November 21, 2024

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A promotional poster for K.ride (Kakao Mobility)

Kakao Mobility, the operator of Korea's leading taxi-hailing service Kakao T, said Tuesday that it has introduced a new application for foreign visitors called "K.ride" to make their mobility in Korea more convenient.

Previously, only those with a Kakao Talk account, the most popular messaging app in Korea, could access Kakao T. However, now users can easily create an account using their Google or Apple accounts and phone numbers via K.ride. Payments can also be made with credit or debit cards issued in countries outside of Korea.

The app currently supports English, Chinese and Japanese, with translation services available for about 100 languages, including Thai and Arabic, for searching destinations and texting with drivers.

The app is available in app stores in 14 countries, including the US, Japan, Singapore and China, and is compatible with both Android and Apple smartphones.

Additionally, the company plans to expand its taxi-hailing service to over 30 countries by the year-end to serve a global audience. Previously, its overseas services primarily catered to Korean users traveling abroad, offering services in the Korean language, despite the Kakao T application and its taxi-hailing service being available in 36 countries outside Korea.

The company added that it will introduce enhanced tourism services, language support and global mobile payment options such as Apple Pay.

"Our successful experiences with Kakao T in Korea will serve as a foundation for various global expansions, including overseas ride-hailing services, app integration and technology infrastructure in international markets," said Kakao Mobility CEO Ryu Geung-sun. "With K.ride, we aim to provide a convenient and user-friendly global service that anyone can use, no matter where they are."

By Hwang Joo-young (flylikekite@heraldcorp.com)