone who knows food understands that the visual appeal of it is sometimes just as important as the taste, as we usually eat with our eyes first. Just one look at a fresh bowl of bingsu and your taste buds will be screaming, I NEED IT!

The Instagram section of your brain also usually will begin screaming... "I need a picture of it!"

So allow me to take you with me on my Sulbing journey, as I taste as much bingsu as I possibly can.

First up is the chocolate bingsu...an extreme chocolaty explosion for your taste buds. There is nothing more satisfying to a chocolate lover than a pile of chocolate snow with chocolate shavings, chocolate chunks, brownie pieces, cheesecake, and chocolate syrup.

Next up is the strawberry bingsu - I have had the strawberry flavor multiple times as well. It is naturally sweet, with fresh Korean strawberries (which in my personal opinion are some of the sweetest, juiciest strawberries I've ever eaten in my whole life) and cheesecake. Depending on the type of strawberry bingsu that you order you may also be blessed with a generous supply of whipped cream to top it off also. 

Don't forget the condensed milk for that extra sweet touch. Mixing in condensed milk as you eat makes it all the better!

Yummy delicious chocolate bingsu - topped with some classic green tea ice cream and powder.

Yummmy deliciousness

Not entirely sure what this flavor was honestly, as we just picked one off the menu and tried it. I am pretty sure it is the traditional kind, with bean powder and red bean ice cream as the topper. I do remember that it was good, but not as sweet as some of the others, as it had a more natural and subtle sweetness.

I got this one a second time. I really do think I like this one a lot. Living in Korea has made me come to appreciate a natural and subtler sweet taste in desserts. 

Nothing adds some health to your dessert quite like half of a honeydew melon on top. This one was delicious but somewhat more difficult to eat. In my opinion, it was the only type I tried that I felt was too expensive and difficult to eat to buy again. 

Yummmmm Blueberry Cheesecake flavor. These were some quality blueberries too. They were nice and big and very sweet in a blueberry syrup. 

This was Peach Cheesecake flavor, with some vanilla ice cream on top. The peaches were, once again, very fresh and ripe off the farm tasting. The freshness of the fruit is what I think makes the bingsu so delicious. Even though it is a big bowl, it feels light because most of the dessert only consists of shaved ice and fresh fruit. It's still an indulgence, but its one you don't feel quite as guilty for eating.

Stay tuned - I will update this one with more bingsu varieties as I try them! :)

Movie Recommendation - A Taxi Driver (2017)

Living in Naju, I had heard and seen things relating to the Gwangju Uprising or May 18th Democratic Uprising, but I had never put much thought into understanding it. That was, not until a new movie, A Taxi Driver, came into theaters during mid 2017. In school during this time I had been practicing the phrases, "My favorite ____ is ____." and " I like ____." with my students. That is when suddenly, it seemed like every 5th grade student's answer to, "What is your favorite movie?" was"Taxi Driver! My favorite movie is Taxi Driver."

After hearing how great the movie was from several dozen students, I was curious what the movie was about so I asked another teacher. This teacher simply told me that the movie took place in Gwangju, which was why the student's liked it. I figured it must've just been some type of action movie that was filmed there. I thought, the students like it because it is set close to home, in places they've probably seen before.

I decided that if my students loved it so much that I should give the movie a chance. That way I could impress them by telling them that I had seen it too. So, I patiently waited for the movie to be released with decent English subtitles somewhere online for me to watch.

Finally after a long wait I found the movie and was able to watch it. It was only then that I realized it was far from the type of action movie I had been expecting. I couldn't understand why all my students loved the movie so much. Sure, the movie was fantastic and moving and had great cinematography, but it didn't seem like the type of movie a 5th grade student would be obsessed about.

This is because it is a historical movie and based on a true story. Obviously the movie can't recreate exactly what really happened, but it can give the viewers an idea. The movie was, at least for me, incredibly sad (I cried). The movie was very moving and opened my eyes to what the situation had been like in Gwangju really not all that long ago, it made me appreciate the history of the city more. It was especially striking for me because several scenes in the movie took place in areas where I had been before. I had stood in those very places, but never thought about or realized the history that had taken place there in the past. After seeing the movie, I grew more interested in the history of the area near where I lived. I even visited the 5/18 museum in downtown Gwangju to learn more about the history of what had happened there.

