Food delivery apps
Eat & drink

Korean food delivery for foreigners

Delivery (배달) is everywhere in Korea — the only wall is that the big apps assume a Korean phone + card + Korean address. 6 paths compared on exactly that (5 need no Korean setup at all, 3 have an English UI), the ordering flow that trips up first-timers, 8 tips, and a phrasebook for the door.

6 delivery paths — filter by your setup

6 results

Baemin (배달의민족)

배달의민족 · Widest selection
🇰🇷 Local app
Korean UINo KR phoneNo KR card
Best for
The widest restaurant selection (if you can handle Korean UI)
Workaround
Since May 2024 you can order as a GUEST with any phone number (incl. foreign) and pay upfront with a foreign card — no KR phone, ARC, or KR bank needed. The app is Korean-only, so run a translation app over it.

The market leader = the most restaurants. The only friction is the Korean-only interface; guest checkout + a translate overlay clears it. Save your address in Korean first.

Coupang Eats

쿠팡이츠 · Wide selection
🇰🇷 Local app
English UINo KR phoneNo KR card
Best for
Wide selection with an English interface
Workaround
Offers an English UI and accepts foreign cards. If you have a Coupang account (e.g. from shopping), it carries over. Best balance of coverage + English.

Top-3 app with strong coverage and single-order focus (fast). The sweet spot once Shuttle's selection feels too small.

Yogiyo (요기요)

요기요 · Wide selection
🇰🇷 Local app
Korean UINeeds KR phoneNo KR cardNeeds ARC
Best for
Residents with an ARC who already use it
Workaround
Effectively needs an ARC + Korean phone for sign-up, and the UI is Korean-only. No good tourist workaround — use Shuttle/Coupang Eats/Baemin instead.

Listed for completeness. Not recommended for short-stay foreigners; the setup wall is higher than the alternatives with no upside.

Shuttle Delivery

셔틀 · Limited selection
🌐 Foreigner app
English UINo KR phoneNo KR card
Best for
First-timers + tourists — the zero-setup English default
Workaround
Built for foreigners: full English UI, sign up with a foreign number + email, pay with Visa/Mastercard. No KR phone, no ARC. (KTO promo code "VK2025" gives signup points.)

The single easiest path. Restaurant list is smaller than the local giants and concentrated in foreigner-dense areas (Itaewon, Hongdae, Gangnam, near universities), but everything just works in English.

Hotel concierge order

호텔 컨시어지 · Limited selection
🛟 Fallback
English UINo KR phoneNo KR card
Best for
Zero-app fallback when nothing else works
Workaround
Ask the front desk to place a delivery order to your room and settle it on your room bill or cash. Works at most mid/upper hotels.

No app, no account, no language barrier. Selection depends on the staff's goodwill + nearby restaurants, but it never fails as a backup.

Convenience-store delivery

편의점 배달 · Limited selection
🛟 Fallback
Korean UINo KR phoneNo KR card
Best for
Snacks, drinks, basics delivered fast + cheap
Workaround
CU/GS25/7-Eleven deliver via their own apps or through Baemin/Coupang Eats "store" sections. Or just walk in — they're everywhere. Cash works.

Not a meal solution but unbeatable for late-night snacks, water, OTC basics. Often a lower minimum than restaurant delivery.

How to place your first order — 5 steps

  1. 1

    Get your address in Korean first · 한국어 주소

    Delivery needs a Korean address + often a building/unit. Copy your accommodation's Korean address from the booking or Naver Map, and note the building name + unit/floor. Save it to /address-card so you can paste it into any app.

  2. 2

    Pick the path that matches your setup · 앱 선택

    No KR phone + want English → Shuttle or Coupang Eats. Want the widest menu + ok with a translation app → Baemin guest checkout. No app at all → hotel concierge.

  3. 3

    Order as a guest + pay upfront by card · 비회원 주문 · 카드 결제

    On Baemin choose 비회원 주문 (guest order); on Shuttle/Coupang Eats just sign in with email. Pay upfront with a foreign Visa/Mastercard so there's no cash handover confusion at the door.

  4. 4

    Add delivery instructions · 요청사항

    Use the request/메모 field for entry: door code, "leave at door" (문 앞에 두세요), or "call on arrival". Korean apartment lobbies often need a 공동현관 entry code — include it.

  5. 5

    Track + receive · 배달 확인

    You'll get live tracking. Riders may call/text in Korean — "문 앞에 두세요" (leave at the door) avoids a phone call. Tipping is NOT expected in Korea.

Tips — fees, minimums, entry codes

  • Tipping is not a thingThere is no tipping culture for delivery in Korea. The price you see (food + 배달비 delivery fee) is all you pay. Don't feel obliged to tip the rider.
  • Minimum order amountsMost restaurants set a 최소주문금액 (minimum order, often ₩12,000–15,000). Solo diners may need to add a side or drink to clear it. Convenience-store delivery usually has a lower minimum.
  • Delivery fee varies by distance + weatherThe 배달비 (delivery fee, ₩0–5,000+) rises with distance, rain, and late nights. It's shown before you pay. Picking a closer restaurant lowers it.
  • Save your address in KoreanApps match on the Korean address + building. Keep your accommodation's Korean address + unit handy (see /address-card). Romanized addresses often fail to autocomplete.
  • Apartment entry codesKorean apartments have a 공동현관 (lobby) keypad. Put the entry code in the delivery memo, or the rider can't reach your door. For hotels, use the lobby/front-desk as the drop point.
  • "Leave at the door" avoids a callRiders often phone in Korean. Writing 문 앞에 두세요 (leave it at the door) in the request field lets you skip the call entirely.
  • Cash on delivery still existsIf your card fails, many places accept 현금 (cash) on delivery — choose 만나서 결제 (pay on meeting). Have exact-ish change ready.
  • Translation overlay for BaeminBaemin is Korean-only. Use your phone's screen-translate (Google Translate / Papago live) over the app, or browse the same restaurant in English on Coupang Eats first to know what to order.

Phrasebook for the door

Please leave it at the door.
문 앞에 두세요.
Mun ape duseyo.
I will pay by card.
카드로 결제할게요.
Kadeuro gyeolje-halgeyo.
The entry code is ____.
공동현관 비밀번호는 ____예요.
Gongdong-hyeongwan bimilbeonhoneun ____ yeyo.
Please don't make it spicy.
안 맵게 해주세요.
An maepge haejuseyo.
How long will it take?
얼마나 걸려요?
Eolmana geollyeoyo?
Please call when you arrive.
도착하면 전화 주세요.
Dochak-hamyeon jeonhwa juseyo.

See also

Cab address cardCan I pay with my card?Taxi apps (Kakao T)