How to Read a Korean Address: Streets, Floors and Unit Numbers
How to Read a Korean Address: Streets, Floors and Unit Numbers
A Korean address becomes easier when you separate the road name and building number from district, city, floor, and unit details. This guide decodes both Korean and official English-style examples.
Read a modern Korean road-name address by finding the road ending in -daero, -ro, or -gil, then its building number, district, and city. Treat floor, apartment-building, and unit details as the final delivery instructions rather than part of the street name.
Question answered: How do I separate the street, building number, floor, apartment building, and unit in a Korean address?
Information checked: September 7, 2026. Exact prices, interfaces, hours, and local rules can change; confirm the linked official source when your decision depends on them.
Quick Reference
| 대로 (-daero) | Major road |
|---|---|
| 로 (-ro) | Road |
| 길 (-gil) | Smaller road or branch road; keep preceding numbers with the name |
| 층 | Floor |
| 지하 / B1 | Basement / basement level one |
| 동 | Apartment building or wing when paired with a number; can also mean neighborhood |
| 호 | Room or unit |
| Example | 101-dong 102-ho, 78, Gwangnaru-ro 507-gil, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul |
Why This Matters
Map searches, taxis, food delivery, hotel check-in, and parcel forms can all fail when a floor or unit is mistaken for a building number. Korean and English versions may also reverse the order of broad and detailed location elements.
This guide answers how the address itself is structured. It does not repeat a broad navigation article; its job is to let a visitor point to each component and explain what it means.
What To Know First
- Korea uses both road-name addresses and older land-lot, or jibun, addresses. A business may display both, but navigation tools generally work well with the road-name version.
- -daero marks a major road, -ro a road, and -gil a smaller road branching from another road. Keep the full number attached to a -gil name.
- In Korean order, the city and district commonly appear before the road and building number. The official English format moves detailed elements toward the front.
- 층 means floor and 호 means room or unit. B1 or 지하 1층 means basement level one; 3층 means the third floor.
- In an apartment complex, 101동 is building 101 and 102호 is unit 102. 동 can also mean a neighborhood in another context, so read it with nearby numbers and words.
- Paste the complete Korean address into a Korean map app or the official English Juso search rather than translating each word independently.
How To Use This In Korea
- Start at the end or beginning and identify the largest place names: city or province, then district such as -gu, county such as -gun, or city subdivision such as -si.
- Find the road element ending in -daero, -ro, or -gil. In 78, Gwangnaru-ro 507-gil, the complete road name is Gwangnaru-ro 507-gil and the building number is 78.
- Locate any parenthetical neighborhood or building name. It can help humans and map searches, but it does not replace the road and building number.
- Separate vertical details: B1 or 지하 1층 for basement one, 1층 for ground or first floor, and higher numbered 층 for upper floors.
- Separate internal destination details: 동 for an apartment building or wing and 호 for a room or unit. Preserve leading zeros where the host provides them.
- Search the full address in Naver Map, Kakao Map, or the official English Juso service. Compare the map pin, building name, and street-view context where available.
- For a taxi or courier, show the Korean address exactly as supplied and add a separate note for entrance, floor, unit, or landmark. Do not rely on a homemade romanization alone.
Common Mistakes
- Dropping 507 from Gwangnaru-ro 507-gil and searching a different road.
- Treating 101동 as unit 101 when it identifies the apartment building.
- Removing a leading zero from a room code or door instruction.
- Translating a business name while discarding the Korean address needed by the map or driver.
- Assuming a map pin proves the correct entrance in a large complex.
First-Timer Tips
- Save three separate lines: the Korean address, official English address, and a Korean entrance note from the host.
- Screenshot the final map pin and building facade before entering an underground station or losing data access.
- For delivery, include the recipient's exact name and reachable contact method in addition to the address.
- Ask a host whether the listed floor follows local numbering when a building has unusual lobby or mezzanine levels.
- Use the official Juso search to convert or verify a road-name address instead of trusting an automatic translation.
Before You Go
- Save the complete Korean address.
- Identify road name and building number.
- Separate floor, building, and unit.
- Verify the pin in a Korean map app.
- Save the entrance instruction.
- Keep the host or destination contact available.
FAQ
What do -daero, -ro, and -gil mean?
They are road-name suffixes: -daero for a major road, -ro for a road, and -gil for a smaller branching road. The numbers inside a -gil name belong to that full road name.
What do 층 and 호 mean in an address?
층 means floor and 호 means room or unit. For example, 3층 is the third floor and 302호 is unit 302.
What is the difference between 101동 and 102호?
In an apartment complex, 101동 identifies building 101, while 102호 identifies unit 102 inside a building.
Related Invite Korea Guides
Sources And Further Reading
- Korea Road Name Address Guidebook - Official guide to road-name address order, road suffixes, building numbers, floors, units, and English address formatting.
- Korean Address Search in English - Official English road-name address search provided by Korea's Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
- VISITKOREA Transportation Cards - Official guide to Tmoney, EZL, WOWPASS, Mpass, Climate Card, refunds, and tourist transportation card options.
- VISITKOREA Transportation - Official transportation hub for getting around Korea by subway, bus, train, taxi, airport transfer, and local transit.
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