How to Write Your Korean Address in English (With Examples)
The right order and spelling for a Korean address in English, how to fill in Address Line 1 and 2, where to find your postal code, and what you need for overseas orders.
Sooner or later you'll need your Korean address in English: for an overseas online store, a bank in your home country, a visa form or a friend sending you a parcel. Korean addresses follow a simple pattern once you know it.
Step 1: Get your exact Korean address
You can find your official address in any of these places:
- Your rental contract (임대차계약서)
- Your Residence Card (alien registration card) or its address report
- Delivery apps you already use, such as Coupang or Baemin
- juso.go.kr, the government's address search, which also shows the official English version and the postal code
Step 2: Reverse the order
Korean addresses start with the biggest area and end with the smallest. In English, it's the other way around:
Add your 5-digit postal code at the end. The Korean address converter does this reordering and romanization for you.
Step 3: Fill in the form fields
| Form field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Address line 1 | Building number + road name | 16 Sillim-ro 23-gil |
| Address line 2 | Building (dong) and unit (ho), floor | 101-dong 1203-ho |
| City | District + city | Gwanak-gu, Seoul |
| State / Province | Province or metropolitan city | Seoul |
| ZIP / Postal code | 5-digit postal code | Your 5-digit code |
| Country | Republic of Korea (South Korea) |
If the form has no space for dong and ho, “Apt 101-1203” is widely understood.
Road-name addresses vs. old lot numbers
Korea moved to road-name addresses (도로명주소) in 2014. Older documents and some people still use lot-number addresses (지번주소) that end in a neighborhood name and a number, like Yeoksam-dong 737. Use the road-name version on new forms.
The postal code matters most
Korean postal codes have had 5 digits since 2015. Old 6-digit codes (like 123-456) are out of date. Mail is sorted largely by postal code, so a correct code helps a parcel arrive even if the English spelling isn't perfect.
Ordering from overseas? You need a customs code
Most packages from overseas stores need a Personal Customs Clearance Code (개인통관고유부호), a code starting with “P”. Foreign residents can get one too, online through Korea Customs Service's UNI-PASS system. Overseas shopping sites usually have a field for it at checkout. Make sure the name and phone number on the order match the code's registration.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the unit number. Apartment complexes have many buildings; without dong and ho, the courier can't find you.
- Mixing Korean and English order. Pick one order and stick to it.
- Translating names instead of romanizing them. Write Sejong-daero, not “Sejong Boulevard”. Couriers look for the romanized name.
- Forgetting a phone number. Korean couriers often text or call before delivery. Add your Korean mobile number (+82 10-…).
Sending mail within Korea
For domestic parcels, write the address in Korean whenever you can. Copy it exactly from juso.go.kr or a delivery app. English addresses are mainly for overseas senders and forms that don't accept Hangul.