How to Use Food Delivery Apps in Korea as a Foreigner

Food delivery is one of the most convenient parts of living in Korea. On a rainy night, after work, or when you simply do not want to leave your apartment, you can order fried chicken, tteokbokki, pizza, jjajangmyeon, coffee, desserts, groceries and more.

For a foreign newcomer, however, delivery apps can feel more complicated than they look. The hard part is not only the Korean language. Successful delivery usually depends on four things: address, phone, payment and delivery instructions.

The short version

1. What is Baemin?

Baemin is the short name for 배달의민족, one of Korea's major food delivery platforms. In everyday Korean, if someone says 배민으로 시켜, they mean something like "Order it on Baemin."

The current Baemin app includes restaurant delivery, pickup, grocery and shopping-related delivery, B-Mart and membership features. You may also hear about Coupang Eats and Yogiyo, but a newcomer does not need to install every delivery app on the first day.

2. Baemin is no longer Korean-only

Older guides sometimes say Baemin is only practical if you can read Korean. That is now outdated. The current app listing indicates support for Korean, English, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. On iPhone, language can depend on system or app language settings.

This is a real improvement for foreigners. Still, a multilingual interface does not automatically mean every payment method, coupon, account feature or verification process will work for every short-term visitor.

3. Visitor vs long-term resident

A short-term visitor may have a passport, hotel address, travel eSIM and foreign card. Some delivery use may be possible, but the experience can be limited by payment, phone or hotel policy.

A long-term resident may eventually have a Korean 010 number, Residence Card, Korean bank account, local card and resident identity setup. The more of these systems are stable, the easier delivery apps usually become.

4. Do not make delivery your first-day battle

If you arrived today and still do not know your exact building entrance, unit number or Korean phone setup, it may be easier to eat outside or use a convenience store first. Delivery apps become much easier after you understand where you actually live.

5. Your Korean address is the most important part

A delivery app needs more than a neighborhood name. Save your full address in Korean, including the road-name address, building name, building number, floor if relevant and unit number.

Even if the app interface is in English, copying your Korean address can help riders, restaurants and building staff.

6. Apartment and officetel delivery can be confusing

The rider may reach your building but still not know how to reach your door. Common problems include a locked lobby, multiple entrances, a separate residential entrance, elevator access restrictions or several buildings with similar names.

Ask your landlord, building manager, dorm staff or neighbor how food delivery is normally handled before your first order.

7. 동 and 호

In an apartment complex, 동 often refers to a building number. For example, 101동 means Building 101. 호 identifies the unit. 1203호 means Unit 1203.

So 101동 1203호 means Building 101, Unit 1203.

8. Delivery instructions matter

The most useful delivery phrase for apartment residents is:

문 앞에 놓아주세요. 감사합니다.
Please leave it at the door. Thank you.

문 앞 means in front of the door. Contactless door delivery is very common in Korea, and the rider may leave the food outside and send a notification.

9. Be careful with building access information

If your building has a shared entrance code or security procedure, learn the normal rule before putting information in a delivery note. Some buildings have a separate delivery access method. Do not share more security information than necessary.

10. Korean phone numbers matter

A rider may need to contact you if the entrance is locked, the address looks wrong, the restaurant is missing an item or they cannot find the building. This is one reason a Korean phone number becomes useful for residents.

If you receive a Korean call and cannot speak comfortably, you can say: 한국어를 잘 못해요. 문자로 보내주세요. This means "I do not speak Korean well. Please send me a text."

11. Common delivery messages

12. Choosing Food, Minimum Orders and Delivery Fee

Once your location is set, the app shows restaurants that deliver to your area. Categories may include Korean, chicken, pizza, Chinese, Japanese, Western, bunsik, cafe and dessert. Availability changes by time, distance, weather and restaurant hours.

Watch for 최소주문금액, meaning minimum order amount, and 배달팁, meaning delivery fee. Check the final checkout total, not only the menu price.

