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How Korean Addresses Work: A Foreign Traveler's Guide to 도로명주소 (2026)

  • Korea Travel
  • Address
  • eSIM
  • Korea Post
  • Practical Guide

Learn how Korea's road-name address system works, how to find the official English version, and why the format matters for hotels, delivery and Korea Post.

··Koursea Editorial·3 min read
Table of Contents

Korea’s road-name address system (도로명주소) has been the standard replacement for land-lot addresses since 2014. The practical sequence is province or city, district, road name and building number, followed by a detailed unit such as building, floor or room.

Key takeaways

  • -daero, -ro and -gil indicate broad road, road and smaller-road levels.
  • Building numbers follow the road; odd and even numbers normally sit on opposite sides.
  • Search the Korean address on the official Juso site and select “English view” for the government romanization.
  • Keep both the Korean string and the official English version for check-in, delivery and forms.

How to convert an address

  1. Copy the Korean road-name address from your hotel, host or booking.
  2. Search it on Juso.go.kr.
  3. Open “English view” and copy the complete result, including building or unit details.
  4. Compare the map pin with the written address before travelling.

How to read the official result

The Korean road-name address is built around the road name and building number. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety explains that building numbers are assigned from the start of the road at 20-meter intervals, with odd numbers on the left and even numbers on the right. That pattern can help you notice a pin on the wrong side of a long road, but it is not a substitute for checking the building entrance.

English addresses reverse the order used in Korean. A government example such as 서울특별시 강남구 강남대로10길 109 becomes 109 Gangnam-daero 10-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Apartment building, floor and unit information goes before the street line in English. Keep the Korean original beside it because a taxi driver, delivery counter or local map search may recognize the Korean string more reliably.

Hotel and parcel checklist

  • Copy the postal code, road name and building number from the same Juso result.
  • Add the building name and room or unit only when the recipient or accommodation provides them.
  • For a hotel, compare the official address with the pin in Naver Map or Kakao Map before leaving the airport.
  • For an international parcel, follow Korea Post’s current form fields rather than shortening the address yourself.

Older map listings may show the former land-lot address, and romanization can differ between apps. Use the official Juso result for government or postal forms. Some online services may also ask for Korean phone verification; that is a form requirement, not part of the road-name system itself.

Why travellers need it

Hotels and Airbnb hosts often need the exact building name and unit. Delivery, eSIM registration, arrival forms and international parcels likewise work better when the road name, number and detailed unit are copied exactly. For EMS, use Korea Post’s English site and its EMS service page.

Korean phrases

이 주소의 도로명주소 영문 표기를 확인해 주세요.
Please check the official English road-name address for this location.

건물명과 층·호수까지 입력해야 하나요?
Do I need to enter the building name and floor or unit number too?

Official sources