Etsy Korean Shipping Address: Complete Guide to Getting It Right (2025)

You’ve just found the perfect item on Etsy from a seller in the United States, Japan, or Europe — and now comes the part that trips up nearly every international buyer in Korea: filling in your Korean shipping address correctly. Get it wrong and your package could be delayed, returned, or lost.

South Korea’s modern address system is straightforward once you understand it — but it looks nothing like a Western address. This guide walks you through exactly how to enter a Korean address on Etsy, field by field, so your order arrives at your door without problems.

Seoul street signs use the modern road name address system (도로명주소) introduced in 2011. Source: Pexels

Key Takeaways

• South Korea uses a 5-digit postal code (e.g., 06020) — always include it in the ZIP/Postal Code field.
• Since 2011, all Korean addresses follow the road name system (도로명주소), replacing the old lot-number system decommissioned in 2013.
• Apartment addresses must include 동 (dong) — building number — and 호 (ho) — unit number.
• Write your Korean address in English (Romanized) on Etsy — never paste Korean characters into the address fields.
• Your phone number is strongly recommended on the package label for delivery in Korea.

Understanding South Korea’s Modern Address System

South Korea completed a nationwide address reform on July 29, 2011, switching from a land-lot number system (지번주소) inherited from the Japanese colonial period (1910–1945) to a road name address system (도로명주소). According to Wikipedia’s documentation of the Korean address system, the old system was officially decommissioned on December 31, 2013.

The new system mirrors address formats used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe — buildings are numbered sequentially along a named road. This makes Korean addresses far more readable for international senders, carriers, and customs officials.

Street Type Suffixes in Korean Addresses

When you see a Korean address in English, you’ll encounter three street type suffixes. Understanding them helps you confirm the road name is correct:

Suffix	Korean	Meaning	Lane Count
-daero	대로	Boulevard / Major avenue	8 or more lanes
-ro	로	Road	2–7 lanes
-gil	길	Side street / Alley	Fewer than 2 lanes

For example, Teheran-ro is a major road in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Sajik-ro-3-gil is a smaller side street branching off Sajik-ro. Hyphenated building numbers like 12-1 or 12-2 indicate small alleys that share the same base number.

The 5 Components of a Korean Shipping Address

A complete Korean address for international shipping has five parts. Here is how they map to a real address, based on the format outlined by PostGrid’s South Korea address format guide:

Component	Korean Term	Example (English)
Recipient name	수신인	Kim Minjun
Building number + Street name	도로명주소	123, Teheran-ro
District + City	구/시	Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Postal code	우편번호	06020
Country	국가	SOUTH KOREA

For apartments, add the complex name, building number (동), and unit number (호) between the street name and the district. The apartment section below covers this in detail.

How to Fill in Etsy’s Address Fields for Korea

When you place an order on Etsy, you’ll see a standard shipping address form. Here’s how to map each part of your Korean address to the correct Etsy field:

Full Name

Enter your full name in Roman (English) letters. Use your name as it appears on official documents — for example, “Kim Minjun” or “Park Sooyeon”. Do not abbreviate.

Address Line 1

Enter the building number and street name. In Korean road name addresses, the building number comes first, followed by the road name:

123, Teheran-ro

If you live in an apartment complex, you can include the complex name, building (dong), and unit (ho) here — or split them across Line 1 and Line 2.

Address Line 2 (Optional but Important)

Use this field for apartment details. Korean addresses for apartments can be long — splitting across two lines prevents information from being cut off. For example:

Hyundai Apt, 101-dong, 502-ho

City

Enter the district and city together, for example: Gangnam-gu, Seoul or Haeundae-gu, Busan. South Korea has 7 metropolitan cities (Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Ulsan) and 9 provinces. Always include both the district (gu/gun) and the city/province — “Seoul” alone is not sufficient.

ZIP / Postal Code

Enter your 5-digit postal code. South Korea replaced the older 6-digit code system with a 5-digit system. Example: 06020. If you don’t know your current postal code, look it up at Korea Post’s official English site or the free converter at jusome.com/en.

Country

Select South Korea from the dropdown. Etsy may also list it as “Korea, Republic of” — both refer to the same country. Korea Post’s official English site uses “Republic of Korea.”

Phone Number

Always enter a valid Korean mobile number (e.g., +82-10-XXXX-XXXX). Carriers delivering to South Korea — including EMS (Korea Post), DHL, FedEx, and UPS — use the recipient’s phone number for delivery confirmation and customs clearance. A missing phone number is one of the most common reasons packages are held at customs.

International carriers require a valid Korean phone number for delivery confirmation. Source: Pexels

Apartment Addresses: Dong and Ho Explained

The majority of South Koreans live in apartment complexes (아파트). These complexes contain multiple buildings identified by a 동 (dong) number, and each building has individual units identified by a 호 (ho) number. Both are required — a package addressed to an apartment complex without a dong and ho number cannot be delivered to the correct unit.

Korean apartment complexes have multiple buildings (동/dong) each with individual units (호/ho). Source: Pexels

Apartment Address Example on Etsy

Etsy Field	What to Enter
Full Name	Lee Jiyeon
Address Line 1	306-ho, 101-dong, Lotte Castle Apt
Address Line 2	15, Achasan-ro 7-gil
City	Seongdong-gu, Seoul
ZIP Code	04776
Country	South Korea
Phone	+82-10-XXXX-XXXX

Notice that dong and ho are written in Arabic numerals with the suffix attached: 101-dong (building 101), 306-ho (unit 306). This format is recognized by all major Korean carriers and post offices, as noted by ShopNShip’s Korean address guide.

