Naver Maps Expands Multilingual Support for Reviews, Place Filters

Seoul, South Korea—South Korean internet giant Naver Corp (035420.KS) announced on Wednesday that it is expanding multilingual support for user reviews and placing filters on its Naver Maps service to include English, Chinese, and Japanese translations. 

The update aims to provide foreign users with the same level of detailed location information available to Korean speakers, leveraging Naver's AI translation service, Papago, to translate text reviews. 

Naver Maps, which claims to be the only domestic map service supporting four languages, is extending translation support to user-generated content and search filters, particularly for restaurants. 

The company reports a 26.4% year-on-year increase in foreign users as of September. 

The expanded language support covers various features, including business hours, amenities, and keyword review summaries. 

Naver plans to gradually increase the types of businesses with translated place filters beyond the initial focus on restaurants. 

Naver Maps leader Choi Seung-rak said the update provides foreign users with "most of the information needed to explore places completely." 

The company intends to continue enhancing its service based on foreign users' needs, solidifying its position as an essential tool for international visitors to South Korea.