Finding a good food delivery app in Korea is one of the easiest ways to eat well after a long day of sightseeing. Fried chicken, tteokbokki, jokbal or a full Korean barbecue set can reach your hotel in under an hour. Until recently the big apps were hard for visitors to use, because they wanted a Korean phone number and a Korean card. However, that changed a lot in 2025 and 2026. This guide explains which app fits which traveler, how to place your first order step by step, and what to do when something goes wrong.
Food Delivery App Korea: Quick Answer
| Your situation | App to try first |
|---|---|
| Short trip, no Korean phone number, foreign card | Baemin (guest order with an overseas number), or Shuttle if you are inside its delivery zone |
| You want English menus and English customer support | Shuttle |
| You live in Korea and have a Korean number | Baemin or Coupang Eats |
| You already have a Coupang account that works | Coupang Eats |
If you only install one app before your trip, make it Baemin. After all, it has the widest restaurant choice and, as of 2026, the clearest path for tourists. In addition, keep Shuttle as a backup if you are staying in central Seoul, Busan or another area it covers.
Which Food Delivery App in Korea Works for Tourists?
Korea has three big delivery apps (Baemin, Coupang Eats and Yogiyo) plus Shuttle, a smaller service built for foreigners. Here is how they compare for visitors.
| App | Languages | Korean phone number? | Foreign cards | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baemin (배달의민족) | English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean | Not needed for guest orders (SMS check with an overseas number) | Overseas credit cards, Apple Pay with foreign cards, WeChat Pay, Alipay+ | Most travelers |
| Coupang Eats (쿠팡이츠) | English, Korean | Account checks can ask for a Korean number; reports vary | Visa, Mastercard, JCB in your own name | Residents with a Coupang account |
| Yogiyo (요기요) | Korean, English; Japanese and Chinese in beta | Usually yes | Overseas payment being added | Korean-speaking residents |
| Shuttle | English, Korean and several other app languages | No, sign up with email | International cards, PayPal, KakaoPay | Visitors inside its zones |
Baemin (배달의민족)
Baemin is Korea’s largest delivery app. Its operator, Woowa Brothers, added English, Chinese and Japanese on February 4, 2026, covering search, restaurant and menu pages, payment and delivery tracking. The app language follows your phone’s language setting, and a pop-up guides you if your phone is set to a language other than Korean. Also, menu names are machine translated, so some dishes come out with odd English names. The photos help.
For tourists, the key change is guest ordering. Baemin says visitors can order without signing up by verifying an overseas phone number with a text message code. Payment works with overseas credit cards, Apple Pay with foreign cards, WeChat Pay and Alipay+. Baemin also has an English visitor page at baemin.com/en/global. Even so, individual cards can still be declined, so bring a second card from a different network if you can.
Coupang Eats (쿠팡이츠)
Coupang Eats has an English interface, and menu categories and individual restaurant menus can be shown in English. It has accepted overseas Visa and Mastercard cards since the end of July 2025, and JCB is also listed. The card has to be in the same name as your Coupang account. However, the weak point for short-term visitors is the account itself: Coupang’s identity checks often expect a Korean phone number, and traveler reports on overseas numbers are mixed. If you already have a working Coupang account, it is an easy choice. Otherwise, treat it as a backup.
Yogiyo (요기요)
Yogiyo is the third big app. It supports Korean and English and started a Japanese and Chinese beta on September 17, 2026. It has also announced more overseas payment options, but for now it is mainly useful for residents who already have a Korean number and card.
Shuttle Delivery
Shuttle was built for foreigners. You can sign up with just an email, the app and customer support are in English, and you can pay with international cards or PayPal. Menus are shown in English and Korean. The catch, however, is coverage. VisitKorea lists core zones in parts of Seoul (Yongsan, Gangnam, Mapo, Seodaemun, Jung, Jongno and Gwangjin), Pyeongtaek, downtown Busan (Haeundae, Gwangalli and Seomyeon) and Nam-gu in Daegu. For this reason, enter your address in the app first to see what delivers to you. Also, the restaurant list is smaller than Baemin’s, and the delivery fee rises with distance. Official site: shuttledelivery.co.kr.
How to Use a Food Delivery App in Korea, Step by Step
The steps below use Baemin as the example, but every food delivery app in Korea follows the same flow.
- Install the app and set the language. Set your phone language to English (or Chinese or Japanese) and open the app. Follow the language pop-up if it appears.
- Enter your address in Korean. Use the Korean road-name address of your hotel or Airbnb. You can copy it from your booking confirmation or from Naver Map. By contrast, English addresses often fail to match. Add your room number in the detail field.
- Choose a restaurant. Next, check the listing. Each one shows the minimum order amount (최소주문금액), the delivery fee (배달팁) and the estimated time. Then check all three before you fill your cart.
