Korean Address Guide for Foreigners — Romanization, Shipping, Banking
Korean addresses confuse first-time foreigners — there are two parallel systems, the order is reversed from English, romanization has subtle rules, and international couriers reject malformed entries. This guide covers everything: Doro vs Jibun, Revised Romanization, FedEx / Amazon / EMS shipping format, bank and visa form conventions, postal codes, the 14-day move-in registration rule, and common mistakes.
📝 Convert Korean address ✍️ Romanize your Korean name
1. Korea has two address systems
Doro (도로명주소, road-name address)
Introduced in 2014 as Korea's official address system. Pattern: [Province] [City] [District] [Road-name + number], [building/unit details]. Example: 서울특별시 강남구 테헤란로 123, 5층. Each road has a unique name, and buildings are numbered along the road (odd on one side, even on the other). This matches GPS coordinates and Google Maps.
Jibun (지번주소, lot-number address)
The legacy system, still found in passport databases, older property deeds, and some legal documents. Pattern: [Province] [City] [District] [Neighborhood] [Lot-number]. Example: 서울특별시 강남구 역삼동 123-45. Lot numbers reference cadastral plots — they're not sequential along streets, so navigation by lot-number is harder for non-Koreans.
Both are valid. Korea didn't abolish Jibun, just made Doro the default. For international use (shipping, banking, visa forms), always use Doro. For passport renewals or older legal filings, use whichever format the form requests.
2. The order is reversed in English
| Korean order (large → small) | English order (small → large) |
|---|---|
| 서울특별시 강남구 테헤란로 123, 5층 (06234) | 5F, 123 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06234, Republic of Korea |
Steps:
- Start with the smallest unit (apartment / floor / suite)
- Add street number + romanized road name
- Add district (-gu)
- Add city (Seoul, Busan, etc. — usually drop -teukbyeolsi / -gwangyeoksi)
- Add 5-digit postal code
- End with 'Republic of Korea' or 'South Korea'
3. Revised Romanization (RR) rules
Korea's official romanization since 2000 (Ministry of Public Administration). Used on road signs, government documents, official addresses. Different from older McCune-Reischauer (academic) and various passport spellings.
Consonants
| Hangul | RR | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | g / k (final) | 강남 = Gangnam |
| ㄴ | n | 남대문 = Namdaemun |
| ㄷ | d / t (final) | 대전 = Daejeon |
| ㄹ | r / l (final) | 서울 = Seoul |
| ㅁ | m | 마포 = Mapo |
| ㅂ | b / p (final) | 부산 = Busan |
| ㅅ | s | 서울 = Seoul |
| ㅇ | ng (final only) | 강 = gang |
| ㅈ | j | 제주 = Jeju |
| ㅊ | ch | 철원 = Cheorwon |
| ㅋ | k | K-pop = K is exception |
| ㅌ | t | 태양 = taeyang |
| ㅍ | p | 평양 = Pyeongyang |
| ㅎ | h | 한강 = Hangang |
Vowels (most common)
| Hangul | RR |
|---|---|
| ㅏ | a |
| ㅓ | eo |
| ㅗ | o |
| ㅜ | u |
| ㅡ | eu |
| ㅣ | i |
| ㅔ | e |
| ㅐ | ae |
| ㅚ | oe |
| ㅟ | wi |
The Address Converter applies all RR rules automatically — paste Korean, get the English version with proper formatting.
4. International shipping format (FedEx / EMS / Amazon / eBay)
Standard format that all major carriers accept:
[Recipient Name]
[Apt/Unit, Building if applicable]
[Street number Road-name]
[District-gu], [City] [Postal Code]
Republic of Korea
+82-10-XXXX-XXXX
Concrete example for Korea Post EMS, FedEx, Amazon:
Kim Min-su
Apt 101, Unit 502
123 Teheran-ro
Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06234
Republic of Korea
+82-10-1234-5678
Carrier-specific notes:
- Korea Post EMS: Accepts Korean or English. Use English for international tracking.
- FedEx / DHL / UPS: English required. Phone number critical — they call before delivery.
