Kakao Maps

Search Korean places, geocode addresses, and convert between coordinate systems via Kakao's Local API.

CommunityOnlineNo sign-inGlobalFreeRead-only

What it can do

  • Search Places By Keyword: Search Kakao Local by keyword (e.g. '강남역 카페', 'BBQ chicken Seoul'). Returns place name, road and lot-number addresses, phone, category, and coordinates.
  • Search Places By Category: List places in a Kakao category (e.g. all cafes within 500m of a coordinate). Useful when you don't have a keyword but want every cafe / restaurant / convenience store nearb
  • Geocode Address: Takes a Korean address (jibun or road-name form) and returns the matching coordinates plus normalized address fields.

What data it sees

Do you need an account

No: the server works without sign-in

Search Korean places, geocode addresses, and convert between coordinate systems via Kakao's Local API. The go-to source for Korean street addresses, businesses, and POI data that Western mapping services miss.

How to connect

How to connect Kakao Maps to Claude

The server address to paste into Claude settings:

https://maps--kakao.run.tools

  1. Open Claude (claude.ai or the desktop app).
  2. Go to Settings → Connectors.
  3. Click Add custom connector.
  4. Paste the server address copied below into Remote MCP server URL and click Add.
  5. In a chat, click + → Connectors and switch the new connector on.

Custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans (Free is limited to one). On Team and Enterprise an organization Owner adds the connector first under Organization settings → Connectors.

Authorization

After you click Add, a sign-in window for the service opens. Sign in with your own account and approve access. Claude never sees your password.

How to connect Kakao Maps to ChatGPT

The server address to paste into ChatGPT settings:

https://maps--kakao.run.tools

  1. Open ChatGPT in a browser (chatgpt.com). A Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu plan is required.
  2. Turn on developer mode once: Settings → Apps → Advanced settings → Developer mode.
  3. Open Settings → Connectors and click Create.
  4. Fill in the form: Name (anything), Description (one line about what the service does), MCP server URL (copy it below).
  5. Under Authentication choose OAuth if the service requires sign-in, otherwise None. Click Create.
  6. In a new chat open + → Apps/Connectors and enable the connector.

OpenAI has renamed this section before (Connectors → Apps/Plugins). If the label differs, search settings for "developer mode". On Business/Enterprise workspaces an admin must allow custom connectors first.

Authorization

On first use ChatGPT opens the service's sign-in window. Sign in and approve access.

How to connect Kakao Maps to Cursor

The server address to paste into Cursor settings:

https://maps--kakao.run.tools

Fastest: click Open in Cursor below and confirm the prompt.

Manually:

  1. In Cursor open Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP and click Add new global MCP server.
  2. Paste the JSON copied below into ~/.cursor/mcp.json (per project: .cursor/mcp.json in the repo root).
  3. Save the file. The server appears in the MCP list; authorize it there if asked.

Authorization

If the service needs sign-in, an authorize button appears next to the server in the MCP list.

Server tool list (6)

Raw names from tools/list. Only developers need these.

search_places_by_keywordSearch Kakao Local by keyword (e.g. '강남역 카페', 'BBQ chicken Seoul'). Returns place name, road and lot-number addresses, phone, category, and coordinates.
search_places_by_categoryList places in a Kakao category (e.g. all cafes within 500m of a coordinate). Useful when you don't have a keyword but want every cafe / restaurant / convenience store nearby. Requires either (x, y, radius) or `rect`.
geocode_addressTakes a Korean address (jibun or road-name form) and returns the matching coordinates plus normalized address fields.
reverse_geocodeLook up the street address (jibun + road-name) for a WGS84 coordinate.
lookup_region_by_coordReturns both legal (법정동) and administrative (행정동) district names for a coordinate. Useful for 'which dong/gu/si does this point belong to'.
transform_coordinatesTranslate (x, y) from one Korean coordinate system to another (WGS84, TM, KTM, UTM, BESSEL, WKTM, WUTM, CONGNAMUL, WCONGNAMUL).