- Pick your dishes and options. Options usually include spice level, extra sauce, drinks and portion size. Many chicken shops offer half-and-half (반반), for example half fried and half sauced.
- Write a delivery request. For example, something short like “Please leave it at the front desk” works. Adding the Korean version also helps: 프런트에 맡겨 주세요.
- Pay. As a guest on Baemin, you verify your overseas number by SMS and pay with a foreign card, Apple Pay, WeChat Pay or Alipay+.
- Track and collect. Finally, the app shows when the restaurant accepts the order and when the rider is on the way. Riders often leave food at the door or the front desk and send a notification. There is no doorbell ritual and no tipping.
Food Delivery App Fees in Korea: Minimums and Delivery Times
- Delivery fee: set by each restaurant and distance. It ranges from free to 5,000 won or more.
- Minimum order: each restaurant sets its own. Solo travelers sometimes need to add a side or a drink to reach it.
- Delivery time: Shuttle says an order in its minimum delivery area usually takes around 40 to 60 minutes in normal conditions. On the other hand, rain and late-night peaks make every app slower.
- Tipping: not expected. Shuttle’s own FAQ says its drivers do not expect tips and should never ask for one.
Ordering to a Hotel, Airbnb or the Han River
First, note that hotels handle deliveries in different ways. Some send riders up to your room, while many ask riders to leave food at the front desk. So ask reception when you check in and write the answer in your delivery request.
At an Airbnb, put the building entrance code in the request only if your host allows it. Otherwise, meet the rider at the entrance. Also, answer calls from Korean numbers while you wait, because riders sometimes call when they cannot find the door.
Ordering chicken to the Han River parks is a classic Seoul experience. To do it, set the map pin to the park and meet the rider at the pickup spot shown in the app. In August 2026 Baemin and the Seoul city government ran a campaign for foreign visitors at Yeouido and Ttukseom Han River Parks, with night delivery zones, which shows how common this has become.
What to Order on a Food Delivery App in Korea
First of all, fried chicken is the top pick. Baemin’s data for foreign customers from January to July 2026 showed chicken at 27% of orders, followed by cafes and desserts (12.7%) and fast food (11.5%). Beyond chicken, these dishes also travel well:
- Tteokbokki (떡볶이): spicy rice cakes, often sold with fried snacks and gimbap.
- Jokbal (족발) and bossam (보쌈): braised pork trotters and boiled pork with wraps, made for sharing.
- Jjajangmyeon (짜장면) and tangsuyuk (탕수육): Korean-Chinese black bean noodles and sweet and sour pork.
- Gukbap (국밥) and haejangguk (해장국): hearty soups that are good for one person.
On the other hand, some dishes are better eaten at the restaurant. Korean barbecue, for example, is all about the grill at your table, so see our Korean BBQ in Seoul guide for that. If menu words confuse you, our guide on how to order food in Korea has a list of common terms.
Common Food Delivery App Problems in Korea (and Fixes)
- Card declined: try a card from a different network, Apple Pay (on Baemin) or another app. Card checks depend on the network, the issuing bank and 3-D Secure.
- Parts of the app are still in Korean: some secondary screens are not translated yet. Use Papago’s camera translation or a screenshot translation.
- Address not found: paste the Korean road-name address instead of the English one, then move the pin to your building.
- Nothing delivers to you: on Shuttle this usually means you are outside its zone. Switch to Baemin.
- Rider cannot find you: pick up calls and check the in-app messages. A short Korean note in the request (building name, entrance, front desk) helps a lot.
FAQ
Can tourists use Baemin without a Korean phone number?
Yes. Baemin now offers a guest order route where you verify an overseas phone number by text message and pay with a foreign card, Apple Pay, WeChat Pay or Alipay+. Even so, individual cards and numbers can fail, so have a backup plan.
What is the best food delivery app in Korea for foreigners?
For most visitors it is Baemin, because it has the most restaurants plus English menus and foreign payment options. Shuttle is the most English-friendly, but it only covers certain areas. Coupang Eats works well once you have a working Coupang account.
Is Coupang Eats available in English?
Yes. The app has an English interface and English menus, and it accepts Visa, Mastercard and JCB cards in your own name. However, sign-up and identity checks can still require a Korean phone number.
Do I need to tip delivery riders in Korea?
No. Tipping is not part of delivery culture in Korea, and the price you see in the app is what you pay, plus the listed delivery fee.
Can I order food delivery to the Han River?
Yes. Set the map pin to the park, meet the rider at the pickup spot shown in the app, and keep your phone on so the rider can reach you.
We checked app features and prices in November 2026, and they can change. Looking for places to eat out instead? Start with our best Korean restaurants in Seoul guide or the Myeongdong food guide.
