Passport App
You’re not complete without your smartphone. Good news if you forget or lose your Bike Certification Passport. There’s a smartphone app that offers an alternative to the messy business of ink and page.
With the app, you can collect stamps just by coming within forty meters of a Certification Checkpoint. The app also provides a virtual copy of the Bike Passport, a bicycle map with checkpoints, and a cycling tracker.
Requirements
Hold up! Before you read on, to use the app you’ll need either an alien registration number or a social security number (for Korean citizens).
If you’re on a tourist visa, don’t fret. The hard copy Bike Passport works without a fancy app. Visit our Certification Guide to learn how to buy, stamp, and collect your awards.
Have an Alien Registration Card (ARC) or Korean social security number? Proceed.
Set Up the App
To set up the app, first buy a hard copy Bike Passport. Visit a Certification Center (인증센터) on the bike path. Check out our Certification Checkpoints listings page for locations.
Bike Passports go for ₩4,000. Paper maps cost an extra ₩500.
If you want to order online a Passport Online, register with riverguide.go.kr. Again, you’ll need a Korean phone number and an ARC.
Registration Number
Bought your Bike Passport with that new certification booklet smell? Well, open that sucker up.
Inside the front cover you’ll spot thirteen letters and numbers above a barcode. This is your Bike Passport’s SERIAL NUMBER.
BK201712050, for example.
Your serial number is the link that ties your hard copy Bike Passport with your digital app.
For example, collect a few stamps in your hard copy Bike Passport. Swing by a Certification Center and have them verified. Now open the Bike Passport smartphone app. Magic! Those same stamps will appear in the virtual Bike Passport.
Download the App
Next, download the app for your smartphone. There’s one for both Android and iPhones.
Create an Account
Before you can use the app, create an account on Bicycle Happiness Sharing (자전거행복나눔), Korea’s bike certification website run by the Ministry of Interior and Safety.
Create an account either in the app or on the website.
One hitch! It’s in Korean. Don’t fret. We’ll guide you through it.
Verify Your Identity
You need to verify your identity before creating an account. (You also need to do this to create an account on the Rivers Guide website.)
Break out your Alien Registration Card (ARC).
Now scan the online form.
- 이름 — Enter your name.
- Tap the drop-down next to 이름. Select 내국인 for Korean or 외국인 for foreigner.
- 생년월일 — Enter your date of birth, which goes YEAR/MONTH/DAY.
- 휴대폰 번호 — Enter your mobile phone number.
- 통신사 — select your service provider from the drop-down.
Tap the 확인 (confirm) button. You’ll receive a verification text. Type it into the next screen.
Set Up Your Account
You’re through. Great! Now you can set up your Bicycle Happiness Sharing account.
First, enter more info. Yay! This includes your Bike Passport’s Registration Number.
- 성명 — Enter your name.
- 아이디 — Enter a username. 6-20 English letters and numbers. (e.g. koreabybike135.
- 비밀번호 — Enter a password. 8-20 English letters, numbers, and special characters (e.g. koreabybike#1).
- 비밀번호 확인 — Retype your password to verify.
- 종주 수첩 인증 번호 — Enter your Bike Passport certificate number (e.g. BK201712050).
- 성별 — Select your gender. 남자 for man. 여자 for woman.
- 출생년도 — Enter your birth year.
- 거주지역 — Enter your address
- 시/도 — city/province
- 시/군/구 — city/county/district
- 자전거 종류 — Select your bike type.
Tap 가입완료 to complete the registration.
The app may ask your weight (사용자 몸무게) Why? Well, besides being a handy digital Passport Book, the app is also a cycle tracker. This info helps the app paint a more accurate picture of your speed and the calories you burned.
Use the App
Phew! We hopped over the difficult bits. Let’s give the app a spin.
Grant Access
When you first log onto the app, you’ll see a pop-up asking you to grant it a few permissions.
- Wireless data access.
- GPS Location access.
- Camera access to scan Checkpoint QR codes.
To receive a certification stamp, your phone must connect to the internet. There aren’t WiFi hotspots near most certification checkpoints. So grant the app access to your GPS and wireless data. It’s useless without these permissions.
Take the App Tour
We’re in! What’s the first thing you’ll notice? It has one language setting. You guessed it. Korean.
Don’t worry. Everything’s simple. First, we’ll look at the home screen. Then we’ll take you on a tour of the app’s other functions.
Want to learn about digital stamps now? Head to the Cyber Certification (사이버 인증) section.
Home Screen
The app layout is easy peasy. The home screen holds six buttons in a three by two grid. Each button leads to a section of the app.
Let’s translate them. Left to right. Top to bottom.
Okay. That was easy. Let’s tap on the first button.
Cycling Tracker
(주행 정보; Top Left)
The app’s first trick: a cycling tracker. Push play and the app will use your phone’s GPS to track some stats during your bicycle ride.