Writing Your Korean Address in English

According to Korea Post’s official international mail labeling requirements, all international mail addresses must be written in Roman (Latin) characters and Arabic numerals in a precise and legible manner. Destination city/province names and the country name must be written in capital letters.

South Korea uses the Revised Romanization of Korean as the official transliteration system. Here are the most common address terms and their Romanized equivalents:

Korean	Romanized	Meaning
서울	Seoul	Capital city
부산	Busan	Second largest city
강남구	Gangnam-gu	Gangnam District
테헤란로	Teheran-ro	Teheran Road
아파트	Apt / Apartment	Apartment complex
101동	101-dong	Building 101
502호	502-ho	Unit 502

Not sure how to Romanize your specific address? Use jusome.com‘s free Korean-to-English address converter, which outputs the format accepted by all major international carriers.

6 Common Mistakes That Cause Delivery Problems

A correctly addressed Etsy package delivered to a Korean doorstep. Source: Pexels

1. Entering Korean characters (한글) in the address fields. Etsy’s shipping label system requires Roman characters for international addresses. Korean characters may cause label printing errors or customs processing failures.
2. Using the old lot-number (지번) address. The old jibeon system was officially decommissioned on December 31, 2013. Use only your current road name address (도로명주소).
3. Omitting dong and ho for apartments. Without the building and unit number, the carrier cannot deliver to a specific unit in a large complex.
4. Using the old 6-digit postal code. Korea Post’s automated sorting relies on the current 5-digit code. If you have an old 6-digit code, look up the current one at koreapost.go.kr.
5. No phone number. Korean carriers use the recipient’s phone number for delivery notifications and customs queries. Always include a valid Korean mobile number.
6. Entering only the city without the district. “Seoul” alone is not a complete address. You need both the district (e.g., Mapo-gu) and the city (Seoul).

Complete Address Example for Etsy

Here is a complete example of a Korean apartment address formatted for an Etsy order, following Korea Post and international carrier standards:

Kim Minjun
502-ho, 101-dong, Samsung Raemian Apt
123, Teheran-ro
Gangnam-gu, Seoul
06020
SOUTH KOREA
Phone: +82-10-XXXX-XXXX

This places the most specific information (unit, building, complex) first, followed by the street address, then the district and city, and finally the postal code and country — consistent with how international carriers process Korean addresses according to UPU-standard international mailing format guidance.

How to Find Your English Address

Downtown Seoul streets. Every road now has an official Romanized name for international use. Source: Pexels

If your address is saved in Korean on your phone or official documents, here are three official tools to get the English version:

• Korea Post English address lookup: Visit koreapost.go.kr/eng to search for the official English version of any Korean address and 5-digit postal code.
• Jusome address converter: jusome.com/en converts Korean addresses to the English format accepted by all major international carriers, free of charge.
• Juso.go.kr (Korean government official portal): The address portal at juso.go.kr provides English address lookup with postal codes — select the “영문” (English) tab.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I enter my Korean address in Korean characters (한글) on Etsy?

No. Korea Post’s official international mail guidelines require addresses to be written in Roman characters and Arabic numerals. Etsy’s shipping label generation also requires Roman characters for international orders. Always Romanize your Korean address before entering it on Etsy.

What is South Korea’s postal code format?

South Korea uses a 5-digit postal code system (e.g., 06020). The previous 6-digit system was replaced. If your records still show a 6-digit code, look up your current code at Korea Post’s English site or jusome.com.

What does “dong” and “ho” mean in a Korean address?

Dong (동) is the building number within an apartment complex. Ho (호) is the individual unit number within that building. For example, “101-dong, 502-ho” means Building 101, Unit 502. Both are required for apartment deliveries — without them, a package cannot be directed to the correct unit.

Should I write “South Korea” or “Republic of Korea”?

Either is accepted for international mail. Etsy’s country dropdown typically shows “South Korea” or “Korea, Republic of.” Korea Post’s official English site uses “Republic of Korea.” For the address label itself, writing SOUTH KOREA in capital letters is the most widely recognized form internationally.

Is a phone number required for Etsy orders shipping to Korea?

Etsy’s checkout form makes the phone number optional, but carriers shipping to South Korea — including EMS (Korea Post), FedEx, DHL, and UPS — require a recipient phone number for delivery and customs clearance. If you don’t provide one, your package may be held, returned, or delayed.

My Etsy seller says the address looks invalid — what should I do?

Contact the seller through Etsy Messages and provide your full Romanized address in the format shown in this guide. You can use jusome.com to generate your English address instantly — just copy and paste it into the message to your seller.

The Bottom Line

Getting your Korean address right on Etsy comes down to four things: use the road name (도로명주소) format, write everything in Roman characters, include your 5-digit postal code, and for apartments always include the dong (building) and ho (unit) numbers. Add your Korean phone number, and your Etsy seller has everything needed to ship your order successfully.

Not sure about your English address? Use jusome.com to convert any Korean address to the international English format instantly — free, no sign-up required.

Sources / 참고 자료

• PostGrid — South Korea Address Format — Address components, 5-digit postal code, English format guidelines
• Wikipedia — Addresses in South Korea — Road name system (도로명주소), street suffix types (-daero, -ro, -gil), 2011 reform and 2013 decommission dates
• BitBoost — South Korea Mailing Address Formats — UPU-standard international mailing format, address components
• ShopNShip — Understanding the Korean Address System — International shipping format, dong/ho explanation, carrier requirements
• Korea Post Official English Site — Official postal code lookup, address search, international mail guidelines
• Korea Post — International Mail Labeling & Indication Requirements — Roman characters mandate, capital letters requirement for destination city/country
• Etsy Help — How to Update the Buyer’s Shipping Information — Etsy address fields and update process for buyers and sellers

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