- Amazon: Save as default address; Amazon validates against postal database.
- eBay: Sellers ship to whatever you enter — verify before submitting.
- Bank wire transfers (SWIFT): Some banks need address in romanized + Korean (dual entry).
5. Postal codes — 5-digit format since 2015
Korea uses 5-digit postal codes, replacing the older 6-digit system in August 2015. Format: 12345. First 3 digits identify city/province, last 2 narrow to district / neighborhood. Look up free at:
- epost.go.kr — Korea Post, English supported, search by address
- juso.go.kr — Government address portal, search by Doro or Jibun
- Naver Map / Kakao Map — type address, postal code shown automatically
For international shipping, postal code goes at the end of the address line. Korean envelopes put it at the top in a special box, but international format is end-of-address.
6. Move-in registration — 14-day rule
Within 14 days of moving to a new address (Immigration Act §36), foreigners must report the address change. Three options:
- HiKorea online (hikorea.go.kr) — 전자민원 → 외국인등록 변경신고. Login with ARN + passport. Free.
- Local immigration office — in person, with passport + ARC + proof of address (lease).
- Local 동주민센터 (community center) — most convenient for most foreigners. Walk-in, often within 30 minutes.
Documents to bring: passport, current ARC, lease contract or recent utility bill in your name. Free of charge. Failure to report within 14 days: ₩100,000 ~ ₩1M fine. The new address shows on your ARC at next renewal, but online systems (NHIS, NPS, banks) update immediately.
7. City / district romanization (Seoul example)
Major Seoul districts you'll likely encounter:
| Hangul | RR (English) |
|---|---|
| 강남구 | Gangnam-gu |
| 강동구 | Gangdong-gu |
| 강북구 | Gangbuk-gu |
| 강서구 | Gangseo-gu |
| 관악구 | Gwanak-gu |
| 광진구 | Gwangjin-gu |
| 구로구 | Guro-gu |
| 금천구 | Geumcheon-gu |
| 노원구 | Nowon-gu |
| 동작구 | Dongjak-gu |
| 마포구 | Mapo-gu |
| 서초구 | Seocho-gu |
| 성동구 | Seongdong-gu |
| 송파구 | Songpa-gu |
| 영등포구 | Yeongdeungpo-gu |
| 용산구 | Yongsan-gu |
| 은평구 | Eunpyeong-gu |
| 종로구 | Jongno-gu |
| 중구 | Jung-gu |
| 중랑구 | Jungnang-gu |
8. Top common mistakes
- Writing 'Korea' alone. USPS may route to North Korea. Always use 'Republic of Korea' or 'South Korea'.
- Putting postal code at the start. Korean envelope convention puts it top — but international format is at the end of address line.
- Mixing Doro and Jibun in the same address. Pick one. Use Doro for shipping, Jibun only when a legal form requests it.
- Including '동' / '호' in English. Use 'Apt' / 'Unit' or '101-502' format. Confuses non-Korean handlers.
- Forgetting +82 country code on phone. Drop the leading 0: 010-1234-5678 → +82-10-1234-5678.
- Using McCune-Reischauer instead of RR. 'Pusan' is McCune-Reischauer; 'Busan' is RR (current standard). Korean road signs use RR.
- Not registering address change within 14 days. Triggers ₩100K~₩1M fine + ARC issues at next renewal.
Tools to use
📝 Korean Address → English ✍️ Korean Name → English 🪪 ARC Renewal ChecklistFrequently asked questions
Doro vs Jibun — which Korean address format should I use?
Doro (도로명주소, road-name address) introduced in 2014 is Korea's official format — required for new official documents, postal mail, and most online forms. Jibun (지번주소, lot-number address) is the legacy format still found in passport databases, older property deeds, and some legal documents. For international use (FedEx, Amazon, banking, visa applications), prefer Doro — it's more precise (specific road segment) and matches GPS/maps better. Both formats are interchangeable and lookups at juso.go.kr give you both for any address.
What romanization scheme does Korea use?
