Google Maps won’t give you driving directions in Korea yet. You can search for places and get public transit routes, but the car mode returns nothing. To drive, you need a Korean navigation app, and some of them work in English.
What Google Maps can and can’t do in Korea
We checked Google Maps on the web on October 20, 2026, with a route from Seoul Station to Busan. Only the transit tab returned routes, mostly KTX trains at just under three hours. The car, walking and cycling tabs were grayed out with no time shown.
So Google Maps is still useful for looking up a place, reading reviews or checking a train. It just can’t guide you turn by turn behind the wheel.
The reason: Korea’s map export rules
Korea restricts taking detailed map data out of the country. Google says it can display Korean maps using 1:5,000 data bought from SK TMAP, but calculating routes needs the data in Google’s global data centers. That requires export approval.
On February 27, 2026, a government committee set up under Korea’s Spatial Information Act approved Google’s request to export 1:5,000 map data, with conditions. The exported data is limited to the base map and road and transport network needed for navigation. Military and security sites must be blurred, and Google must remove or limit how coordinates are displayed for places in Korea.
The joint government release adds that the data leaves Korea only after the government confirms those conditions are met. So approval wasn’t the same as launch. When we checked in October 2026, the car option still showed nothing.
Korean navigation apps compared
We compared four major Korean apps. The table shows what each app’s US App Store listing says. “Not stated” doesn’t mean no. It means the developer doesn’t say so on the listing.
| App | App Store languages | English navigation (developer text) | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAVER Maps | English + 3 more | Stated: “English navigation provided” | Mentioned in release notes |
| KakaoMap | English and Korean | Not stated | Not mentioned in description or latest notes |
| Kakao Navi (카카오내비) | English, Japanese and Korean | Not stated | Mentioned in release notes |
| TMAP (티맵) | English and Korean | Not stated | Mentioned in release notes |
Source: each app’s US App Store page, checked October 20, 2026. We didn’t check Android Auto. If you use Android, look at the Google Play listing on your phone.
NAVER Maps
NAVER Maps is the only one of the four whose listing explicitly mentions English navigation. It also offers maps in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. That makes it the most clearly documented option if you don’t read Korean.
Its October 2026 update added alerts for parking enforcement cameras near your destination and after arrival. For where you can’t stop and what a ticket costs, see our parking rules guide.
KakaoMap and Kakao Navi
KakaoMap’s listing says navigation is built in, so you don’t need a separate app to get directions. It lists English as an interface language, but doesn’t say whether spoken directions come in English.
Kakao Navi is Kakao’s dedicated driving app, with CarPlay and guidance voice updates in its release notes. One note adds a voice warning after you pass a rear-facing enforcement camera. On the US App Store, it appears under its Korean name, 카카오내비.
TMAP
TMAP shares its name with SK TMAP, whose 1:5,000 data Google says it uses to display Korean maps. The app’s release notes mention CarPlay and highway rest stop information. It’s listed under its Korean name, 티맵, so that name may help you find it.
As with both Kakao apps, the listing doesn’t state English voice guidance. If you can’t read Korean at all, test any of these three before relying on it for a long drive.
Set it up before you drive
The easiest time to set up is at your hotel, with no one waiting behind you.
- Install and switch the language first. Download your app and set it to English before you pick up the car.
- Save your destinations. Bookmark your hotel and first few stops while you’re still on Wi-Fi.
- Keep the Korean name handy. Copy the Korean name or address from your booking. English spellings of Korean places vary, so the Korean version is usually easier to match.
- Bring a phone mount. Korean law limits what you can do with a phone while driving (see the next section).
Phone rules while driving
Under the Road Traffic Act, Article 49(1):
- No handheld phone use while driving. Exceptions include when the car is stopped, urgent reports such as crimes or disasters, and devices set by presidential decree that don’t interfere with safe driving.
- Navigation on screen is allowed when the screen is mounted or cradled in the car.
- No operating the screen while driving, with limited exceptions such as when the car is stopped.
The simple rule: set or change your route only when you’re stopped. Mount the phone where you can see it, and let voice guidance do the work.
Cameras, tolls and charging on your route
Camera alerts in navigation apps are a reminder, not a guarantee. Our guide to speed cameras in Korea explains speed limits, fines and who gets the ticket when you’re driving a rental.
Long drives often use toll highways. Our Korea highway tolls guide explains Hi-Pass, toll tickets and what happens with unpaid tolls. If you’re driving an EV, our EV charging guide compares public vs. private rates and shows how to pay.
What about the rental car’s built-in navigation?
If your rental has a built-in navigation screen, ask at pickup whether it has an English option. Our car rental guide for foreigners covers the documents and rules to check at the counter.
When will Google Maps add driving directions?
Google hasn’t given a date. In an August 25, 2026 Korea Herald report, Google confirmed its plan includes turn-by-turn navigation, but didn’t say when it would launch.
Until then, plan your trip around a Korean app. We’ll update this guide when Google’s driving mode goes live in Korea.
Last checked: October 20, 2026. Sources: joint government release on Google’s 1:5,000 map export approval (February 27, 2026, Ministry of Foreign Affairs posting, Korean); Google Korea blog Q&A on map data (August 5, 2025, Korean); Road Traffic Act Article 49 (Korean); US App Store pages for NAVER Maps, KakaoMap, Kakao Navi and TMAP; The Korea Herald (August 25, 2026); our own Google Maps web route check on October 20, 2026.
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