How to Use Our App Listings

Support Local Businesses and Local Ads

Our listings are filled with useful information depending on topic and availability. It’s surprising how much you can find poking around one of our volunteer created listings. Let’s go on tour together to see what’s up. Since we all need to eat, let’s look at one of the 40+ Pyeongtaek grocery stores we have listed.

To get started let’s enter the Pyeongtaek Area Directory, select Spotlight: Businesses and Groceries & Specialty Foods.  The listing we are looking at today is a popular store located near Camp Humphreys.

The first thing you should notice when you open the Spotlight: Businesses: Groceries is that listings are sorted by distance from where you are standing at the moment. This is incredibly helpful when you need things right away. We know that many of our users are new to Korea. You don’t know where you are or where other neighborhoods are in relation to you. Seeing the distance will help you learn where things are at.  You will also notice that we have taken our many users from the USA into consideration and listed things in miles for your comfort.

Now, let’s say you want to have a quick look to see exactly where a location is related to you? We have you covered. Just click on the directions button. It looks like the little map marker that we have in our logo. See that blue dot? That’s you. The red dot is the business you want to go to. Clicking the red dot will also link you back to the business listing. The blue, pulsing dot will follow you wherever you go. You can use this to create little walking tours in an area. You can walk from one restaurant to another easily. It’s a totally awesome way to get oriented.

Support Local Businesses and Local Ads

So, you have decided a listing looks cool and you want more details. Click on the banner to open for more details. The first thing you will want to check are the reviews left by others. Our community has been fantastic about sharing their knowledge and love for places with those that are coming next. 

You can access these reviews by clicking in two locations; 1) The star on the header bar and 2) in the body of the listing.

Be sure to leave a review once you have visited the location. Facebook posts get lost, and we don’t have yelp, so your input matters. With our constantly changing population it’s important to those who come next. Leaving reviews empowers new arrivals to hit the ground running. 

We love reviews that are information based rather than feelings based. For example: ” I loved it” is wonderful but doesn’t share information people need. Instead say, “I loved it because it tasted like home” or “I loved it because they had friendly staff and a kids play area.” Also remember, our system doesn’t like fancy symbols or emojis, so keep review text simple.

Not every listing contains the Kakao Navi link but when it does, it’s awesome. We know it’s in Korean but it’s crazy useful for your cab driver (just hand him the Navi instead of worrying about addresses and names) or when you are walking. When it’s embedded in a listing it’s like winning the lottery. We include it when we can, but it depends on the technology available to the volunteers who create the listing. It can’t be expected, but it can be appreciated.

As we often mention, South of Seoul is a volunteer based organization (click here to learn about joining the team) and we rely on people like our Pyeongtaek Food & Fun members to recommend places and contribute to the process. (click here to see our submission form) When others take time to share awesome information we make sure they are recognized and appreciated. You can find links to their Pyeongtaek Food & Fun posts, other FB groups, or references for their submissions.

Now to the coolest part! In many of our listings, including all of our grocery listings, we include links to useful words and information you need to find important grocery items. We know that dealing with the language barrier is difficult when you arrive and are here to help as much as we can. Feel free to send use items you would like added to this list. you can send them to southofseoul@gmail.com

We currently have useful phrases for:

• Coffee shops
• Restaurants
• Visiting the dentist
• Grocery stores
• Butchers
• Communicating with trip bus drivers

Get Directions DIRECTLY In the App

Believe it or not, the app maps work pretty darn great and offers nice routes. We use it all the time to find places we don’t often go.  You can either click directly on the address in the listing or in the location marker in the header. Honestly, this makes it so simple. No having to open another navigation or maps app. The blue dot will follow along with you and just keep it on the blue line. You can also easily share this location with friends. Really, use this. Life will be better.

Share the Listing OR Copy the address

If you want to copy the address and use it in your navigation or put it into Kakao Taxi (You need the Kakao Taxi app NOW. Here is how to use it even though it’s in Korean. Be set free from base taxis or wandering the streets at night). Honestly, the South of Seoul app and the Kakao Taxi app are like a match made in heaven because we use only Korean addresses that can easily be dropped into Kakao Taxi. CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW to use them together.

So you have decided you are interested in a listing and what to remember it forever. That’s easy as pie. Just click on the little blue tab that looks like a bookmark. You will be able to easily find your favorite listings later.

• South of Seoul blogs about the listing in question
• Links to where to buy movie tickets online in English and find movie times
• Culture information you need for places like swimming pools or visiting jjimjilbangs
• Videos on how to take the subway for those just getting started