Navigating Seoul: NaverMap vs KakaoMap

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Ingrid Valladares

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> ใ“ใ‚“ใซใกใฏ (kon'nichiwa) <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> University of Maryland, College Park <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2022 <i>Destination city & country:</i> Kyoto, Japan <i>Program provider:</i> Kyoto University <i>Major/minor:</i> Criminal Justice / International Development and Conflict Management <i>Demographics:</i> First-Generation College Student, Transfer Student, Hispanic, Immigrant, LGBTQ+ <i>Future career aspirations:</i> Upon graduation, I plan to apply to the Peace Corps so participating in this study abroad program would help me gain valuable experience living abroad in preparation for my service. Afterwards I intend to pursue a graduate degree in International Development with a focus on climate change and environmental sustainability. Studying abroad would provide valuable foreign cultural experience in a country that is very different from what I am used to. This program would also allow me to pursue my academic interest in the global environment as well as my personal interest in the Japanese language, which would benefit my long-term professional goals in pursuing a career with the USAID Foreign Service. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> One of my goals for my time abroad is to improve my Japanese language skills. But more than that, I hope to deepen my appreciation for different cultures and further my desire to travel and connect with people who I might not otherwise have had the chance to meet. This is why my second goal is to learn how to better communicate and connect with people from different backgrounds than my own. During my time abroad, I am interested in volunteering with a non-profit that serves at risk and disadvantaged social groups. This would allow me to engage with Kyotoโ€™s local population and have meaningful interactions as well as give back to those most in need. My last goal is to work towards building lasting bonds, regardless of cultural differences and language barriers, with those I meet while abroad.

One of the first major challenges I faced while studying abroad in South Korea is transportation. Initially, figuring out how to get around proved to be more difficult than navigating the language barrier. Through YouTube videos, blog posts and articles from expats living abroad and other students who have studied abroad in South Korea, I learned that the apps NaverMap and KakaoMap are better and more accurate than Appleโ€™s Maps app or Google Maps.

Before arriving to South Korea, I thought I had researched extensively on what to expect as a foreigner, but nothing can truly prepare you enough to where you donโ€™t face any challenges. Back home in the states, Iโ€™m not too familiar with the public transportation system. Iโ€™ve only ridden the bus and train a handful of times, and each time it was with someone who was very familiar with it, so I never had to learn any routes or schedules. Seeing as public transportation is the main source of transport in South Korea, I had to quickly learn how to navigate this new system while also dealing with the language barrier.

As mentioned above, NaverMap and KakaoMap are the dominant public transportation and navigation apps in South Korea. I quickly learned that they each have their own pros and cons. While KakaoMap provides very accurate (down to the second) arrival times for buses and trains, the step-by-step navigation provided is in Korean. Even when switching the language settings on the app, the landmarks and stop names are only available in Korean. As someone who is barely a beginner student in the Korean language, it was very difficult to use as I was unable to read the directions. On the other hand, NaverMap provides all step-by-step navigation as well as landmark and stop names in English. However, the downside is that the arrival and departure times for trains and buses arenโ€™t as accurate as KakaoMap. As a result, I find myself using both apps simultaneously when traveling around. This way, I can see the Korean and English name of places, landmarks, and stops so that I can learn them better and not have to rely on translation apps all the time.

Another interesting aspect of public transportation in South Korea is the cleanliness. As previously stated, I donโ€™t have much experience with public transportation in the states, however from the few times that I have used the bus and train, I can admit that it was not very clean. Each time, I remember seeing trash left behind either on the floor or on the seats. In South Korea, from the many times Iโ€™ve used the bus and train, I cannot recall seeing any trash even once. This difference makes for a better experience overall as not only do I feel safer, but I appreciate that everyone around is mindful of picking up after themselves so as to not leave any trash behind. Initially, I found getting around to be a challenge, but with the help of NaverMap and KakaoMap, Iโ€™ve learned how to use public transportation in South Korea (and thankfully now I only get lost sometimes :).