How to Use Korea’s New AI Tourist Assistant at Traditional Markets
Korean traditional markets are exciting places to explore, but they can also be confusing for foreign visitors.
Finding a specific food stall, locating a restroom, understanding a Korean menu or speaking with a vendor is not always easy. To solve these problems, the Korea Tourism Organization has introduced a new AI Tourist Assistant service at selected traditional markets.
Its Korean name is AI Gwangwang Jipsa (AI 관광집사). The word jipsa literally means “butler,” but AI Tourist Assistant or AI Travel Assistant sounds more natural in English.
The service provides market maps, crowd information and multilingual translation—and you do not need to install an app.
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| Foreign traveler using Korea AI Tourist Assistant at a traditional market |
How Do You Use the AI Tourist Assistant?
Using the service is simple.
- Find an AI Tourist Assistant QR code inside the participating market.
- Scan it with your smartphone camera.
- Open the website displayed on your phone.
- Select the map, translation, crowd information or recommended route.
There is no separate app to download and no membership registration required.
This is particularly useful for short-term visitors who may not want to install another Korean app just to visit one market.
What Can the AI Tourist Assistant Do?
Find Shops and Facilities
The AI map shows the locations of shops, restrooms, parking areas and other facilities inside the market. It can also suggest a convenient route to your destination.
This may sound like a small feature, but Korean traditional markets often contain narrow passages and several connected sections. Finding one particular stall can be more difficult than expected.
Show Crowded and Quieter Areas
The service analyzes congestion using CCTV footage and LiDAR sensor technology. Visitors can check which sections are crowded and find a less congested route.
It may also help you estimate whether a popular shop has a long wait.
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| AI map showing shops and crowded areas in a Korean traditional market |
Translate Korean Menus
The service can translate Korean menus into 10 languages.
Traditional market menus may contain handwritten Korean or dish names that are difficult to understand through ordinary translation apps. A menu translation function can make it easier to identify ingredients and decide what to order.
However, travelers with food allergies should still confirm ingredients directly with the vendor. Automatic translation should not be treated as a medical or allergy guarantee.
Provide Real-Time Conversation Translation
The AI Tourist Assistant supports real-time conversation interpretation in 34 languages.
A traveler can speak into the phone, show the translated message to the vendor and receive a translated response. This can help with simple questions about prices, ingredients, portion sizes and payment.
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| Foreign tourist using real-time translation with a Korean market vendor |
Which Korean Markets Have the Service?
As of October 21, 2026, the service is operating at:
- Mangwon Market in Seoul
- Haeundae Market in Busan
- Suwon Nammun Market in Suwon
The Korea Tourism Organization plans to expand it by the end of October to:
- Gyeongdong Market in Seoul
- Andong Old Market Association in Andong
- Danyang Gugyeong Market in Danyang
Each market may emphasize different functions. Mangwon Market, which receives many foreign visitors, focuses heavily on multilingual assistance and market navigation. Haeundae Market provides information suited to evening visitors and nearby tourist traffic.
A Local Guide’s View
As a licensed Korean local guide, I think the most valuable feature is not the AI recommendation itself. It is the ability to remove small obstacles at the exact moment a traveler needs help.
A market visit becomes stressful when you cannot find a restroom, understand a menu or ask whether a dish contains a certain ingredient. One QR code cannot replace a knowledgeable local guide, but it can make independent travel much easier.
Because this is a newly introduced service, functions and participating markets may change. Look for the official QR code when you arrive and check whether every feature is available at that particular market.
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| International travelers enjoying food at a traditional market in Korea |
What About Gwangjang Market?
Gwangjang Market is not currently included in the AI Tourist Assistant program.
If you plan to visit it independently, you may find my guide to Korean market food helpful:
👉 Why Do Koreans Eat Jeon When It Rains?
You can also review my guide to getting around Seoul before visiting markets in different neighborhoods:
👉 How to Navigate Korea’s Public Transit
If you would rather explore Ikseon-dong, Jogyesa Temple, Cheonggyecheon Stream and Gwangjang Market with a local guide, you can check the tours below:
👉 Book the tour on GetYourGuide
👉 Book the private tour on Viator
Final Tip
The AI Tourist Assistant does not mean you should stop using Naver Map or KakaoMap. Use those apps to reach the market, then scan the market’s QR code for detailed navigation, congestion information and translation once you are inside.
For foreign visitors who want to explore Korean traditional markets without worrying about the language barrier, this is a small but genuinely useful travel tool.
