Are you in Seoul, Busan, or another city in South Korea and looking to find love? Well, after doing more than 32+ hours of research we’ve compiled a list of the 15 best Korean dating apps for both locals and foreigners.
I’ve downloaded all the 15 different apps and used them for a month to see which one was the best.
Keep in mind that the majority of people that are actually looking for “love” go to places like Gangnam, Hongdae, and Myeondong.
Let’s get started.
Note: Most Koreans use dating apps to make friends or hook up. (it’s mostly other foreigners or locals looking to hook up on these apps)
Here are the 15 Korean Dating Apps:
1. Tinder
Tinder is by far the most popular dating app in Korea. With over 75 million users worldwide it’s the most popular dating app to ever exist.
Even in Korea thousands of people use it on a daily basis. And if you look at Korean dating culture it’s quite different.
Most people use Tinder in Korea to hook up instead of finding a girl or boyfriend. It’s like the U.S. where people actually use Tinder to find their lover.
In South Korea, the Tinder app officially launched in 2015. Even though the app was not very popular at the time, it has risen to one of the most popular dating apps right now.
So, if you are looking to make friends or want to hook up, then Tinder is a great choice.
2. Bumble Korea
Bumble is another app that’s very popular in South Korea. You can use Bumble to make friends or date around.
This is the app that I used a lot when I was in Seoul. There were many people that used Bumble instead of Tinder. The main reason is that it’s easier to make friends on this app.
The overall interface is easy to use and there are lots of Korean singles on the app. Now, that doesn’t mean that all of them are real.
Sadly, there are fake people on this app. You won’t notice it immediately but if you want to meet up with someone. They’re either asking for money or gifts.
Luckily, this doesn’t happen often. Generally speaking, Bumble is one of the more popular dating apps people use in Korea.
3. Amanda
Amanda is the most used dating app amongst locals. Almost everyone in Korea has used or heard about this app.
It’s way better than using dating sites, and not only that. You can create connections for life with Amanda. What I really like about this app is that you don’t have to date right away.
You can get to know each other before moving on to the next step. It’s like meeting new friends in Korea with this dating app.
And 99.99% of people on Amanda are very friendly. None of them are like those grumpy old people, it’s mostly the younger people that are on this app.
This makes it very safe for Korean women to use Amanda freely. Highly recommended when you’re in Korea.
4. Korea Social
Korea Social is another Korean dating app. This app lets you meet different people near you in Korea.
Korea Social lets you navigate very easily through the app and there are chat rooms you can join. In these chat rooms, you can meet new people that’ll eventually lead to a date.
Now, the only downside of using this app is that there are fake profiles… So, if you’re looking for something serious and don’t want to waste your time, it’s better to use Amanda.
And there are quite some ads. Other than that, if you have the time and can easily spot fake profiles it’s a great choice.
Plus, you can customize your profile to your own liking. There’s no one-size-fits-all profile like some other apps have.
5. NoonDate
NoonDate is another great Korean dating app that lets you make friends with locals. It has different features like voice chat and an anonymous call feature. So, if you’re that shy person and don’t like showing your face yet…
Then this is a great option. It’s one of the more popular Korean dating apps in South Korea and lots of Korean women use this.
Now, it does have in-app purchases, which is quite annoying. Other than that the app is great for foreigners that are looking for Korean locals.
There are even real-time dating communities you can join and see who is dating. Plus, you don’t have to speak Korean to use this app.
6. HelloTalk
HelloTalk isn’t really a dating app, it’s more a language learning app. However, it’s a great place to chat with real locals and learn the language itself.
You can also learn more about Korean culture, which is different when you learn it from locals. And maybe… you can make new friends, which eventually leads to dating.
However, the main purpose of this app is to learn Korean. Not to date, so if you’re only looking for relationships, then I wouldn’t recommend this app.
HelloTalk is completely free, so you don’t have to pay anything to use it. And getting to know new people is always great. Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed.
7. Glam
Glam is an app where you can meet new friends. This app is very popular amongst the younger generation, which is also called Gen Z. These people love video chatting and with Glam, it’s easier than ever.
You can with your Korean friends and meet them in real life. It’s not like any other dating app out there because this one is completely free.
There aren’t many free dating apps out there, and if there are it’s mostly spammed with ads. Luckily, this one isn’t and is great when you’re looking to meet new friends in Korea.
When I used this app in Seoul, there were some friends I made for life. And that’s the best part of using Glam. Give it a try, you won’t regret it.
8. Between
Between isn’t really a Korean dating app, but it’s more made for couples that want to cherish their moments. I mean… you can date on this app.
But it’s not really great when you want to meet new people. You can have great conversations with your current partner on Between and it’s somewhat like a dating site but also not really.
A small percentage of Koreans use this, and since it’s not very popular and effective I wouldn’t recommend using it.
