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

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.

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

• Juso road-name address system
• Juso English guidebook
• Korea Post
• Korea Post EMS