The tracker works like Map My Ride (Google Play; App Store) and Strava (Google Play; App Store), but with fewer features. You can’t save your rides or see your progress on a map.
At the bottom of the screen, push play (▶) to track your ride. Push the stop (⏹) to stop.
At the top of the screen, you’ll see a dial. This will show your current speed. Just below, two numbers will display your total distance (0.00 km) and time (00:00).
- 평균 속도 (시속) — Average Speed
- 최고 속도 (시속) — Max Speed
- 고도 (미터) — Altitude
The left km/h tracks your average speed. The right km/h tracks your max. Check your altitude in the bottom left and total calories burned in the bottom right.
Cyber Certification
Ah! You’ve reached the meat and potatoes of the app. This section allows you to collect stamps and access your virtual Bike Passport.
The first screen holds two options.
Let’s tap the first option.
QR Authentication Shooting
(QR 인증 코드 촬영; Top)
The QR 인증 코드 촬영 (QR Authorization Shooting) brings up a camera.
In a stamp booth? Find the QR Code sticker attached to the wall.
Open the QR camera and point it at the sticker. If you’re connected to the internet, a message will pop up: 인증 정보 자동 등록이 완료되었습니다.
Bob’s your uncle! You got a virtual stamp in your virtual Bike Passport.
Note, you don’t need to snap a QR pic. Switch on your GPS and give the app permission to use it. The app will detect your location and register your stamp.
Authentication Records
(나의 인증 기록 확인; Bottom)
Head back to the Cyber Certification (사이버 인증) screen and tap the second option, Authentication Records (나의 인증 기록 확인).
Welcome to your virtual Bike Passport! Minus a few pages, it looks and works just like your hard copy.
The first two pages display your progress report.
- Grand Slam (국토완주 그랜드슬램 달성) — 진행현황 (0/85)
- Four Rivers (4대강 종주) — 진행현황 (0/35)
- Cross-Country Road (국토 종주) — 진행현황 (0/26)
You can see how many of each checkpoint you’ve caught (진행현황; progress) next to each medal or bicycle path certification.
Once you complete a checkpoint, you can find the next pages. Just like your Bike Passport, you’ll find map sections, Certification Checkpoints with connecting bike paths.
One bonus to having a virtual passport, the stamp looks just like it came from the printers. So fresh and so clean.
Once you complete all the checkpoints, you can check the last few pages. You’ll receive digital stickers that certify completion of each section.
Quick Link Menu
Find the three-dot button above. Tap it.
A mighty menu will drop. Each button jumps to a section of your Bike Passport. The order goes:
- 인증 현황 — Certification Status
- 아라 자전거길 — Ara Bicycle Path
- 한강 자전거길 (서울구간) — Hangang Bicycle Path (Seoul)
- 남한강 자전거 — Namhangang Bicycle Path
- 한강 자전거길 — Hangang Bicycle Path (Part 2)
- 북한강 자전거길 — Bukhangang Bicycle Path
- 새재 자전거길 — Saejae Bicycle Path
- 낙동강 자전거길 — Nakdonggang Bicycle Path
- 금강 자전거길 — Geumgang Bicycle Path
- 영산강 자전거길 — Yeongsangang Bicycle Path
- 섬진강 자전거길 — Seomjingang Bicycle Path
- 오천 자전거길 — Ocheon Bicycle Path
- 동해안 자전거길 (강원) — East Coast Gangwon Bicycle Path
- 동해안 자전거길 (경북) — East Coast Gyeongbuk Bicycle Path
- 제주환상 자전거길 — Jeju Fantasy Bicycle Path
- 인증 스티커 — Certification Stickers
The menu is in Korea. Not again!
You need not be fluent. After you learn to read Hangul characters, you can easily spot the name of each bike path.
Scan 금강 자전거길. Intimidating? No. 금강 means Geum. Ignore the rest. It’s all the same: 자전거 (bicycle) 길 (path).
GPS Certification
There’s one more way to get that coveted stamp. Just turn on your GPS and give Bicycle Happy Sharing (자전거 행복나눔) permission to use it.
Next, ride within forty meters (130 feet) of a Certification Checkpoint. Open your app. Bam!
A box will pop up.
- 알림 메시지 — Notification message
- [안동댐 인증센터] — [checkpoint name] Andong Dam Certification Center
- 인증 정보 자동 등록이 완료되었습니다. — Automatic certification complete.
- 확인 — Confirm
The box confirms you completed the Certification Checkpoint. It’ll show the name of the Certification Checkpoint (인중 센터) and registration complete.
Press 확인 (confirm). Sally’s your aunt. Certification complete.
Double check, though. Flip to the checkpoint in your Authentication Records (나의 인증 기록 확인). Gaze upon the glorious stamp with your own eyes.
Certification Map
(자전거 길 찾기; Top Right)
The Bike Map part of the app takes silver in the usefulness Olympics.
From the home screen, tap 자전거 길 찾기 (road and magnifying glass icon). You’ll find yourself on a web map.
