🚕 You’re Using Taxis Wrong in Korea — Here’s How Kakao Taxi (카카오택시) Actually Works
A lot of travelers make the same mistake in Korea.
They step outside, look for a taxi, and try to stop one on the street.
Sometimes it works.
Most of the time, it doesn’t.
Not because taxis are rare —
but because that’s not how people use them anymore.
In Korea, people don’t chase taxis.
They call them with Kakao Taxi (카카오택시).
And once you understand how it works,
getting around becomes simple, fast, and predictable.
This guide shows you exactly what to do —
from searching your destination to paying at the end.
1) Search Your Destination
Open Kakao T → Tap Taxi
The first thing you need to do is search your destination.
You can search in:
- English
- Japanese
- Korean
👉 The app supports all three.
✔ How to search correctly
Start with a place name, not a sentence.
Good examples:
- Seoul Station
- Myeongdong
- Hongik Univ. Station
- Incheon Airport
- 明洞 / ソウル駅
⚠️ What most people get wrong
Typing something vague like:
- “near Hongdae”
- “hotel in Myeongdong”
👉 This creates inaccurate results
✔ Best practice
Use:
- exact station names
- hotel names
- landmark names
👉 Then ALWAYS check the map pin
2) Set Pickup Point & Destination
After selecting your destination,
check both:
- Pickup location
- Drop-off location
✔ Pickup point tip
Don’t stand in:
- alleys
- building interiors
- underground exits
👉 Instead choose:
- main road
- hotel entrance
- visible roadside
✔ Why this matters
If the pickup point is unclear:
👉 driver stops somewhere else
👉 you waste time finding each other
3) Choose Taxi Typ
You will see multiple options.
👉 Keep it simple.
✔ What you should choose
Standard / General taxi
👉 Best for:
- solo travelers
- normal luggage
- everyday use
✔ When to choose bigger taxi
- large luggage
- group travel
- want more space
👉 If you’re unsure,
just pick the standard option
4) Confirm & Request
Before you request:
Check:
- pickup point
- destination
- taxi type
Then tap:
👉 Request Taxi
After a driver accepts:
- you’ll see car info
- estimated arrival
- live location
👉 Go to your pickup point and wait
5) Payment
There are two ways to pay.
✔ Option 1: Pay in the taxi
- credit card
- cash
👉 simplest and most reliable
✔ Option 2: Pay in the app
- automatic payment setup
👉 works, but not necessary for travelers
👉 Best advice:
If you’re unsure, just pay in the taxi
⚠️ Most Common Mistakes
🚫 Wrong destination
👉 always check the map pin
🚫 Bad pickup location
👉 stand on a visible roadside
🚫 Choosing wrong taxi type
👉 just pick standard
🚀 Final Thoughts
Kakao Taxi (카카오택시) is not complicated.
Most people struggle because they:
- don’t search properly
- don’t check the map
- overthink the options
If you follow this flow:
👉 Search → Check → Choose → Request → Pay
That’s all you need.
Once you try it once,
you won’t go back to street taxis again.
Travel Korea, made simple. Your frist friend in Korea.