The short version
Korea uses road-name addresses as the standard. Once you know the format, the same address works for delivery, parcels and paperwork.
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Right now
- 1Use the road-name address in apps and paperwork. The lot-number address is the old way, so if it gets confusing, stick to road-name.
- 2Add the 5-digit postal code and most input forms will fill in the rest for you.
- 3If the building has a unit number and shared-entrance info, add it in the delivery notes.
What to have ready
- Road-name address: Made of a road name and a building number.
- 5-digit postal code
- Unit number and shared-entrance info
Phrases you can copy and paste
Step by step
- 1
Learn the shape of a road-name address
It usually goes city and district, road name, building number, then the detail like unit number. Think of it as narrowing from the big unit to the small one.
- 2
Search by postal code to fill it in exactly
- Where:
- A map app, or the address search in a delivery app
Enter the road name or building name and the standard address and postal code come up. Copy that as it is and use it.
- 3
Add the unit detail and the shared entrance
After the standard address, write your unit number, and for delivery put the shared-entrance code in the notes.
- 4
Reuse the same address everywhere
Build it accurately once and you can enter it in the same format for delivery, parcels, banking and government offices.
The Korean words
- 도로명 주소doro-myeong juso· street-name address
- Korea's standard address format. Use this form in apps and paperwork.
- 지번 주소jibeon juso· lot-number address
- The old address style. Stick to one form so it does not get confused with road-name.
- 우편번호upyeon-beonho· postal code
- A five-digit number. Entering it often auto-fills the rest.
- 공동현관gongdong-hyeongwan· shared building entrance
- The courier may need a code to get in.
Easy to miss
- Mixing a road-name address with a lot-number address confuses couriers and systems. Stick to one.
- Leaving out the unit detail can mean it reaches the building but not your door.
You can skip this if
- If you are just given a hotel or office address to use as is, you do not need to learn the format.
When it is time for a person
- If address paperwork like a move-in report gets tangled up and stalls you, it may be time for a person who can help with settling in more broadly.
Where this comes from
Rules, fees and deadlines change and depend on your exact case. Please confirm the details with the official sources before you act.