Kakao Maps Local API

Name: Kakao Maps Local API
Brand: Kakao Maps Local API
Availability: InStock

★ Only Publicly Available OpenAPI DocumentMaps GeolocationGeocodingapiKey6 EndpointsREST

For Agents

Geocode Korean addresses, reverse-geocode coordinates, search places by keyword or category, and transform between Korean coordinate systems on the Kakao Maps Local API.

Install Jentic One Beta

Connect the Kakao Maps Local API to your agent

Jentic One is a self-hosted execution layer for AI agents. It lets your agent call the Kakao Maps Local API, or any other public or private API you need. You set the rules, the agent never sees your credentials, and every call is logged.

Two steps, two machines. Install the instance in a safe environment, then register your agent from wherever it runs.

Step 1: Jentic One Host machine

# On the machine that will host your Jentic One instance:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jentic/jentic-one/main/tools/install.sh | sh

Step 2: Agent machine

# On the machine where your agent runs (keep this separate from the instance):
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jentic/jentic-one/main/tools/install.sh | sh
jentic register       # connects your agent to your Jentic One instance

Jentic One is in public beta. The setup above keeps your agent separate from the instance, which is what you want before using real credentials: an agent running as the same OS user as Jentic One can read its stored keys directly. Just evaluating? A single local install is fine to start. See the secure deployment guide for the tiers.

Capabilities

What an agent can do with Kakao Maps Local API.

Convert a Korean address string to latitude and longitude through GET /v2/local/search/address.json

Resolve coordinates back to a road or jibun address with GET /v2/local/geo/coord2address.json

Look up the administrative region code for a coordinate via GET /v2/local/geo/coord2regioncode.json

GET STARTED

Start building with Kakao Maps Local API

Explore with Jentic

View OpenAPI Document

Use Cases

Patterns agents use Kakao Maps Local API for, with concrete tasks.

★ Korean address validation and geocoding for delivery apps

Korean delivery, ride-hail, and on-demand apps use the address geocoding endpoint to turn user-entered addresses into coordinates that the dispatch and routing engine can consume. Kakao's database is significantly more accurate for Korean road and jibun addresses than global geocoding providers. Integration takes a few hours including registering a Kakao REST API key.

Call GET /v2/local/search/address.json with query='서울특별시 강남구 테헤란로 152' and return the latitude and longitude from the documents array.

POI search for in-app discovery

Apps that show 'cafes near me' or 'hospitals open now' use keyword and category search against the Kakao POI database. Keyword search supports natural-language queries while category search filters by Kakao's two-letter category codes for precise filtering. Both endpoints accept a center point and radius for proximity-based discovery.

Call GET /v2/local/search/category.json with category_group_code='CE7' (cafes), x=127.0276, y=37.4979, and radius=500 to list cafes near Gangnam station.

Coordinate system conversion for legacy GIS systems

Korean public-sector and enterprise GIS systems often use WTM, TM, or KTM coordinate systems rather than WGS84. The transcoord endpoint converts between any pair of supported systems so applications can ingest legacy datasets and emit coordinates compatible with downstream mapping tools. Single-call, no batching required.

Call GET /v2/local/geo/transcoord.json with x=127.108212, y=37.402056, input_coord='WGS84', output_coord='WTM' and return the converted x/y values.

AI-agent location lookups via Jentic

AI agents serving Korean-market applications can call Kakao Maps Local through Jentic to geocode an address or look up a place by keyword without managing the Kakao Authorization header format. Jentic stores the REST API key in MAXsystem and exposes high-level intents like 'geocode a Korean address' so the agent passes a string and receives lat/long.

Search Jentic for 'geocode a Korean address', load the schema for GET /v2/local/search/address.json, and execute with the address string from a user form.

Key Endpoints

6 endpoints — jentic publishes the only available openapi specification for kakao maps local api, keeping it validated and agent-ready.

METHOD

PATH

DESCRIPTION

GET

/v2/local/search/address.json

Geocode Korean address to coordinates

GET

/v2/local/geo/coord2address.json

Reverse geocode coordinates to address

GET

/v2/local/geo/coord2regioncode.json

Coordinate to administrative region code

GET

/v2/local/geo/transcoord.json

Transform between coordinate systems

GET

/v2/local/search/keyword.json

Keyword place search

GET

/v2/local/search/category.json

Category place search

GET

/v2/local/search/address.json

Geocode Korean address to coordinates

GET

/v2/local/geo/coord2address.json

Reverse geocode coordinates to address

GET

/v2/local/geo/coord2regioncode.json

Coordinate to administrative region code

GET

/v2/local/geo/transcoord.json

Transform between coordinate systems

GET

/v2/local/search/keyword.json

Keyword place search

Why Jentic?

Three things that make agents converge on Jentic-routed access.

Credential isolation

Kakao REST API keys are stored encrypted in the Jentic MAXsystem vault and injected as 'Authorization: KakaoAK <key>' per call so the raw key never enters the agent context.

Intent-based discovery

Agents search by intent (e.g. 'geocode a Korean address' or 'search places by category') and Jentic returns the matching Kakao operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without parsing Korean docs.

Time to first call

Direct Kakao integration: a few hours including key generation, header formatting, and parsing the documents array. Through Jentic: under 30 minutes to search, load schema, and execute.

FAQs

Specific to using Kakao Maps Local API through Jentic.

Why is there no official OpenAPI spec for Kakao Maps Local API?

Kakao publishes Korean-language documentation for the Maps Local API but not a single OpenAPI specification. Jentic generates and maintains this spec so that AI agents and developers can call Kakao Maps Local API via structured tooling. It is validated against the live API and kept up to date. Get started at https://app.jentic.com/sign-up.

What authentication does the Kakao Maps Local API use?

The API uses an API key in the Authorization header in the format 'KakaoAK <REST_API_KEY>'. Generate the key from the Kakao Developers console under your application's REST API keys. Through Jentic the key is stored in MAXsystem and injected per call.

Can I geocode Korean addresses with this API?

Yes. GET /v2/local/search/address.json accepts a query parameter with a Korean road or jibun address and returns matching documents containing latitude (y) and longitude (x). Kakao's database is the most accurate option for Korean addresses.

What are the rate limits for the Kakao Maps Local API?

Rate limits are not declared in the OpenAPI spec. Kakao applies a per-app daily quota that varies by approval tier. Free-tier apps get a smaller quota than enterprise-tier. Check current quota and remaining requests in the Kakao Developers console.

How do I geocode a Korean address through Jentic?

Run pip install jentic, then with the async client search for 'geocode a Korean address', load the schema for GET /v2/local/search/address.json, and execute with the address as the query parameter. Jentic returns the parsed coordinates.

Does the Kakao Maps Local API support coordinate-system conversion?

Yes. GET /v2/local/geo/transcoord.json transforms between WGS84, WCONGNAMUL, CONGNAMUL, WTM, TM, and KTM. Pass the source coordinate plus input_coord and output_coord values to perform the conversion in a single call.