13. Menu options and spice levels

Menu screens may ask for 맵기 spice level, 사이즈 size, 토핑 topping or 추가 add-on. If a section is marked 필수, you must choose something before ordering.

Be careful with 보통맛. It means regular flavor, but regular Korean spicy can still be spicy for newcomers. Start with 순한맛, mild, if you are unsure.

14. Payment can be the hardest part

Payment options can vary by app, account, card, service and verification status. A foreign card that works at a convenience store may not automatically work with every Korean delivery app.

Long-term residents usually have more options after setting up a Korean bank account, Korean card, properly registered Korean phone and resident identity information. Avoid building a long-term account around someone else's phone number or payment identity.

15. Identity verification and app features

Some delivery-app features can require identity verification, especially financial, coupon, gift-certificate or membership-related functions. That does not mean every basic order uses the exact same verification flow. Follow the current requirement shown in the app and remember that an English interface does not remove all Korean account rules.

16. What about Yogiyo and Coupang Eats?

Yogiyo is another long-running Korean delivery platform. Coupang Eats is part of the broader Coupang ecosystem. Both may be useful, especially once you are settled and can compare restaurant choices, fees and promotions.

For a newcomer, start with one app that actually works with your address, phone and payment setup. Do not install every app just for temporary coupons.

17. Pickup and takeout

You may see 포장 or 픽업. This means you order through the app but go to the restaurant yourself to collect the food. Pickup can be useful when delivery fees are high, the restaurant is nearby or your building is difficult to find.

18. Hotels, dorms and officetels

If you are in a hotel, ask whether riders can come to the room, leave food at reception or meet you outside. Hotel policies vary. If you are in a university dorm, ask the normal delivery pickup location before ordering.

In an officetel, learn the building entrance, residence entrance, elevator route and unit number carefully. Officetels can be confusing for first-time residents and riders.

19. Tipping and rider etiquette

Korea does not have a general percentage-based tipping culture like the United States. Ordinary food delivery does not require you to calculate a 15-20% tip. If the app offers a specific optional feature, follow the app.

The best courtesy is clear instructions and being ready if you selected hand delivery. Rain, snow, traffic and restaurant delays can affect delivery time.

Useful delivery Korean

Useful phrases

Common mistakes

• Ordering before learning the full Korean address and unit number.
• Assuming the English interface means no Korean setup is needed.
• Using only a data-only SIM and forgetting riders may need to contact you.
• Leaving out building entrance instructions in an apartment or officetel.
• Choosing regular spicy without knowing Korean spice levels.
• Assuming every foreign card will work.
• Ordering to a hotel room without checking hotel policy.

Your first delivery order

1. Install Baemin and set the app language if needed.
2. Set your delivery location and confirm the exact building and unit.
3. Choose a restaurant that delivers to your area.
4. Check minimum order, delivery fee and required menu options.
5. Choose a payment method that actually works in the app.
6. Enter a simple delivery instruction: 문 앞에 놓아주세요.
7. Review the final total before placing the order.
8. Watch the delivery status and keep your phone reachable.

FAQ

Final advice

Food delivery becomes much easier once four pieces are in place: correct address, reachable phone, working payment and clear delivery instructions. For 2026, Baemin is a reasonable starting point because its interface is now more accessible to international users.

Then learn one Korean sentence: 문 앞에 놓아주세요. Once you know your address and that phrase, Korean food delivery becomes much less intimidating.

Related KoreaVibes guides

• First Week in Korea: What Foreigners Should Set Up First
• Essential Korean Apps for Newcomers Living in Korea
• How to Get a SIM Card or eSIM in Korea as a Foreigner
• How to Use Korean Convenience Stores
• How to Pay in Korea as a Foreigner

Coming next in Daily Life

• How Trash and Recycling Work in Korea
• How Korean Addresses Work
• PASS App and Korean Phone Verification Explained
• How to Visit a Pharmacy in Korea

Sources and further reading

• Baemin on the App Store
• Baemin official site
• Yogiyo official site
• Coupang Eats official site