Hi, I'm Gwang, Your Local Friend in Seoul

I'm Korean, and I've lived in Seoul for all 34 years of my life, every one of them in Gangseo, on the west side of the city. After that long, I know Seoul well enough to show anyone around it.

Whenever friends from abroad visit, they ask me the same things:

  • "Why won't Naver Map show up in English?"
  • "How do I call a taxi here?"
  • "What should I actually buy at Olive Young?"

When they looked it up online, the English information they found was often outdated, or it didn't match what the app showed on their phone.

So I started this blog.

What you'll find here

Getting around: apps, transport and payments

Naver Map, Kakao T, transit cards, paying with a foreign card. These are the things that trip you up the moment you land. I walk through each one step by step, with real screenshots.

K-beauty shopping, by ingredient

No ad copy here. I break down what's worth picking up at Olive Young (올리브영) based on ingredients and skin type.

How I run this blog

  • I only write about things I've checked myself. App screens and prices are accurate as of the date each post was written, and I update posts when things change.
  • Every image is a screenshot I took or a graphic I made.
  • If a post has affiliate links, I say so at the top. Affiliate deals don't decide what I recommend.
  • I use AI tools to help write posts, and I review every one myself.

Get in touch

Have a question, or something you'd like me to cover? Email me at wapung45@gmail.com.

Questions like "How do I do this in Korea?" are exactly what turn into my next posts.

Location: 대한민국

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