Get things done in Korea

Stuck on a Korean app? See what it asks for, how to get past it, or just let us do it for you.

By category

Korean concert and event tickets ★ K-pop, concerts, musicals, and shows on Interpark/NOL, YES24, and Melon, and how foreigners actually book them.

Food delivery How to order from Baemin, Coupang Eats, and Yogiyo as a foreigner: what they ask you to verify, the phone they need, the tricks that work, and where Toyoni does it for you.

Restaurant reservations How to book a restaurant in Korea without a Korean phone number: the CatchTable and Tabling phone and ID step, how to do it yourself, and where Toyoni books for you.

Online shopping Coupang, Olive Young, Musinsa, and Kurly all make you prove your Korean ID at checkout. Here's what to do for each, as a foreigner.

Secondhand & marketplace How to buy used stuff on Korea's resale apps (Karrot and Bunjang), and how foreigners get past the ID check so they can actually buy.

Trains & taxis Book KTX trains and hail Kakao taxis in Korea as a foreigner. We tell you where Korean ID and phone checks stop you, and what to do about it.

SIM & phone number Korean SIMs and eSIMs for foreigners: what gets you data, what gets you a Korean number you can use to sign up for things, and where each one stops working.

Banking (setup only) How foreigners actually open a Korean bank account you can use: who is allowed, who gets in, and where Toyoni does the setup for you.

Why you get stuck, explained

Almost every problem comes down to one of these:

Korean ID verification (본인인증), explained The ID check behind most Korean signups, and why foreigners get stuck on it. Why a Korean phone number lets you do almost everything Most Korean apps text a code to a Korean phone line in your name. A tourist SIM usually fails this step. Here is why. Korean payments: why your Visa keeps getting rejected 3D Secure, UnionPay vs Visa, KakaoPay timeouts, and checkouts that only take Korean cards: the part that breaks last. Region lock and the Korean app store When what stops you is your country, not your ID: app-store region, VPN quirks, and Korean-only apps. Korean-only apps and checkouts The app installs fine and takes your card. But every screen is in Korean, with no English mode.