A wrong address on a delivery label sends your parcel to the wrong building. A blank value field on the waybill (운송장) limits what you can recover to ₩500,000, regardless of what was inside. These two mistakes are separate, avoidable, and common among foreign residents in Korea.
This guide covers both, along with how Korea Post's two domestic parcel tiers work, what the current building standard actually says about unmanned lockers, what EMS charges and covers, and the Fair Trade Commission's compensation formula you can use when a parcel arrives late, is lost, or is damaged.
How to write a Korean address that works
The road-name address (도로명주소) system assigns a name to every road and a sequential number to every building along it. An individual unit within the building gets a detail address (상세주소): the building number (동), floor (층), and unit number (호). These three components identify the specific door where a parcel should land.
Korean order: large to small
The Korean-order form writes information from the largest geographic unit down to the smallest:
Metro city or province → city/county/district → road name + building number, detail address
Three formatting rules carry real weight:
Rule 1: Road name, no internal space. The road-type suffix attaches directly to the road name with no gap. "여의나루로" is correct. Adding a space before "로" is wrong.
Rule 2: Space between road name and building number. A single space separates the road name from the building number: "여의나루로 5".
Rule 3: Comma before the detail address. A comma separates the building number from the unit detail: "여의나루로 5, 505동 1402호".
A reference item in parentheses can follow: the legal neighborhood name (법정동) or the apartment complex name. This is optional but common. A complete address looks like this: 서울특별시 영등포구 여의나루로 5, 505동 1402호 (여의도동, 여의도아파트)
The 5-digit postal code (우편번호) appears at the top or end of the label depending on the format.
English order: small to large
The official English romanization reverses the sequence: smallest unit first, city last. Road-type suffixes are romanized, not translated:
- 대로 becomes "-daero"
- 로 becomes "-ro"
- 길 becomes "-gil"
Special cities (특별시) and metropolitan cities (광역시) may both drop the -si suffix, so Seoul, Busan, Daegu and the other metro cities appear without it. Provinces (-do) and ordinary cities (-si) keep theirs. A building at 109 Gangnam-daero 10-gil in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, appears in English as: 109 Gangnam-daero 10-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
For the unit detail in English, shorthand is permitted: "층" (floor) can be "F" and "지하" (basement) can be "B". So 3층 becomes "3F."
Use juso.go.kr to confirm your exact address
The government's address portal, juso.go.kr (Ministry of the Interior and Safety), has a lookup tool called "우리 집 주소는?" (What is my address?). Search for your building and it returns five things in one result: the correct Korean-order address, the official English romanization, the building name (건물명), the name of your jurisdictional community service center (주민센터), and the 5-digit postal code. The community service center is provided for residential addresses only.
Use this to confirm the exact spelling of your address before you put it on a label or enter it for official registration. Copy the result rather than guessing the romanization.
If your unit does not yet have a detail address
A detail address (상세주소) is only assigned to buildings divided into separately-occupied units: studios (원룸), multi-household homes (다가구주택), single-family homes with two or more occupying households, and commercial or office buildings. If your unit has not been assigned a detail address, a tenant can apply at the local district office (시/군/구청 road-name address desk) or through the government portal at gov.kr. If the landlord does not submit the application within 14 days of a formal request, the tenant can apply directly.
Receiving parcels when you are not home
When you are not home for a delivery, check your phone for a missed-delivery message.
Your building may have unmanned parcel lockers (무인 택배보관함). Look in the lobby or near the ground-floor entrance.
For apartment complexes of 100 or more households, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Crime Prevention Building Standards Notice (범죄예방 건축기준 고시) recommends installing an unmanned parcel locker in the security office, management office, or a shared common area of the complex. The notice uses "recommends" (권장한다). It does not create a legal mandate to install one.
You can leave a delivery request note at checkout or in the delivery app: ask for the item to be left at the door, held with building security, or request a call before delivery. Whether the courier follows the note is a service-quality matter. Under the Fair Trade Commission's standard courier terms (택배 표준약관 제20조, 공정거래위원회 표준약관 제10026호), a courier's liability begins the moment it takes custody of your parcel. Harm from inadequate follow-up on an unattended delivery is a category of compensable claim.
Sending something domestically: Korea Post (우체국)
Korea Post offers two domestic parcel tiers.
Registered parcel (등기소포): Tracked. The delivery target is the next business day. Compensation rights apply if the item is lost or damaged. Use this tier for any item with real value.