The movie itself gives some insight into that particular moment in history, along with its own story as well. The acting was fantastic and the scenes were steeped with imagery and feelings of moral responsibility. It is one of those movies that sometimes makes you feel like you owe it to yourself to make a greater difference in the world. Overall this movie makes it up there to the higher rankings of favorite Korean movies I've seen.

I still would like to visit other historically significant areas of Gwangju in relation to this event, as well as watch other Korean films that are related to it. I also definitely would recommend this movie to anyone who wants to appreciate and understand a part of Gwangju's past.

Cooking Adventure #2 - Tteokbokki

떡볶이 맛있다!!!

For my next Korean cooking extravaganza I decided to try and cook one of Korea's most popular street foods: tteokbokki. Tteokbokki in simple terms is long tube-shaped pieces of rice cake that are cooked in a sauce of Korean gochujang peppers and sugar. It is a dish with a balance of spicy and sweet. This however does not mean that all tteokbokki is created equal, as depending on the restaurant, vendor, or cook it can vary greatly in its level of spiciness and other ingredients that are added to the sauce. The most common additions or toppings include cabbage, fish cake, green onions, and sesame seeds. 

I once again was following a recipe I found at Future Dish. The recipe was simple enough for me, especially with their accompanying YouTube video providing me with a visual. It did take me a while to make, but I am sure that as I grow used to making it my prep time will become shorter. Now I can not only enjoy this food when I am out for a night in the city or walking around with friends, but I can cook it right in my own apartment. The authentic way!

To enjoy a silly video of me as I make 떡볶이 see below.

Stay tuned for the next dish I try to cook, probably some time after I go to the OLYMPICS! :D

Seoul's Themed Cafes

In this post I would like to summarize all of Seoul's themed cafe's that I have been to so far, and as I visit more I will continue to update.

Hello Kitty Cafe - Myeongdong
My very first themed cafe was the Hello Kitty Cafe in Myeongdong. I didn't order at this cafe; I only met my friends there. However, let me tell you I have never seen such a PINK place in my life, and pink just isn't my color. Haha. If you love the color pink or are one of those Hello Kitty obsessed people then this place is definitely for you, but it wasn't for me. It felt too upscale childish for me, which sounds funny considering I am fairly childish...but just wow...it really isn't my style. I will give it some credit though, the decorations were well done and the menu did seem very creative and followed the theme well. There must have been hundreds of stuffed Hello Kitty dolls in that cafe too.

또옹카페 - Seoul's 'Poop' Cafe - Insadong
My next themed cafe was staggeringly different from my first - Seoul's Poop Cafe. Now, maybe I am just strange, but this was much more my style. It was incredibly amusing to me. The waffles and other foods are shaped like the poop emoticon, the meals are served in troughs that resemble the squatter toilets, and the coffee comes in toilet shaped mugs. It was brilliant. I felt like if I tried to eat fried rice from a squatter toilet trough that it would make me a bit squeamish, but it made me giggle seeing others doing it. If you want to go here, it is located on the 4th floor of the Ssamzigil Mall (쌈지길) in Insadong. You can get there by taking subway line 3 (Orange Line) and getting off at Anguk Station (안국 역), exit 6. Careful, this entire area is an amazing wonder of Korean tourists traps mixed with traditional and shiny things, all of which you will want to buy.

My gorgeous toilet Mojito Latte :)

The Menu - just look at the dishes hahaha

Where you order

I went with two other friends. This menu was posted next to our table, and it all looked so fun and delicious that we each decided to try a different one. We ordered one of each, which are pictured next (Front - back: Rose Latte, Flower Ade, Mojito Latte). We all tried each others drink, and while I loved mine, the other two were also delicious. The flower ade was especially refreshing and good, since it had a much different taste than the coffee.

All the little poop messages people can leave stuck to the wall. No better memo than one in the shape of a cute little pile of sh*t .... LOL

So much fun.

