Where in Seoul is it hardest to get a taxi? Which tourist destinations do users type in most frequently when searching a navigation app? South Korea’s Kakao has come up with answers to readers’ burning questions about Koreans’ mobility habits.

Kakao’s mobility affiliate, Kakao Mobility, announced the publication on Monday of the “2019 Kakao Mobility Report,” produced by analyzing user data from its various mobility apps. Kakao Mobility has published the annual report since the company’s establishment in 2017.

According to the report, Gangnam-gu and Jongno-gu were the busiest districts, where people found it especially difficult to get taxis through Kakao’s T mobile app. The Yeoksam-dong neighborhood was the worst place in town to wait for a taxi, while the streets of Jongno ranked second worst. 

Kakao Mobility also came up with its own analysis of the country’s most-sought-after tourist destinations. The state-owned casino Kangwon Land was the one users looked for most frequently when searching Kakao’s navigation app, Kakao Navi.

In terms of favorite restaurants, the Lee Sung Dang Bakery in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, was the most popular on Kakao Navi. The Seoul Art Center in Seocho-gu was the most popular term among people looking for concert halls and museums, the report said.

The most frequent time frame when people called on Kakao’s paid designated drivers was between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., when police tend to be more vigilant in looking for drunk drivers. It accounted for about 66 percent of all uses of the Kakao T designated driver app.

There was a dramatic increase in use of the designated driver service during rush hour, given the recent increase in penalties for drunk driving. The number of drivers using the service between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. had increased 77 percent compared with last year, the report said.

Given the rising popularity of bike-sharing services, Kakao also analyzed how people used the company’s bike-sharing app, Kakao T Bike. The company launched the service in May by renting electronic bicycles at 5,500 won ($4.62) per hour.

According to the report, bike app users traveled an average of 2.44 kilometers. The service was most popular in newer urban areas such as Songdo International City and Wirye New Town in Gyeonggi Province.

“The country’s mobility market is undergoing a rapid transformation, as the consumers’ demand becomes diversified and personalized,” said Kakao Mobility chief Jung Joo-hwan. “I hope the report will help predict the country’s changing mobility trend.”

(jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)