How to Read Korean Addresses: A Complete Guide for Foreign Visitors (2026)

If you've received a Korean address and have no idea how to read it — you're not alone. Korea's address system is unique, runs in the opposite direction from Western addresses, and until 2014 used two completely different formats simultaneously. Here's everything you need to know.

The Two Address Systems in Korea

Korea officially switched to a road-name address system (도로명주소) in 2014. Before that, addresses were based on lot numbers (지번주소) — land registration IDs with no geographic logic. Both systems are still in use.

How to Read a Road-Name Address (도로명주소)

Korean addresses run large to small — from city down to unit number, the opposite of most Western countries.

1. City / Province — 서울특별시, 부산광역시, 경기도
2. District (구/군) — 마포구, 강남구
3. Road name (로/길) — 홍익로, 강남대로
4. Building number — odd left side of road, even right side
5. Detail — 동 (building), 층 (floor), 호 (unit)

Example: 서울특별시 마포구 홍익로 6길 5, 3층 302호
= Seoul, Mapo-gu, Hongik-ro 6-gil 5, Floor 3, Unit 302

Key Address Vocabulary

• 로 (-ro) — main road
• 길 (-gil) — side street branching off a main road
• 구 (-gu) — district within a city
• 동 (-dong) — neighborhood, or apartment building number
• 호 (-ho) — unit / room number
• 층 (-cheung) — floor
• 우편번호 — postal code (5 digits, goes at the end)

How to Find Any Korean Address in English

The fastest tool for foreigners is Jusofind.kr — a search engine covering over 6 million Korean road-name addresses with English-language results. Enter any Korean address or location name and get the verified 도로명주소 with English romanization instantly.

For navigation inside Korea, Naver Maps is more accurate than Google Maps for building entrances, apartment complexes, and rural areas. Use both the Korean address and the postal code when in doubt.

Sending Mail to Korea from Abroad

Use this format for international packages:

• [Recipient Name]
• [Building number], [Road name], [District], [City]
• [5-digit Postal Code], Republic of Korea

Practical Tips

• Delivery apps (Baemin, Coupang Eats) auto-fill via GPS — confirm building number and add unit manually
• Apartment complexes — always note the 단지 (complex name), building number (동), and unit (호) separately
• Locals use landmarks — "next to the GS25" is often more useful than an address for the last 50 meters