Look familiar? It’s a portal into Naver Maps. Although, you won’t find a few features: driving navigation, location profiles.
You’ll find the official bicycle paths, however. Just like our Google Maps version, you’ll find all the checkpoints and bike paths between.
If you click on a Certification Checkpoint, its name, category (구분), address (주소), and contact info (연락처) will pop up. Tap the 전화 button to call the location.
Quick Link Menu
Like the virtual Bike Passport, tap the three-dot button in the top-right. You’ll find two options.
Bike Path
(자전거길)
The Bike Path (자전거길) button brings up the official bicycle paths. (Check out the translations above.)
Select a bike path. The app will shoot you over to the path and highlight it in red.
Amenities
(편의시설)
Tap the Amenities (편의시설) button. A selection screen will pop up. You can turn off and on map markers by tapping the box to the right.
Here are your options.
- Bathroom (화장실)
- Bike Pump (공기주입기)
- Water Fountain (급수대)
- Bike Path (자전거길)
- Nearby Information (주변정보)
Have a hard time reading Hangul? The icon pics next to the name give obvious hints. The faucet with a water drop shows a water fountain.
Why tap Bike Paths (자전거길)? The map shows the official bicycle paths by default. Yes. But you can’t see the thousands of kilometers of local bike paths.
The Nearby Information marker enlarges location labels. It’s not too helpful. Just use the Naver Maps (Google Play; App Store).
Search Menu
The Bike Map has one more trick up its sleeve. Tap the dialogue box at the top of the screen. A second screen will slide up and display two options.
In the dialogue box, you can type and search.
Or hit the 주변 검색 (nearby search) button. It’ll search for the following places near you.
- Certification Center (인증센터)
- Food (먹거리)
- Sights (볼거리)
- Accommodations (잠자리)
- Public Transportation (대중 교통)
- Bicycle Rental (자전거 대여소)
- Supermarket (마트 검색)
Check the top of the screen. A slider lets you set the search area between 500 meters to 2.5 kilometers from your location.
Notice Board
(공지 사항; Bottom Left)
From the home screen, tap 공지사항 (Notice Board; paper & pencil icon). You’ll find a feed from Bicycle Happiness Sharing (자전거행복나눔).
Here you can get updates about bike path closures, weather, and more.
Oh no! It’s written in Korean. Want to read what’s new? Take a screenshot and translate it using Papago (Google Play; App Store) or Google Translate (Google Play; App Store).
Inconvenience Report App
(신고하기; Bottom Middle)
From the home screen, punch 신고하기 (phone & light icon). It links you to an Inconvenience Report App (생활불편신고).
This is a separate app. You don’t need to install it to use the Bike Passport app.
People in Korean can use the app to report an uh-oh or submit a complaint. They can tattle on a car parked on the sidewalk, complain about a bike path in disrepair, and gripe about litter.
Users write a report and take a picture. The phone will use their GPS to file the complaint with the local government.
Settings
(설정; Bottom Right)
Last, the tap 설정 (settings; gears icon) button from the home screen. Here you can change your profile information, check the app’s fine print, and more.
The home screen shows four different options.
Privacy Settings
(개인 정보 설정)
Privacy Settings (개인 정보 설정) lists your info. You can add or remove personal information by clicking 변경 (change) on the right.
Here are the translations.
- Profile Picture (프로필)
- Nickname Settings (닉네임 설정; for social media posting)
- User weight (사용자 몸무게)
- Automatic Login Settings (자동 로그인 설정)
- Emergency Contact Registration (긴급 메세지 연락처 등록)
- Bike Passport Registration Number (수첩 번호 설정)
- Change Account Password (비밀번호 변경)
The user weight setting helps the Cycling Tracker (주행 정보) determine how hard you pushed and, therefore, how many calories you burned.
We recommend setting 자동 로그인 설정 to ‘ON.’ This will save your credentials and let the app automatically log in. Just tap 변경 (change).
Just in case you need to confirm your Bike Passport’s registration number, check the number under 수첩 번호 설정.
The Fine Print
Back in the settings main menu, the second (회원 정보 2년주기 재 동의 안내) and third (개인정보 처리방침) options provide the fine print.
The second option, Two-Year Consent Agreement (회원 정보 2년주기 재 동의 안내), explains Bicycle Happiness Sharing’s police.
They will keep your information for two years. If you do not login to your account and give consent, they will end your account and delete your information.
The third option, Privacy Policy (개인정보 처리방침), contains information on how Bicycle Happiness Sharing tracks and uses your personal information. In short, they follow Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act.
Function Settings
(기능설정)
Function Settings (기능설정) is the fourth option in Settings (설정). It lists only one item.
- Sleep Mode (절전 모드)
Select ‘on’ next to 화면 자동 꺼짐 (auto screen off) and your phone’s screen will turn off if you don’t use it.
Select ‘off’ and the screen will stay on until you switch apps or lock your phone.