How to Write English Addresses for International Shipping

When you're ordering from overseas shopping sites or need to send a package abroad, you'll need to write your address in English. I was confused at first, but after doing it a few times, I started to see the pattern.

The order matters when converting a Korean address to English. You can't just write it the way we normally do in Korea, like "Seoul Gangnam-gu Teheran-ro 123." Instead, you need to write it from smallest to largest: building number → road name → district → city → country.

Here's a Real Example

Let's say you have an address like "123 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 10-dong 1001-ho." In English, you'd write it like this:

123, Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Apt. 10-1001, Republic of Korea

For apartment units, you write "Apt." followed by a hyphen to separate the building and unit numbers. Postal codes usually go in parentheses at the beginning or end of the address, like "(06042)".

Common Mistakes

One mistake I made early on was trying to translate the district name directly. You should write "Gangnam-gu" as is, but I was trying to write "Gangnam District" instead. That's not the standard format, and it can confuse shipping companies.

Also, when a road name has "로" (ro) or "길" (gil) at the end, you add "-ro" or "-gil" in English. So "테헤란로" becomes "Teheran-ro" and "양화로" becomes "Yanghwa-ro".

Another easy mistake is writing the city name with all the extra parts. "서울특별시" should just be "Seoul," and "부산광역시" should be "Busan." Terms like "특별시" (special city) or "광역시" (metropolitan city) don't go in English addresses.

It Can Vary by Shipping Company

For EMS or Korea Post international shipping, you just need the English address to be correct. But for FedEx or DHL, it's better to include your phone number too, just in case there's an issue during delivery.

Overseas shopping sites like Amazon or eBay often split the address into multiple fields. When that happens, you can divide your converted English address accordingly. Put the building number in "Street Address," the road name in "Street Name," and the district and city in "City" or "State."

When shipping to Japan, you need to be a bit more careful. Japan's address format is similar to Korea's, so you can usually use the English address as is, but sometimes they might ask for the address in kanji. Still, most of the time, the English address is enough.

How Do You Write the Postal Code?

Korean postal codes are 5 digits. For example, the area around Teheran-ro in Gangnam-gu has codes like "06141". In English addresses, you usually put it in parentheses at the beginning or end.

Some shipping companies or shopping sites ask you to enter the postal code in a separate field. In that case, just enter the numbers. In fields labeled "Postal Code" or "ZIP Code," just write "06141" like that.

Can You Convert Lot Number Addresses Too?

Yes, you can convert lot number addresses without any problem. If you enter a lot number address like "Seoul Jongno-gu Sejong-ro 1-1," it will automatically convert to a road name address first, then create the English address.

Older buildings or places that don't have road name addresses yet might only have lot number addresses, but you can still convert those to English. However, lot number addresses can be a bit more complicated to convert to English, so it's better to use road name addresses when possible.

One More Tip

If you find it hard to convert addresses yourself, Jusome can do it all at once. Just enter your Korean address, and you'll get the road name address, lot number address, English address, and postal code all at once, ready to copy and use. That's what I've been using lately.

💡 Convert Your Address Now:
Convert to English Address at Jusome →

It seemed difficult at first, but after doing it a few times, I got the hang of it pretty quickly. Give it a try!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I'll answer them. I'll share more address-related tips next time!