How to write a Korean address in English
The order and the field-by-field rules for writing a South Korean address in English on overseas shopping sites, visa and bank forms. Conversions follow the official romanization of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety road-name address system.
Convert an addressOrder of a Korean address in English
Korean addresses run from the largest unit to the smallest. In English, reverse it: unit (building/apartment number) → building number and road name → district (gu/gun/si) → city or province and postal code → country.
- Korean
- 서울특별시 강남구 테헤란로 152 101동 202호
- English
- 101-202, 152 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06236, Republic of Korea
What goes in each field
- Address Line 1
- Building number + road name, followed by eup/myeon or a city’s gu when there is one
- 152 Teheran-ro
- Address Line 2
- Building, unit and floor. Leave empty if none
- 101-202
- City
- The one district directly under the city or province (gu, gun or si)
- Gangnam-gu
- State / Province
- The special/metropolitan city or province
- Seoul
- ZIP / Postal Code
- 5 digits, keep a leading 0
- 06236
- Country
- Republic of Korea (or South Korea if that is how the list names it)
- Republic of Korea
City and State for each type of address
State is the top-level division (Seoul, Busan, Gyeonggi-do…). City is the one division directly under it (gu, gun or si). Anything smaller (a city’s gu, eup or myeon) goes at the end of Address Line 1. Sejong is the only place where City and State are the same, because it has no lower division.
- Seoul / Metropolitan city + guCity Gangnam-guState SeoulAdded to Line 1 —
- Metropolitan city + gunCity Gijang-gunState BusanAdded to Line 1 eup/myeon (Gijang-eup)
- Province + city with guCity Seongnam-siState Gyeonggi-doAdded to Line 1 gu (Bundang-gu)
- Province + cityCity Bucheon-siState Gyeonggi-doAdded to Line 1 eup/myeon, if any
- Province + gunCity Yangpyeong-gunState Gyeonggi-doAdded to Line 1 eup/myeon (Yangpyeong-eup)
- SejongCity Sejong-siState Sejong-siAdded to Line 1 eup/myeon, if any
- JejuCity Jeju-si / Seogwipo-siState Jeju-doAdded to Line 1 eup/myeon, if any
Apartment building, unit and floor
The short hyphen form is the safest on overseas forms. Use the Apt/Bldg form when a form expects words.
| Korean | Short | Long |
|---|---|---|
| 101동 202호 | 101-202 | Apt 202, Bldg 101 |
| 202호 | #202 | Apt 202 |
| 3층 | 3F | Floor 3 |
| 3층 301호 | #301, 3F | Apt 301, Floor 3 |
| 지하1층 | B1 | Floor B1 |
| 가동 103호 | Ga-dong 103 | Apt 103, Ga-dong |
| A동 1201호 | A-1201 | Apt 1201, Bldg A |
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a Korean address to English?
Type a Korean road-name address or building name into the AddrKR search box and pick a match. You get the English address and can copy Address Line 1 and 2, City, State and ZIP one by one. Add the building and unit (e.g. 101동 202호) in the detail field and it becomes 101-202.
How do I find the Korean address from an English one?
Paste the English address (e.g. 152 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul) into the search box. AddrKR shows the Korean road-name address, which you can copy for delivery apps or show full-screen to a taxi driver.
What do I put in the City field for a Korean address?
The one district directly under the city or province: Gangnam-gu for Gangnam-gu, Seoul; Seongnam-si for Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do (Bundang-gu goes at the end of Address Line 1).
What is the State or Province of a Korean address?
The top-level division: Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Gyeonggi-do, Jeju-do and so on. For Sejong it is Sejong-si.
How many digits is a Korean ZIP code?
Five. Keep a leading zero, as in 06236.
Should the country be Korea, South Korea or Republic of Korea?
The official name is Republic of Korea. If a country list shows South Korea or Korea, Republic of, choose that. Do not pick Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of (North Korea).
Is my address stored?
No. Nothing you search is stored on a server. Recent searches and favorites stay in your browser on your device, and you can delete them at any time.
Address data: Ministry of the Interior and Safety road-name address API (business.juso.go.kr)