Three friction points every first-time visitor hits in Jeju. Prepare these before you land — Google, your home bank card, and your usual apps often are not enough on their own.
Maps & routing limits
Google Maps cannot provide reliable walking, driving, or transit directions in Korea. Pin search works, but rural Jeju bus times and transfers are often wrong or missing.
What to do
- Install Naver Map and Kakao Map before arrival. For Jeju buses, Naver’s live arrivals are the most dependable.
- Save destinations in Korean (copy from Papago) — show the screen to taxi drivers and guesthouse staff.
- Use TripJeju place and itinerary pages — “Open in Naver/Kakao” deep-links hand off to local apps in one tap.
- Use Google only to confirm a pin; plan routes in a Korean app.
+82 SMS & real-name checks
Restaurant waitlists, some parking apps, and coin lockers often require a Korean mobile number (+82) for SMS verification. A passport alone usually cannot replace that.
What to do
- Book trending restaurants via Catchtable Global — email signup and international cards, no Korean phone needed for many spots.
- Naver Map navigation and bus info work for most visitors without real-name verification. Do not verify your Naver ID unless a feature explicitly requires it.
- If Naver Booking or similar insists on real-name status, submit passport via Naver’s official help center (allow several days).
- For activities and tours, prefer Klook or GetYourGuide when you want to skip Korean-app signup.
Transit payment
Since July 2024, cash is not accepted on any Jeju city bus. Visitors used to struggle with buying and reloading T-money cards.
What to do
- From Aug 2025, all 868 city buses accept open-loop EMV tap — Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, Apple Pay, etc. Tap when boarding and again when exiting.
- T-money still works — buy at CU/GS25 convenience stores. You must tap off on exit for transfer discounts within 40 minutes.
- QR wallets (e.g. Alipay) are also supported; Asian visitors should check their home wallet apps.
- Airport limousines 600/601/800/801 and tourist loops 810/820/880 — see TripJeju bus guide and our transit map.