General parcel (일반소포): Cheaper. The delivery target is 3 business days, which can extend to 4 during severe weather. Korea Post's compensation rules apply specifically to registered parcels (등기소포).
Both tiers can be sent over the counter at a post office (창구접수) or via a paid pickup where a Korea Post employee collects the parcel from a location you choose (방문접수).
Size and weight limits
The maximum for a domestic parcel: 30 kg, and a combined length-plus-width-plus-height of 160 cm, with no single side over 100 cm. The minimum: a combined 35 cm, with the length at least 17 cm and the width at least 12 cm. These limits are set under the Postal Act (우편법 제17조).
Prohibited and restricted items
Korea Post does not accept: cash, checks, and negotiable securities; live animals; perishable items including live fish and flowers; electronics such as desktop computers, monitors, and laptops; glass, ceramics, and fragile items; large furniture (defined as anything one person cannot carry alone); large objects such as bicycles and motorbikes under the same test; or any item valued over ₩3,000,000.
Compensation for a lost or damaged registered parcel
For an ordinary registered parcel without insured handling, Korea Post's compensation for total loss or destruction is capped at ₩500,000. If the delivery arrives 2 days or more after the delivery standard (송달기준), Korea Post refunds the postage and fees.
Korea Post offers an insured-handling option (안심소포) for items up to ₩3,000,000 in declared value. The basic fee is ₩1,000 plus ₩500 for every ₩100,000 of coverage above the standard limit. With insured handling, compensation for total loss is based on the declared value rather than the ₩500,000 floor.
Claims must be filed within one year of the mailing date.
Sending something abroad: EMS basics
EMS (국제특급우편) is Korea Post's international express product. It runs under bilateral agreements between national postal authorities. The delivering authority at the destination is the destination country's own postal service, not a private courier.
EMS pricing is based on whichever is higher: the item's actual weight or its volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is calculated as length × width × height (in centimeters) divided by 6,000. If the higher of the two weights exceeds a destination country's ceiling, the shipment cannot go by EMS at all.
Rates vary by destination and weight bracket. A home-pickup fee applies if you request collection rather than going to a post office counter: ₩3,000 for the first item on the same visit, ₩1,000 for each additional item, up to ₩5,000 per visit.
All international mail goes through X-ray and security screening before flight loading. Any flagged item is returned to the originating post office. You must collect it in person after a deduction is applied and the acceptance fee is refunded.
What EMS cannot carry internationally
International mail is barred from containing: items dangerous to handlers or that could contaminate other mail; items banned by the destination country; narcotics and controlled substances; obscene and counterfeit material; personal correspondence between people other than the sender, the recipient, and the people they live with; live animals; coins, banknotes, bearer securities, traveler's checks, precious metals, and gems; and weapon-shaped items including replica grenades and simulated explosive devices.
Compensation if an EMS shipment is lost
International mail compensation is denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDR), an international unit of account set by the IMF. Korea Post converts SDR to Korean won at the rate it publishes at the time of mailing.
For a fully lost EMS parcel (non-document): compensation is up to 40 SDR plus 4.5 SDR per kilogram, plus the EMS fee paid. For a lost EMS document shipment: up to 30 SDR plus the EMS fee paid. If the shipment was separately insured, compensation runs up to the declared insured value instead.
To claim, you must first file a whereabouts inquiry (행방조사) within 4 months of the mailing date. For ordinary international parcels and registered international letters, the inquiry deadline is 6 months from the day after acceptance.
For full departure-specific shipping detail, including how to send a household abroad, see the leaving Korea guide.
Convenience-store drop-off
Convenience stores are one common alternative to a post office counter. You hand the item over at the counter and the courier collects it for delivery. Take your packaged item in and ask about parcel drop-off (택배).
This is a practical option when post offices are closed or when you cannot schedule a home pickup.
Ask whether the chain has an app that lets you enter the recipient address before you arrive, which shortens the counter step.
Fees, weight limits, and size limits vary by store and by the courier the store works with. Check the current terms at the counter or in the courier's app at the time of shipping.
The field most people leave blank: declaring value on the waybill
When you hand a parcel to a courier or a post office, you fill out a waybill (운송장). One field asks for the value of the item inside.
Most people leave it blank. That is the most consequential mistake you can make when shipping something valuable.
