Korean addresses typically consist of two systems: “Road Name Address” and “Lot Number Address.” While the road name address is now the primary system, lot number addresses are still commonly used.
1. Road Name Address
The road name address system is based on the names of roads and building numbers. Here’s an example:
• 123, Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Breaking it down:
• Seoul: The capital city of South Korea
• Gangnam-gu: An administrative district within Seoul
• Teheran-ro: The name of the road in Gangnam-gu
• 123: The building number on Teheran-ro
Road name addresses are systematic and easy to navigate since buildings are numbered sequentially along the road.
2. Lot Number Address
The lot number address system is based on the unique numbers assigned to parcels of land. Here’s an example:
• 150-1, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Breaking it down:
• Seoul: The capital city of South Korea
• Gangnam-gu: An administrative district within Seoul
• Samseong-dong: A neighborhood in Gangnam-gu
• 150-1: A specific land lot number in Samseong-dong
Lot number addresses use unique land numbers, which may change when parcels are subdivided or merged.
How to Read Addresses
Korean addresses are read from the larger to the smaller geographic units. For example, “123, Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul” is read as follows:
1. Seoul (city)
2. Gangnam-gu (district)
3. Teheran-ro (road name)
4. 123 (building number)
Useful Tips
• Road Name Addresses: Officially used since 2014, these addresses are found on most signs and maps.
• Lot Number Addresses: This older system is still familiar to many people. It is more commonly used by older generations and for older buildings.
Example
A school’s road name address:
• 110, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul
A school’s lot number address:
• 31, Taepyeongno 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul
Both the road name address and the lot number address refer to the same location but are expressed differently.