Do they speak English in Korea?

Enough to travel comfortably: subway signs, menus in tourist areas and announcements are bilingual, and younger Koreans usually understand basic English. Outside tourist zones expect limited spoken English — the Papago translation app fills every gap.

Hotels, airports and major attractions all operate in English. At local restaurants, pointing at the menu plus a translation app works perfectly. Learning two phrases — 안녕하세요 (hello) and 감사합니다 (thank you) — earns instant goodwill.

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