Cat Cafe - Insadong
Coincidentally, this cafe is practically across the street from the last one I went to. I adore cats and have always had them growing up, however unfortunately I am mildly allergic to them. Since I had lived with cats my whole life, it was just a bit like living in a fog, but ever since I moved and lived away from the furry felines coming into contact with them again has made my reaction stronger. I had been wanting to visit a cat cafe since coming to Korea; I was deeply in need of some fuzzy cuddles, but worried it would just make me sick. Then came the weekend of my birthday, and I went to Seoul to spend it with my friends. Somehow, we ended up at a cat cafe. Everything inside was cat themed...and it was adorable. There were cats either roaming about or just laying around chilling throughout the room. The price for drinks was a bit higher, maybe closer to 10,000 won, but that includes getting to play and pet the cats for as long as you'd like. We drank our lattes and petted the cute cat asleep on the ledge near our table. Not all the cats at the cafe were nice.  A couple of the cats swatted at me when I tried to pet them, and one even snapped at me once. I assume this kind of behavior can come about if you are constantly being petted and pulled around all day though. At some point the cats have had enough love. Some cafes are better than others and this one was good in the way it treated their cats. They were not supposed to be picked up, petted in certain ways and etc, but you know that sometimes families with children probably terrorize them. The cafe also rotated them out, and would put the cats in a different room for privacy if they seemed to need it, so that was good. I thought that the munchkin cat that they had was irresistibly cute, with its short, pudgy legs. My favorite cat was the sleepy one at our table though. We stuck around until our drinks were empty, the cats seemed uninterested in us, and my allergies kicked in and I began sneezing. That was the sign it was time to get some fresh air and wash my hands. It was nice to be able to pet the cats and toss toys around for them though, and seeing various cat breeds was cool too. :)

The message's meaning meant well, however the translations...were a bit off.

I think I giggled about the "Don't smash their ass" part for about a good three hours after reading the sign. I just could not forget it, it was too funny. 

Edible Cafe

The Edible Coffee Cafe I had heard about from a friend of mine, and he really wanted to visit and try this cafe's menu. The reason being...it's a cafe where the menu contains edible insects. Naturally nearly anyone would understand why I was hesitant to join him. However I met with two of my friends and we went to check out this 'edible bug cafe'.

Since we were unsure of the taste or our ability to be brave enough to drink anything on the menu, we decided to get two drinks and split them between the three of us. The drinks we chose were the 300 meal-worm shake and the grasshopper tea. I was skeptical; I didn't want to drink it. Everything in me shouted...that's a bug...don't you dare drink it, but I did. AND I SURVIVED. It was actually quite delicious. I will say that the grasshopper tea was my favorite. It tasted very fresh and natural but it didn't taste well...like a bug. It was a greenish-yellow tea containing a tea bag filled with grasshoppers. Once my friend took the tea bag out and hid it from our sight, we drank it happily. Unless you look at the the tea bag, you would never guess it was grasshopper tea.

The meal-worm shake was a little different. Its taste screamed protein. I knew that bugs contained lots of protein but wow, it really tasted like a hard core protein shake. I can only imagine what the 500 meal-worm shake tasted like. I think if you're one of those people that are into protein shakes then this would be a good choice for you. It not only was heavy on protein flavor, but oddly enough it also tasted somewhat like cookies. It was a strange combination, but it was delicious. My only issue with this drink was that after a while the taste got to be too much for me. I don't think I could have finished off an entire drink on my own, especially since the taste seemed to grow stronger towards the bottom of the shake. In my opinion, it was the perfect shake to share with two of my close friends. It was just the right amount of protein for the three of us. So if you are ever in the mood for some protein filled bug drinks, Edible Coffee Cafe may be a place for you to visit.

Edible Inc. About Us Page

Learning to Cook Korean Food

I have decided that living in Korea and not learning how to cook at least some Korean-style foods would be a huge mistake. So I dove into the land of YouTube and found myself a channel that I believe is perfect for me to learn from. The best part is, the channel is run by a Korean couple, but the recipes and measurements are in the American measurement system! Meaning I can understand them easily. Also, since I am living in Korea, the ingredients are much more accessible than if I were living back in Michigan. (There are no Asian stores within several hours driving distance of my house.)

With that being said, I would like to share the channel I found. I've only tried one of their recipes so far, but it seemed to work out and I was very proud of myself for it turning out well. 

The YouTube Channel's name is Future Neighbor - Here they have short, but simple videos on all the recipes they make. Some recipes are traditional, while others have a more fusion flare to them.

If you are more the standard, written recipe type person (like me) they also have a website: Future Dish

My first step was to view one of their channel's very first videos, and get some stock items. I still have a lot of stock ingredients that I will need, but I bought a few of the basics. What I really liked about the shopping list they provided is that they listed the ingredients in both English and Korean, so I could not only know what it was, but find it in the store also. Then I watched probably close to a dozen or more of their videos and found one I liked to start with. 

