# KoreaHacks: Korea Travel Guide — Seoul Metro, KTX & Local Tips

> Seoul Metro, KTX & Local Tips (iPhone/iPad app by seongyon ryu.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/koreahacks-korea-travel-guide/id6814513920 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [seongyon ryu](https://appshunter.io/developer/6814513923)
- Category: Travel, Lifestyle
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 33 MB
- Languages: American English, Japanese, European Spanish, Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan)
- Released: 2026-10-27
- Data updated: 2026-11-06

## What is KoreaHacks?

Korea runs on apps and rules that nobody explains to visitors. KoreaHacks is a Korea travel guide for Seoul, Busan (+Gyeongju) that fills the gaps with the Korea hacks locals know, in plain English, and works fully offline.

FREE, NO ACCOUNT NEEDED
- Before you land: which passports need a visa and which need a K-ETA, the online arrival card at e-arrivalcard.go.kr, how long you can stay, and Jeju's 30-day visa-free entry, which does not carry on to the mainland.
- Transit: why the map you already have falls short in Korea, which local map to set up, and how to read the subway.
- Transit cards: where to buy one, how to top it up, and which tourist pass fits your trip.
- Dining etiquette: no tipping, free side dishes, the table bell, and where the spoons hide.
- Emergency: the numbers to save, pharmacies, lost property, safety alerts.
- Must-have apps checklist with install links.
- Smoking rules and the ₩100,000 fine most visitors never hear about.
- Basic Korean: thirteen show-or-say phrase cards, from thank you to "I don't speak much Korean".
- Show-to-staff phrase cards in Korean, full screen: "I can't eat pork", "Please go to this address", "Where is a pharmacy?".
- Vegan, vegetarian and halal basics: hidden beef and anchovy stock, fish sauce in kimchi, where to look.
- Tax refund at the register, and the huge beauty stores in Myeongdong.

SEOUL AND BUSAN TRAVEL, 15 NEIGHBORHOODS
Jongno 3-ga, Myeongdong, Jongno palaces, Hongdae, Itaewon, Gangnam, Seongsu, Dongdaemun, Yeouido, Jamsil, Haeundae, Gwangalli, Seomyeon, Nampo, Gijang. Each one opens with the vibe, what not to miss, the nearest stations with line colors, and a Korean phrase to show a taxi driver. Tap through to a map, or to photos and videos of the area.

PRO PASS, ONE PAYMENT
Unlock local tips and half-day routes for every neighborhood, plus:
- Booking the bullet train step by step, plus Gyeongju — the Silla capital, half an hour from Busan, where the temples and tombs are now free.
- Restaurant picks that locals rate, market food worth queueing for, and how to eat without pork or beef.
- Taxis: which app works with your home account, what the meter should say, what to avoid.
- Staying online, using public Wi-Fi safely, and signing up when an app wants a local phone number.
- Shopping: what to bring home and where to buy it.
- Three, four and five day Korea trip plans, which neighborhood to sleep in, and a night at a Buddhist temple.
- After dark: whether it is safe to walk, the stream through the middle of the city, and where the view is.
- Pharmacies, now a shopping stop of their own, and what Koreans actually buy in them.
One payment, no subscription, restorable on your next device.

BUILT FOR YOUR KOREA TRIP, NOT A LIBRARY
Everything is stored on your phone, so it opens in the subway, on the train and on a plane. Tips are checked regularly, but prices and rules in Korea change, so confirm locally.

Available in English, Spanish, Japanese and Traditional Chinese.

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO Pass | $1.99 | one-time |


## Is KoreaHacks safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess KoreaHacks.

## Is KoreaHacks legit?

KoreaHacks: Korea Travel Guide has limited verification signals. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for KoreaHacks is 58 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.


## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.13.0 — 2026-11-04

• A new "Start here" card on the home screen takes you straight to Before You Land.
• Fresh artwork for every guide, in light and dark mode.
• Small fixes and improvements.

### 1.12.2 — 2026-11-03

• Food & Markets: the jokbal street Instagram link now opens the right tag
• Small fixes

### 1.12.1 — 2026-11-02

• What's On: a new home card with festivals, light shows and Christmas markets in Seoul and Busan, each shown until its last day, with its place one tap away in Naver Map
• Shorter area cards and easier-to-scan guides: names first, one place per line
• Photo booths in Only in Korea: the big chains and how their looks differ
• Seollal and Chuseok stand out wherever they appear, so holiday closures are easy to spot
• Share KoreaHacks with a friend from the app
• PRO Pass codes unlock right away, with no extra Restore
• Food & Markets: HappyCow and VeganGo are linked by name to their App Store pages

### 1.10.0 — 2026-10-30

• Redeem a Code: enter a PRO Pass code right from Settings or the PRO screen
• The App Store's Autumn Leaves in Seoul event now opens straight to when the leaves turn
• The App Store now lists all four languages: English, Spanish, Japanese and Traditional Chinese

### 1.9.5 — 2026-10-28

What's new since the last update:
• Before You Land: a free guide to visas, K-ETA and the e-Arrival Card
• Autumn in Seoul: when the leaves turn, the city's foliage walks, and three autumn walks
• Our pick: walks through Huam-dong to Sinheung Market, and a Bukchon walk from Wonseo-dong
• Seven new foods on the must-buy list, and Lotte Mart Seoul Station as the last stop before the airport train
• Private saunas and one-person scrub shops in Only in Korea
• Jogyesa, its chrysanthemum festival and its gukhwappang on the Jongno card
• Hold a place name to copy it in Korean for a map app, and keep must-buy items in your Saved list
• A new icon, and every guide shows the month it was last checked

## Related topics

[tae kim’s guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tae-kim-s-guide) · [korea travel guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/korea-travel-guide) · [korea travel](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/korea-travel)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-11-06.*