Ordering Food Delivery in Korea: Apps, Menus, and the Phone Call

Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers

Published Sep 2, 2026· How we write & review

After this page, you can order food through a Korean delivery app and handle the phone call or door interaction that follows.

10-second answer

The short answer

Korean food delivery runs on apps — 배달의민족 (Baedarui Minjok, "Baemin"), 쿠팡이츠 (Coupang Eats), 요기요 (Yogiyo) — and the whole flow is in Korean, so a few words unlock it: 배달비 (baedalbi, delivery fee), 최소 주문 금액 (choeso jumun geumaek, minimum order), 요청사항 (yocheongsahang, request box), 문 앞에 놓아 주세요 (mun ape noa juseyo, "leave it at the door"). Korea delivers almost anything — 치맥 (chimaek) at midnight, a single coffee, ice cream — usually within 30–40 minutes.

Quick check — did that land?

1. What is 요청사항?

Ordering food delivery in Korea?

Full Dialogue Walkthrough

Practice as the customer. First the restaurant calls because something's unavailable; then the rider calls because the building is confusing — the two calls you'll actually get.

Practice as:

Restaurant

여보세요, 배민 주문하신 분이세요? 죄송한데 순살이 다 떨어졌어요.

yeoboseyo, baemin jumunhasin buniseyo? joesonghande sunsari da tteoreojyeosseoyo.

Hello, is this the Baemin order? Sorry, we're out of boneless.

You

아, 그럼 뼈 있는 걸로 바꿔 주세요.

a, geureom ppyeo inneun geollo bakkwo juseyo.

Oh, then please change it to bone-in.

Restaurant

네, 같은 가격으로 해 드릴게요. 배달은 30분쯤 걸려요.

ne, gateun gagyeogeuro hae deurilgeyo. baedareun samsip buntjeum geollyeoyo.

Sure, same price. Delivery will take about 30 minutes.

You

네, 감사합니다. 문 앞에 놓아 주세요.

ne, gamsahamnida. mun ape noa juseyo.

Thanks. Please leave it at the door.

App Vocabulary

Korean	Meaning	Where you'll see it
배달비	Delivery fee	Under each restaurant — often 2,000–4,000원, sometimes free above a threshold
최소 주문 금액	Minimum order amount	Same line; the app won't let you check out below it
요청사항	Request box	Checkout — where 'no cilantro' and 'leave at door' go
포장 / 배달	Pickup / delivery	Toggle at the top; 포장 is cheaper and skips the fee
일회용 수저 필요해요	I need disposable utensils	Checkbox at checkout — off by default in most apps now
리뷰 이벤트	Review event	Free side dish if you promise a review — write 리뷰 이벤트 참여 in the request box
곱빼기	Extra-large portion	Noodle and rice dishes; usually +1,000–2,000원

Foreign cards and the sign-up wall

Most apps need a Korean phone number to register, and some reject foreign credit cards. A Korean SIM (how to get one) plus a Korean debit card (bank account walkthrough) solves both; 쿠팡이츠 is the most tolerant of foreign cards if you're only visiting.

What to Type in the Request Box

문 앞에 놓고 노크해 주세요.

mun ape noko nokeu hae juseyo.

Leave it at the door and knock, please.

The single most common request in Korea — contactless by default.

고수 빼 주세요.

gosu ppae juseyo.

No cilantro, please.

빼 주세요 = 'take out'. Swap 고수 for 양파 (onion), 오이 (cucumber), 견과류 (nuts).

덜 맵게 해 주세요.

deol maepge hae juseyo.

Make it less spicy, please.

Works for most Korean dishes; 안 맵게 = not spicy at all.

벨 누르지 마세요. 아기가 자요.

bel nureuji maseyo. agiga jayo.

Please don't ring the bell — the baby's asleep.

-지 마세요 for 'please don't'; riders read the box carefully.

Common Mistakes

Mistake #1 — Ignoring the phone when it rings during an order

An unknown number right after ordering is the restaurant or rider. If you don't pick up, the order may be cancelled. Answer with 여보세요 and expect one of the two dialogues above.

Mistake #2 — Skipping the building code

Apartment entrances (공동현관) are locked. Put the code in 요청사항 every time or you'll get the call.

Mini Quiz

2. The restaurant calls to say 순살이 다 떨어졌어요. What happened?
3. How do you ask for a less spicy version?

Related Knowledge

Learn Next

Convenience Store Korean Phrases

Delivery and the 편의점 cover most of a foreigner's first-month meals — the counter phrases are next.

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