Revised Romanization of Korean (RR), the official scheme used by the Korean government since 2000 (Ministry of Public Administration and Security). RR is what appears on Korean road signs, government documents, and official addresses. Different from older McCune-Reischauer (still seen in academic texts) and the various passport spellings. RR rules: ㄱ=g/k, ㅋ=k, ㄷ=d/t, ㅌ=t, ㅂ=b/p, ㅍ=p, ㅈ=j, ㅊ=ch, ㅅ=s, ㅎ=h, ㅁ=m, ㄴ=n, ㄹ=r/l, ㅇ=ng (final). Vowels: ㅏ=a, ㅓ=eo, ㅗ=o, ㅜ=u, ㅡ=eu, ㅣ=i, ㅔ=e, ㅐ=ae, ㅚ=oe, ㅟ=wi.
How do I write a Korean address for international shipping?
Reverse the Korean order (large → small) into English (small → large), with postal code at the end. Example: Korean '서울특별시 강남구 테헤란로 123, 5층' becomes English '5F, 123 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06234, Republic of Korea'. FedEx, UPS, DHL, EMS, Amazon, and eBay all accept this format. Always include 'South Korea' or 'Republic of Korea' at the end — never 'Korea' alone (USPS may route to North Korea). For phone numbers use +82-10-XXXX-XXXX format with the leading 0 dropped.
What's a Korean postal code and how do I find mine?
Korea uses 5-digit postal codes (since August 2015, replacing the older 6-digit system). Format: 12345. The first 3 digits identify the city/province, the last 2 narrow to district/neighborhood. Look up your code free at epost.go.kr (Korea Post, English supported) or juso.go.kr (address-based search). Postal code goes at the end of the international address line: '...Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06234, Republic of Korea'. Korean envelopes put the postal code at the top in a special box, but for international shipping, end-of-address is standard.
How do I register my address as a foreigner in Korea?
Within 14 days of moving to a new address (Immigration Act §36), foreigners must report their address change to either: (1) HiKorea online (hikorea.go.kr → 전자민원 → 외국인등록 변경신고), (2) Local immigration office in person, or (3) Local 동주민센터 (community center) — most convenient for most foreigners. Bring: passport, current ARC, lease contract or proof of address (utility bill in your name). Free of charge. Failure to report within 14 days = ₩100,000 ~ ₩1M fine. The new address gets printed on your ARC at next renewal, but online systems update immediately.
Why are 시/도/구 sometimes dropped in romanized addresses?
Major cities like Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Ulsan have well-known English names — adding '-teukbyeolsi' (Special City) or '-gwangyeoksi' (Metropolitan City) is unnecessary and only confuses international couriers. The official form is 'Seoul Metropolitan City' but international standard is just 'Seoul'. Likewise, '-gu' (district) is sometimes kept for precision (Gangnam-gu) and sometimes dropped if context is clear (Gangnam, Seoul). Best practice: keep '-gu' to disambiguate (Gangnam district vs Gangnam neighborhood elsewhere).
How do I write apartment / floor / unit numbers in English?
Korean: '101동 502호' (Building 101, Unit 502). English convention: 'Apt 101, Unit 502' or '101-502' (most concise). Place at the start of the address line: '101-502, 123 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06234, Republic of Korea'. Some couriers prefer 'Apt' explicitly. For office buildings: '5F' = 5th Floor, '#502' = Suite 502. Avoid '동' / '호' in English — they confuse non-Korean handlers. The address converter automatically formats unit numbers in international convention.
What about old (jibun) addresses I see in legal documents?
Jibun addresses (lot-number system, 지번주소) are still found in passport databases, older property deeds, registration documents, and some legal records. Format: '서울특별시 강남구 역삼동 123-45'. They remain legally valid — Korea didn't abolish them, just promoted Doro for daily use. Look up the corresponding Doro address at juso.go.kr if you need to translate. For shipping, always use Doro (more precise, easier for couriers). For passport renewal or legal filings, use whichever format the form requests — usually Jibun for older documents, Doro for new ones.
⚠️ This guide reflects rules as of May 2026. Always verify postal codes and address format at juso.go.kr or epost.go.kr for critical shipments.