Pokémon GO

Pokémon GO is a collection game built around a simple action: taking your smartphone outside and walking through real places to catch Pokémon. That combination of movement and collecting defines the experience: the time you already spend walking is also time you can spend building a collection. It launched in the United States on July 6, 2016[2], and arrived on the Korean App Store on January 24, 2017[1]. More than nine years later, it still has a place in the revenue charts. At 7:20 p.m. KST on October 7, it ranked 19th among games by revenue on Korea's App Store and sixth in Japan[9]. The App Store lists its developer as Scopely Explore, Inc.[1]. The information in this review is current to October 7, 2026.

A walk becomes part of your progress

Location access is the starting point. According to the app description, you cannot play if you refuse permission to use location services[1]. As you walk, nearby Pokémon appear on the map, and the species you catch gradually fill out your Pokédex[1]. PokéStops dotted around that map supply items, while Gyms are places to battle. A raid battle takes that combat into a group setting, with several players fighting one powerful Pokémon together[1].

Distance also brings rewards, making time spent on foot part of the game's routine. Eggs hatch as you cover distance, and the Pokémon you collect turn an ordinary daily walk into steady progress. Adventure Sync connects to the Health app and, when enabled, records the distance you walk even while Pokémon GO is closed[1]. That convenience has a cost to consider. The app description warns that continued use of location features, including while the app is not running, can significantly reduce battery life[1]. It also says that operation on tablets is not guaranteed[1].

The current season is Twilight Trails, which began on September 8 and runs until December 1 at 10 a.m.[3]. Mega Evolutions for Pokémon such as Staraptor and Chandelure make their first appearance during this season[3].

Three events share Korea's calendar this week

The first is the nationwide Hangul Day event, running from October 6 until October 9 at 8 p.m.[4]. Its Pokémon selection is a Korean wordplay: the first syllables of the Korean names for Gabite, Gligar and Rapidash spell '한글날', or Hangul Day, while the other featured names begin with '가, 나, 다, 라', including Growlithe, Meowth, Raichu and Lapras[4]. To make these Pokémon appear, you need a regular Lure Module or Incense; Daily Adventure Incense is excluded[4]. During the event, Lure Modules last one hour and Incense lasts two hours[4].

The second is Community Day on Saturday, October 10, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.[5]. Zorua appears more frequently during those three hours, and catching Pokémon awards three times the usual XP[5]. The window for its featured move is longer than the event itself: evolve Zorua into Zoroark from the event's start until before 9 p.m., four hours after it ends, to learn Sucker Punch[5].

The third event asks you to be in a specific place. Pikachu wearing an orange hanbok has made its debut, but its raid battles are limited to 15 designated Gyms in parts of Seoul's Jongno-gu and Jung-gu and at Incheon Airport Hiker Station[7]. Each Gym hosts the raid only once a day, and Remote Raid Passes cannot be used to join from a distance[7]. These raids run until October 11 at 8 p.m.[7]. The separate 'Korea Outing' event, which offered encounters nationwide, already ended on September 26[7].

Three ways to spend: currency, tickets and passes

The download is free, with purchases falling into three groups. The first is PokéCoins, the in-game currency. On the Korean App Store, the packs cost KRW 1,100 for 100 coins, KRW 5,500 for 550, KRW 11,000 for 1,200, KRW 22,000 for 2,500, KRW 45,000 for 5,200 and KRW 111,000 for 14,500[1].

The second group is event tickets. Zorua Community Day offers a Special Research ticket with its own tasks and rewards for US$1.99, or the equivalent in local currency, as stated in the official announcement[5]. Among those rewards are three encounters with Zorua featuring a Special Background[5]. Outside the app, the official web store's 'Ultra Community Day Box' includes the ticket and five Ultra Balls for the same US$1.99[5]. Korea's App Store purchase list also separately shows products named Event Ticket at KRW 5,500 and Event Pass Deluxe at KRW 8,900[1].

The third group is the monthly GO Pass. October's free pass is issued automatically to all players on October 6 at 10 a.m. Completing tasks earns GO Points, which raise your rank and unlock rewards as you progress[6]. The official announcement prices GO Pass Deluxe at US$7.99, with a version that adds 10 ranks costing US$9.99[6]. An upgrade is not restricted to the start of the month. Whenever you choose to buy Deluxe, you can claim the rewards for ranks you have already reached. That means you can spend about a week playing with the free pass before deciding whether the paid version is worth buying[6]. A separate pass for the Halloween event begins on October 27[8].

The best fit is an existing walking routine

Pokémon GO makes the most sense for someone who already has a stretch of walking in their day, whether that is a commute or an evening stroll. Those steps become progress, and the ongoing addition of Korea-only events gives that routine something else to follow. For that audience, the free game can last a long time. If you cannot arrange your day around the events' hours and locations, however, you miss half of the appeal. It is less convincing for someone who wants to play entirely indoors at whatever time happens to be convenient. This week's schedule shows the limitation clearly: Community Day takes place within a fixed three-hour window, while the hanbok Pikachu raids require you to visit specific locations[5][7].

For someone starting this week, the practical first step is to install the app before 2 p.m. on October 10 and decide where to walk. There is a separate decision to make before buying the Special Research ticket, with two conditions worth checking. Purchased tickets are nonrefundable, except where the law and Terms of Service provide exceptions. If you want to buy one as a gift for a friend, the two of you must have reached at least Great Friends[5].

Sources

[1] Apple. Pokémon GO App Store page (Korea). App description, developer details and in-app purchase list. Accessed October 7, 2026.

[2] Apple. Pokémon GO App Store lookup (United States). Includes the U.S. release date. Accessed October 7, 2026.

[3] Pokémon GO. Twilight Trails season. Official season guide. Accessed October 7, 2026.

[4] Pokémon GO. The 2026 Hangul Day event comes to all of South Korea. Official announcement. Accessed October 7, 2026.

[5] Pokémon GO. October 2026 Community Day: Zorua. Official announcement. Accessed October 7, 2026.

[6] Pokémon GO. GO Pass: October. Official announcement. Accessed October 7, 2026.

[7] Pokémon GO. 2026 Pikachu's Autumn Picnic and Pikachu's Korea Outing. Official announcement. Accessed October 7, 2026.

[8] Pokémon GO. Halloween 2026 Part 1. Official announcement. Accessed October 7, 2026.

[9] Apple. Top 50 highest-grossing App Store games (Korea). Also consulted the Japanese chart in the same format. Accessed October 7, 2026, at 7:20 p.m. KST.