The hardest part of writing a Korean address in English is the word order. Korean lists the largest unit first (province, city), while English starts with the smallest (street, number). Once you understand this, the rest is simple.
1. Reversed word order
English addresses go from smallest to largest:
- Korean: 서울특별시 강남구 테헤란로 123
- English: 123 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
2. Romanizing districts and provinces
- 구 (district) → -gu (강남구 → Gangnam-gu)
- 시 (city) → -si (수원시 → Suwon-si)
- 도 (province) → -do (경기도 → Gyeonggi-do)
- Metropolitan cities → plain name (Seoul, Busan, Incheon)
3. Postal code
Korea switched to 5-digit postal codes in 2015. The old 6-digit codes are no longer used. Enter the 5-digit code in the ZIP Code field.
4. Building and unit numbers
- Building 101, Unit 1502 → Apt 101-1502
- 5th floor, Room 301 → 5F Suite 301
5. Common mistakes
- Using a 6-digit postal code (use 5 digits)
- Writing only "Korea" (use South Korea)
- Putting the building number after the road name (it goes before)
- Omitting the unit number (required for large apartment complexes)
The Korean address converter uses official government data, so districts, provinces, and postal codes are romanized correctly and automatically.
6. Full worked example
Take the Korean address 서울특별시 강남구 테헤란로 152, 10층 (역삼동). In English it becomes: 10F, 152 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06236, Republic of Korea. Notice how the order is fully reversed: unit first, then street number and road name, then district, city, postal code, and country. The dong name in parentheses (역삼동) can be dropped entirely — it is a legacy reference and carriers do not need it when the road-name address is present.
7. Which fields matter most to carriers
International carriers sort parcels by country → postal code → road name → building number. This means a typo in the road name or postal code causes far more delays than a misspelled recipient name. If you are unsure about any part, prioritize getting the 5-digit postal code and road name exactly right; local Korean couriers can resolve minor errors in the rest.
8. Frequently asked questions
Do I need to translate my address, or romanize it? Romanize. "Gangnam-gu" stays "Gangnam-gu" — never translate it to something like "South-of-River District". Korean postal workers read romanized Korean, not translations.
Should I write "Seoul" or "Seoul-si"? Both are accepted, but plain "Seoul" is the official English form for metropolitan cities. Smaller cities keep the suffix: "Suwon-si", "Seongnam-si".
Is "South Korea" or "Republic of Korea" correct? Both work. "Republic of Korea" is the official name used by the postal system; "South Korea" is universally understood by foreign shops and carriers. Avoid just "Korea", which can be ambiguous in some carrier systems.
Where do I put an apartment unit number? At the front, before the street address: "Apt 101-dong 1203-ho, 25 Hangang-daero..." or in a separate Address Line 2 field if the form provides one.
최종 수정: 2026-08-05 · 내용에 오류가 있다면 문의로 알려주세요.