My first dish was 계란찜 (Gyeran-jjim) or Korean steamed eggs. I have been served these steamed eggs many times in restaurants here as a side dish and thought, 'I can do that'. I went all in, and even bought myself the ttukbaegi pot (뚝배지) at Emart for about 11,000 won (maybe $10.50 USD). I had been wanting to buy one of these pots for a while as a keepsake of my time in Korea, but needed a reason to own one. (Maybe that's why I really chose this as my first recipe...) One of my Korean friends also really likes these steamed eggs, so I thought 'Ahhh if I can make this, then my friend will be impressed with me!' I had decided. I would attempt to conquer Korean steamed eggs. 

Now, not many things can be conquered on their first attempt, as is the case for my steamed eggs. However, I think it was a very successful attempt. They were not perfection, but they were good. For my first try, that was good enough for me. I would include the recipe I used, but I would only be copying and pasting from Future Dish, so instead I will just include a link to their recipe here.

It is a simple dish with rather few ingredients. Mainly you just need eggs and water, the other ingredients add the flavor and authenticity that makes it Korean though - a little fish sauce, a little sesame oil, pepper, and some onions.

Some notes about my cooking process:

1. Keep an eye on the heat. There are heat instructions in the recipe, but every stove has a different idea of what is considered high and low heat. In my stoves opinion, low heat doesn't really exist. It putters from maybe an easy medium heat to nearly none at all. It may take some adjusting. 

2. Just keep stirring. This lets the eggs set properly and also prevents any egg from overcooking along the edges of the pot. 

3. It won't always be perfect. I followed the recipe exactly, but back to the issue regarding heat, my eggs cooked differently than my YouTube example. In the end my eggs were just the tiniest bit watery at the bottom. I think it is a learning relationship with my stove to find what heat setting works best. I also think that my eggs could have used a little more salt and pepper for my taste. So next time I will season the eggs more. In time I might try to Americanize them a little and season them differently and see what happens, but I will learn how to make it the Korean way correctly first. 

4. It really is a 2-person serving with this recipe. One person can eat it, but that is a lot of eggs, so you will be about bursting if you eat it all by yourself.

Below you can check out my (probably ridiculous and much too long) video of myself narrating as I cook. 

Stay tuned for my next cooking adventure hehehe

Korean Must Have Apps

If you are visiting South Korea, whether for travel, study, or work, here are a list of applications that you may want to consider:

First and foremost - everything Kakao is a must


1. Kakao Talk
If you are looking for a messenger application that nearly every Korean uses, including businesses and hostels, this is it. The app is simple to use, with your phone number or email used to set up an account. You can add contacts several different ways, by using their phone number, Kakao ID, or scanning their barcode. Kakao Talk also has many useful features such as creating polls, events, sending files, videos, photos, and announcements. These features make using the app for contact and coordination with larger groups very useful.  You also have a place for your own personal chat room, where you can save important messages to review later.  While having WiFi access this app allows for free voice and video calling from anywhere, including internationally. Another useful feature is that you can send friends your location. When you are traveling in a foreign country it is super easy to get turned around in a large city, so having the ability to send a friend your location makes things much easier. (It only works if you have WiFi access or the ability to use cellular data.)




2. Kakao Metro

Kakao Metro is the ultimate subway application. With both written English and Korean, it has the metro maps for all the major cities in South Korea. You can set your departure and destination and the app creates routes (simple/fast) and instructions. This includes any transfers you need to make, what subway car you should be on for your transfers, subway arrival times, minutes between stops, and the overall estimated time to reach your destination. At first I had been trying to use an all Korean app, but obviously using one that has both Korean and English makes things much simpler.




3. Kakao Taxi
In the case that there are no taxis in a given area, you want a more trusted driver, or if there is a big event and finding a taxi is impossible, than this may work. I know that many Korean people prefer this app when finding a taxi. Kakao Taxi can also be used to call a taxi to your current location and almost always works as long as you are not either in the middle of nowhere or in an are that is EXTREMELY busy at that time. I believe you can also call and set up to have a taxi pick you up at a prearranged time and destination as well, which could be useful if you plan on seeing an event and want to ensure a taxi will be available for you once it finishes. (I am not sure about this though.) The best part, is that this application just recently got an English reboot, and now has a fully functional English app.