If you’re looking to create notes, calendars or photo’s with your current partner, then yes this is a great app to use.
9. DangYeonSi
DangYeonSi is the dating app Koreans use. It’s completely Korean so you can’t really use it unless you can read Korean.
For foreigners, this is great if you want to dive into Korean culture. Almost all people on this app are locals in Seoul. Most of them are male, but there are some women on this app.
It’s basically Tinder but in Korean. You can select your preferences and find the Korean guy you want to date. These could be height, strength, location, and many more.
All in all, DangYeonSi is a great Korean dating app if you want to learn more about Korean culture or date a local.
10. Wippy
Wippy is an app specifically made to find dates and meet new people. The dating pool is quite big and most of the people on this app are actual Koreans.
Yes… there are some foreigners on the app too, but the majority of people that use this are mostly Korean men. The app has features like instant messaging, message translator, and voice recordings.
These are great if you want to get to know the other person. And the best part?
You can even video chat with them. It’s free to download and it’s basically like a social networking app. Give it a try, you won’t regret it.
11. 1km
1km is an app that lets you make friends around you. Everyone that’s closer than 1km you’ll see on the app. You can upload photos and meet other users by chatting with them.
When it comes to the people in Korea, it’s not very popular. There are some people that use this, but it’s better to use an app like Amanda.
However, when you’re traveling outside of Korea then this is a great alternative to meeting new people. When I downloaded this app there were about 3 to 4 Koreans nearby, and this was in Seoul.
The heart of Korea, so it’s not very popular. But worth trying out if the other apps didn’t work out for you.
12. SKY People
SKY people is a Korean dating app that only accepts people from top universities. For example Seoul National University. With over 145,000 users it has become one of the biggest Korean dating apps in history.
Because of these unique features, it’s very hard for foreigners to use this app. This makes it very exclusive for the Korean women that are looking to date high educated Korean men.
If you’re going to study in Seoul and are graduating from a Korean university, then this app is a great alternative to the other ones.
It’s completely free and has slowly gained more users year over year. Highly recommended if you can get an account.
13. KoreanCupid
KoreanCupid is a Korean dating app specifically created for Asian women. The app called “Korean” cupid is already somewhat specified.
This makes it very easy to find locals here. Now, the sad part about this app is that there are many fake profiles on the app.
You can immediately spot the fake ones and they’re just giving very generic messages. So, it’s not an app I would recommend.
However, some people said that it’s worth giving it a go. Especially, when the other apps didn’t work out for you.
14. Azar
Azar is more of a videochatting app for Koreans. It’s used by millions worldwide, so you can’t really consider it a dating app.
Other than that, there are many Koreans that use this, and if you open your live location in Seoul. You’ll quickly see that Azar is very popular. With over 100 million downloads it’s slowly becoming one of the most popular apps in that category.
Now, if you’re specifically looking to date Koreans, then this app is a no-go. Not recommended at all, but if you just want to make friends.
Then it’s a great app to use. Give it a try, you won’t regret it.
15. TanTan
TanTan is a dating app that is specifically made to date Asian people. In Korea, mostly foreigners use this app and it works.
There have been many success stories showing TanTan helped them find their partner. It does take some time before you find the right partner, but this app works.
The main reason being is that you can have a profile id verification to show you’re a real person. So the person you’re talking to knows what’s up.
There are almost no fake profiles on this app, and it’s great to find your potential lovers.
The Most Used Dating App in Korea
The most used dating app in Korea is Tinder. You can find many locals on this app, but it’s mostly used to make friends. This could lead to date eventually, but it takes time.
Most people in Korea use dating apps to meet new people, it’s not like in Western countries that are specifically looking for a date.
So, this makes Tinder a bit different in South Korea than in other countries.
However, other than that. Tinder is a great dating app in Korea. There have been many people that got married because of Tinder.
Now, the only downside is that it has some premium features, which costs money. If you can afford to pay for it, it might be worth a while.
And because online dating has become more popular worldwide and in Korea, it’s great to get to know more people.
It’s a numbers game at the end of the day. That’s how you’ll eventually find your partner.
Making and Meeting Korean Friends
Making and meeting Korean friends is easier than you think. If you aren’t studying in Seoul and don’t have many friends, then get HelloTalk.
This app is specifically made for people that want to make friends. And if you’re in Korea it’s great, because there are thousands of users that are active.
Even though most Korean locals use KakaoTalk, the people that are looking for friends use HelloTalk.
KakaoTalk is more of a peer-to-peer messaging app, and not an app to make friends.
So, give HelloTalk a try, you won’t regret it.
Conclusion
After all, Tinder stays on top of all the dating apps in Korea. It’s by far the most used Korean dating app of all time and will likely stay like this.
It’s a great app to use for online dating, making friends or hookups. So stop using online dating sites and get on this app, because it actually works.
