How to Find and Use Public Toilets in Korea
Find and use public toilets in Korea with confidence: map-app searches, subway restroom tips, toilet paper rules, bidet labels and handy Korean phrases.
· 5 min read
Kate Shim
Co-founder & Editor
Kate is a Korea native and a graduate of Ewha Womans University. With a deep interest in wellness, food, and health, she helps international visitors look beyond the familiar highlights and discover the hidden charms of life in Korea.
Her writing brings a local perspective to the experiences that make Korea genuinely memorable.
Beat: wellness, food & dining, health, culture Languages: Korean (native), English
Guides by Kate Shim
How to Order at a Korean Café: A First-Timer’s Guide
A calm first-timer's guide to ordering at a Korean café: where to sit, kiosks and counters, for here or to go, pickup pagers, and returning your tray.
· 6 min read
How to Use a Laundromat in Korea: A First-Timer's Guide
First time using a laundromat in Korea? Learn how to find a self-service shop, check payment and detergent, load, dry and handle problems with confidence.
· 5 min read
Shopping in Korea: Tax Refunds Explained for First-Time Visitors
How tax refunds work for visitors shopping in Korea: immediate vs airport refunds, key limits, what to ask at checkout and how to validate goods at Incheon.
· 5 min read
What to Eat at a Korean Convenience Store: 5 Easy Food Combos
Five easy Korean convenience store food combos, from gimbap and cup ramyeon to dosirak lunchboxes, plus how to read prices, heat food and use key Korean phrases.
· 6 min read
Eating Alone in Korea: What to Order and How It Works
A practical guide to solo dining in Korea: individual meals, minimum orders, kiosk and tablet ordering, payment timing and useful Korean phrases.
· 6 min read
Foreign Card Declined in Korea? What to Check Before Trying Again
Card declined at a Korean café or shop? A calm 30-second checklist: what to ask staff, when to try the chip, what pending means, and what not to assume.
· 6 min read
A Rainy Day in Seoul: 3 Indoor Plans with Less Travel
Rainy day in Seoul? Pick one indoor anchor: National Museum of Korea, Seoul Museum of History or Starfield Library at COEX, plus meal tips and Korean phrases.
· 6 min read
Where to Store Your Luggage in Seoul: Lockers, Hotels and Storage Services
Where to leave bags in Seoul before check-in or after checkout: hotels, T-Locker, T-Luggage counters and private storage, with hours, sizes and backup plans.
· 7 min read
Google Maps vs Naver Map vs KakaoMap: Which Should You Use in Korea?
Compare Google Maps, Naver Map and KakaoMap for a Korea trip: English support, walking, transit, local searches and actual map screenshots.
· 6 min read
How to Book Restaurants in Korea Without a Korean Phone Number
Use CATCHTABLE Global to reserve or join waitlists in Korea without a Korean phone number, plus what to do when a kiosk or restaurant needs one.
· 6 min read
5 Cafés in Seoul Forest & Seongsu for a Slow Afternoon
Find your Seoul Forest and Seongsu café: cheesecake at FERIEN, sandwiches at Butty, McCoy's courtyard, cozy SAVORS or SUPER MATCHA.
· 5 min read
Hullo Hullo Cake Seongsu: Custom Lettering Cakes and Same-Day Bear Cakes
Hullo Hullo Cake in Seongsu makes custom lettering cakes and a same-day bear cake. Sizes, prices, how to order on KakaoTalk, and tips for foreigners.
· 4 min read
Thomas Bakery Seongsu: A Tiny Vintage Cake Café in Ttukdo Market
Visit Thomas Bakery, a tiny vintage cake café hidden in Seongsu's Ttukdo Market: what to order, prices, opening hours, seating and its bigger second branch.
· 5 min read
Butty Sandwich House in Seongsu: Sandwiches, Smoothies & a Garden Stop
Discover Butty Sandwich House in Seongsu: sandwiches, smoothies, garden seating, menu prices, directions, opening hours and Instagram.
· 4 min read
Noppensan Seongsu: A Chai-Only Café Near Ttukdo Market
Visit Noppensan, a chai-only café in Seongsu near Ttukdo Market: which chai to order first, what to take home, opening hours and tips for your visit.
· 6 min read
Part-Time Work Rules for International Students in Korea
How D-2 and D-4 students legally work part-time in Korea — the permit, weekly hour limits, TOPIK requirements, allowed jobs and the risks of skipping it.