4. Kakao Bus
As you probably can assume by this point, this is the Kakao application that will allow you to find buses and bus stops in your area, their arrival, and bus fare costs. It depends on the area though, the rural area in which I live only has any one buss listed on this app. So it is a wild guess where the buses go and when for me. I am sure if you live closer to a main city, then this app would work well. It is worth a try when you first move somewhere for sure, it could help you familiarize yourself with the area.




6. Kakao Maps

I use Kakao Maps for practically everything. It helps keep me from getting lost on labyrinth like streets, helps me find new routes to places, shows me hiking trails, and shows where the stores I need to find are. As long as you have the place you want to find IN KOREAN, then this app works very well. The only downside for an English native speaker is that the addresses are mostly only searchable in Korean, not romanized addresses, which are usually what hostels provide their foreign guests...

Make sure you have the Korean address.



There are more Kakao applications, but these are the ones that I find the most useful.




7. Naver Dictionary
Even though it is a dictionary it doubles as a translation app. Since Naver is one of the main servers in Korea, it is one of the best dictionary applications that you can use when referring to Korean language. It has lots of great features and also allows you to save words you've learned, look up sample sentences using those words and more. Check it out. If you can read and understand Korean, the general Naver search app works much better than Google in Korea when you are looking for specific things.




8.) Papago 
Papago is a translation app that runs by using Naver Dictionary. Koreans I've met are fond of using this app. My mentor teacher uses this app because she can speak to it in Korean and have it translate to English things she wants to tell me. (I think she speaks English fine, but she is too self-conscious.) So for any cases where you need to speak to someone and either do not know how to say something or are just not confident like my teacher, you could try this app. It doesn't translate perfectly, as I think no app really does, but it can get the general point across enough for people to understand.



9. Goseok Bus and Korail Apps

These two apps are very useful when buying tickets to travel without needing to go to the actual station. Easy, convenient, and in your hand ability to purchase tickets. The Korail app has an English setting, but the bus app does not. That being said, you may need a Koreans help to set up your bus application account and use it the first time or two. Also, for the record, when it says (in Korean) "password" at the checkout page...it is referring to your card PIN number NOT the password you made for the bus account. I confused this and entered the wrong thing too many times and have been locked out of not only the bus app, but the Korail app as well, for months now. I have been told I need to go to the bank and change my pin number to regain access. I have been locked out because the bank things someone is trying to hack my card. It is very frustrating.





10.) Yogiyo Food App
This is a food delivery service app that foreigners like to use because you can place a delivery order with many restaurants without talking on the phone with someone. Just enter what you want, your address, and then wait for your food. It unfortunately does not work well in my area because it is somewhat rural and less restaurants use the app, but I know it works great in other areas. Depends on the region, but is worth a shot.





11.) T-Money Balance App
Again, great app if you rely on a T-Money card to get around on public transportation. This app lets your phone scan your card and tells you how much money is still charged on it. This is especially great if you only use the card every few days and never know the balance. It saves you needing to go to a store somewhere to check it/refill it just in case, because in areas like where I live, there are no subways and so no machines to check the balance...

HOWEVER, this app is not available for iPhone users. So if you are like me and have an iPhone, you are out of luck and have to hope that some company rises to the occasion and makes an app that is compatible with iOS.



12.) Bank App 
Getting access to a bank app so that I could check my account balance wasn't easy. It took maybe over an hour at the bank in my town with paperwork and lots of processes. You can'y just download the app and use it, you need permission codes and information from your bank to do it. I have no idea what I did to get it. I signed what they said, and downloaded what they said, and the bank set the application up on my phone. I also don't have the slightest idea how to use the app because it is all in Korean, but I can check my balance and withdrawal/deposit history and that is enough for me.

*As a side note, if you have a choice in the matter, I do not recommend NH bank... I've heard KEB Hana is much much better for foreigners to use, especially if you plan on sending money home.



13. Emergency Ready App

If you have a Korean phone number sometimes you will occasionally get emergency alerts sent automatically to your phone. These can be quite startling if you don't know what they say (and can't copy/paste them to find out.) The only thing that I had found which worked was to take a screen shot, and then use Google Translate's photo scan option. (So get Google Translate too lol.) HOWEVER, this app has the alerts conveniently in English and has lots of information telling you how to prepare or what to do in those types of situations. It also has information on shelters in your area, how to call the police, ambulance, fire department, and much more.