Korea&YouSwitching Naver Map to English: Your Essential Navigation Fix
The one settings change that makes Korea's most accurate map app finally readable
Google Maps barely works in Korea — public transit routes are patchy, and a lot of business listings simply aren't there. Everyone who actually lives here, expats included, ends up on Naver Map instead. The catch: it opens in Korean by default, which is a rough first impression if you don't read Hangul yet.
The fix takes under a minute, and it's an iOS system setting, not something buried in the app itself.
Quick answer: On iPhone, the language Naver Map displays in is controlled from your phone's Settings app, not from inside Naver Map. Go to Settings → Naver Map → Language → English, then reopen the app.
Why This App, Specifically
Naver Map is the most accurate service in Korea for directions, public transit info, and place search — more reliable here than Google Maps by a wide margin. Once it's in English, you get a fully navigable transit and walking-directions app for day-to-day life.
Step 1 — Change the Language in iOS Settings
• Open the iPhone Settings app.
• Scroll down and select Naver Map from the list of installed apps.
• Tap Language at the very bottom of that page.
• Select English.
Step 2 — Verify It Worked
• Reopen the Naver Map app.
• Check that the main menus — including Settings → Language inside the app itself — now show English.
• Try a search in English and a public transit route to confirm everything carried over.
Tips & Precautions
• Some places only exist in Korean. Small local shops or very specific addresses sometimes only appear under their Korean name. Keeping a destination's Korean name or phone number on hand makes it much easier to find, even with the app set to English.
• Android users: the same idea applies — the language for an individual app is usually controlled through your phone's own app-language settings rather than inside Naver Map — but the exact menu path varies by device and Android version, so check your phone's settings app under app-specific language options.
The Bottom Line
This is a two-minute fix that changes your whole day-to-day experience of getting around Korea. Do it the moment you install the app, before you actually need directions somewhere.