5 Apps to Make Friends with Koreans

Do you love everything about Korea? Want to practice the language but don’t have time to join classes? Or maybe you’d like to connect with Koreans without flying all the way there?

Good news, you can! All you need is one of the many chat apps available on the Google Play Store. Simple, right? Here are some of the best apps you can try to make friends with Koreans and even learn the language along the way.

1. HelloTalk

HelloTalk is designed for language exchange, letting you connect with Koreans and practice by chatting directly.

You can search for partners based on age, country, and language skills. If you’re focused on learning Korean, you can even filter by the “Serious Learners” category to find people who share the same goal.

The app also has live streaming and voice broadcast features where users host discussions, share study sessions, or even teach their language. So, besides making friends worldwide, including in Korea, you can also level up your Korean skills interactively.

What I like:

• Chat directly with native Korean speakers
• Easy-to-use search filters
• “Serious Learners” category for focused practice
• Live streaming and voice broadcasts for interactive learning
• A chance to make friends across different countries

One thing to note:

• A stable internet connection is needed for calls and live sessions

2. Tandem

Tandem works much like HelloTalk. You can make friends with Koreans while learning their language, and in return, teach them the one you know.

It supports chat, voice notes, video calls, and even image or audio messages. With over 150 languages and 2,500 possible combinations, you won’t run out of options.

What makes Tandem stand out is its Travel feature. You can open a world map, choose a city (like Seoul), and find native speakers living there. This is especially useful if you’re planning a trip and want to connect with locals beforehand.

What I like:

• Offers multiple ways to communicate (chat, audio, video, images)
• Lets you connect directly with native speakers
• Travel feature helps you find partners by location
• Supports a huge range of languages

One thing to note:

• Location-based search and nearby features are only available in the paid version

3. MEEFF

MEEFF works a bit like Tinder, but instead of dating, it’s made for finding friends. You swipe through profiles to choose who you’d like to connect with.

It’s widely used in South Korea, so you’ll have plenty of chances to meet new Korean friends. You can filter profiles by nationality to focus only on Koreans, then swipe, match, and start chatting.

The app also supports voice calls, video calls, and group chats, which makes it easier to connect beyond text.

What I like:

• Lets you filter friends by nationality
• Swipe-to-match feature makes it simple and fun
• Offers chat, voice, video, and group conversations
• Many active users in Korea

Things to note:

• While it’s not a dating app, some users may use it that way
• Always be cautious about sharing personal details
• Free accounts may have limits on swiping and matching

4. Slowly

Looking for a pen pal? You can try the Slowly app. It’s a place to find pen pals in a modern way. Made by Why Interactive, this app lets you exchange letters with people from all over the world. You can also create your own avatar and use a nickname to keep your privacy.

Slowly lets you search for pen pals based on interests and language. There’s also an Open Letter feature, where anyone using Slowly can read and reply to your letters, kind of like social media posts.

If you want to find pen pals from Korea specifically, go to the Discover People menu and pick either the Language Exchange or City category. For Language Exchange, just enter “Korean.” For City, you can type in cities in South Korea to find people from there.

When I tried Slowly, it took some time before my pen pal replied. Just like sending real letters, messages take a while to arrive depending on how far away the other person is.

What I like:

• It has a unique concept of digital pen pals
• You can find friends by language or city
• Avatars and nicknames help keep your privacy
• The Open Letter feature makes it easy to interact openly

Things to note:

• Messages can take a long time to deliver, depending on location
• You need patience to build friendships here

5. Yeetalk

Yeetalk connects you with users from South Korea. It’s simple to use. First, create your Yeetalk profile, select your language and country, then choose the language you want to learn, in this case, Korean.

Don’t forget to add a photo to your profile. After signing up, you’ll see a list of users from South Korea. Just start chatting!

Like other apps, Yeetalk has a community area with a timeline where you can share moments with other users. Every post you make shows up on the international timeline, so people from different countries can interact with you.

Yeetalk might ask you to turn on your location, but the app is not very strict about it, so you can skip this step if you want.

When I tried it, I could pick any language and country for other users, even if it didn’t match their real location. That’s the downside, Yeetalk is more likely to have fake profiles or catfishing.

What I like:

• The community and timeline are international
• You can freely choose language and country for chatting
• Good for learning Korean while making friends from different countries

Things to note:

• It’s more open to fake profiles or catfishing
• Location and identity checks are not very strict

Those are some apps to help you make friends with Koreans right from your Android phone. Before using them, remember to be careful and use these apps wisely.

If you want Korean friends but worry about the language barrier, you can start by learning Korean first. It’s not hard. You can learn Korean easily through apps. For help, check out the article Apps for Learning Korean.