· 4 min read
How to Extend Your Stay in Korea: A HiKorea Walkthrough
Step-by-step guide to extending your visa or sojourn period in Korea — HiKorea e-applications, immigration office reservations, fees and documents.
· 4 min read
Korean Visa Types Explained: D-2, D-4, E-2, F-2 and More
A plain-English map of Korea's visa system — student, work, working holiday, residency and digital nomad visas, and which one fits your situation.
· 5 min read
The 9 Apps You Actually Need in Korea
Nine useful apps for a Korea trip, covering local maps, taxis, translation, messaging, trains and emergency guidance — plus the limits to know.
· 3 min read
Your First Night in Korea: A No-Stress Evening Plan
Land in Korea and handle the essentials calmly: get online, grab a T-money card, get cash, eat, and reach your bed even if you arrive late.
· 4 min read
How to Order in a Korean Restaurant (Tablets, Bells and All)
Call buttons, tablet menus, self-serve water and free side dish refills — the Korean restaurant operating system, explained step by step.
· 3 min read
Is Korea Safe? An Honest Answer for Visitors
South Korea is generally safe for visitors, but normal precautions still matter. Here are the risks, emergency resources, and practical tips to know.
· 3 min read
Emergency Numbers and Help Lines in Korea
The Korean emergency numbers worth saving before you need them: 112, 119, the 24-hour 1330 tourist line with English, and who to call for what.
· 2 min read
7 First-Day Mistakes Visitors Make in Korea
The small first-day slip-ups that trip up newcomers in Korea — cash, tipping, escalators, trash, transit manners — and the easy fix for each.
· 5 min read
Pharmacies in Korea: What You Can Buy and How to Ask
How to use a Korean pharmacy (약국) as a foreigner: finding one, buying cold and pain medicine without a prescription, prices, hours, and phrases to point at.
· 2 min read
Public WiFi in Korea: Where It Works and How to Stay Safe
Korea has free WiFi almost everywhere — subways, buses, cafes, markets. Which networks to trust, how to connect, and the safety habits locals actually use.
· 3 min read
Korean Trash and Recycling Rules Without the Panic
Korea's trash rules made simple: 종량제 volume-rate bags, food waste vs general trash, how to sort recyclables, apartment vs house rules, and the fines to avoid.
· 5 min read
Korean Age, Honorifics and Why Everyone Asks Your Age
Why Koreans ask your age within minutes of meeting, how the 2023 age-law change works, and what honorifics mean for you as a visitor.
· 3 min read
Korean Cafe Culture: Unwritten Rules and How to Order
Explore Korean café culture, from coffee and dessert stops to seating and laptop policies, with practical tips for checking each shop’s own rules.
· 2 min read
The Korean Convenience Store Survival Guide
GS25, CU, 7-Eleven and Emart24 are mini life-support stations: meals, banking, transit top-ups and midnight ramyeon. Here's how to use them well.
· 2 min read
12 Korean Dishes to Try First (and What's In Them)
A beginner's ordering list for Korean food: twelve dishes ranked from mild to fiery, what's actually in each, and how to order them.
· 3 min read
Korean Etiquette Basics: What Matters, What's a Myth
The Korean customs that actually matter for visitors — shoes, two hands, subway norms — and the internet myths you can safely ignore.
· 3 min read
20 Korean Phrases That Do 80% of the Work
The twenty Korean phrases visitors actually use — with pronunciation, when to deploy each one, and the two that instantly warm every interaction.
· 3 min read
Korean Table Manners: The Friendly Rulebook
Chopstick rules, drinking rituals, who eats first and what's shared — Korean table manners explained without the fear-mongering.
· 3 min read
KTX vs Express Bus: Choosing How to Cross Korea
Compare high-speed train and express bus by total travel time, station access, current fare and luggage needs before booking an intercity trip.
· 2 min read
Riding the Seoul Subway Like a Local
How Seoul's subway actually works for visitors: fares, exit numbers, transfers, etiquette, and the small habits that make you look local.
· 3 min read
The T-money Card: How to Buy, Top Up and Use It
Where to buy a T-money card, how much it costs, how to load money onto it, and the transfer discount that makes it essential in Korea.
· 2 min read
Eating Vegetarian and Vegan in Korea
Korea is easier than its reputation — if you know where the hidden anchovy and beef broth lurk. Safe dishes, temple food, key phrases, and veg-friendly areas.
· 4 min read