Under the Fair Trade Commission's Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards, the government-backed framework that governs how Korean couriers handle disputes, leaving the value field blank caps the courier's liability for total loss or destruction at ₩500,000. The actual worth of the item does not matter. If the parcel is lost and no value was declared, ₩500,000 is the ceiling.
When you write the declared value, the courier's liability is based on that amount instead. You may pay a higher shipping fee for a higher declared value, but you gain the ability to recover the item's actual worth if the parcel is lost.
Do not leave it blank.
If the seller or platform sends you a pre-generated return label, check whether a declared-value field is included. Write in the value if the label has space for it and the item has real worth.
When a parcel goes wrong
If your parcel is late
Private couriers operating under the Fair Trade Commission's standard courier terms have a default delivery target of 2 days for general areas and 3 days for islands and remote mountain areas, counted from the day the courier accepted the item.
If the delivery arrives after that target, the Fair Trade Commission's Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards set the compensation formula:
Days late × waybill fee × 50%, capped at 200% of the waybill fee
If the shipment was for a specific occasion and you indicated that when you sent it, compensation is a flat 200% of the waybill fee, regardless of how many days late it arrived.
A concrete example: waybill fee ₩5,000, parcel arrives 3 days after the promised date. Compensation: 3 × ₩5,000 × 50% = ₩7,500. The cap at 200% would be ₩10,000.
This formula applies to domestic private courier shipments operating under the Fair Trade Commission's standard courier terms. It operates as the default standard couriers are expected to follow, backed by the Framework Act on Consumers (소비자기본법).
If your parcel is lost or the contents are damaged
For items lost in transit, the courier refunds the shipping fee and compensates based on the value recorded on the waybill. If no value was declared: the ceiling is ₩500,000.
Report damage within 14 days. For visible damage or partial loss discovered on delivery, you must notify the courier within 14 days of the day you received the item. After that window, the courier's liability for partial loss or damage lapses. Take photos of the damaged item and its packaging immediately. Keep the packaging until the claim is resolved.
For total loss, the claim window extends to one year after the scheduled delivery date. If the courier knowingly concealed the loss or damage while completing the delivery anyway, the claim window extends to five years from the date of receipt.
Couriers are not liable for loss or damage caused by force majeure (natural disasters and equivalent events), by the sender's poor packaging, or by the intrinsic nature of the contents.
If the courier refuses to pay
Contact the government-run 1372 Consumer Counseling Center (1372 소비자상담센터): dial 1372 (no area code) or visit www.ccn.go.kr. A counselor can help you understand what you are entitled to and how to file a formal claim.
If direct negotiation fails, you can open a mediation case with the Korea Consumer Agency (한국소비자원). If mediation does not resolve the dispute within 30 days (extendable to 90 days for complex cases), the remaining paths are a payment order (지급명령) or small-claims court for amounts under ₩30,000,000.
Sending something back to a seller
Arrange a return collection through the seller or the platform you bought from, and follow whatever label or code they give you for the driver.
The return parcel (반품택배) is a normal courier shipment and follows the same compensation rules: the declared-value ceiling for loss, the 14-day window for damage, and the same delay formula if the parcel reaches the seller after its delivery due date.
Who pays for the return shipping depends on why you are returning the item, not on the physical act of shipping it back. Korean consumer law allocates that cost based on whether the reason is a product defect, seller error, or a change of mind. For the statutory rules on return costs and the withdrawal right, see the Korea online shopping guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write my Korean address correctly for a delivery label?
For a Korean-order label: metro city or province first, then district, then road name and building number, then a comma before the unit detail (building number, floor, unit). For an English-order label: reverse to unit, building number and road name, district, city, postal code. Use juso.go.kr to confirm the exact spelling and 5-digit postal code in one lookup.
What is the difference between a registered parcel (등기소포) and a general parcel (일반소포) at Korea Post?
A registered parcel (등기소포) is tracked and carries compensation rights for loss or damage, with a next-business-day delivery target. A general parcel (일반소포) is cheaper with a D+3 target, but Korea Post's compensation rules are written specifically for registered parcels. Use a registered parcel for any item with real value.
What should I write in the value field on a shipping waybill?
Write the actual value of the item. If you leave the field blank and the parcel is lost, the most the courier owes you under the Fair Trade Commission's Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards is ₩500,000, regardless of what was inside. Writing the declared value raises the compensation ceiling to that amount.
My parcel arrived late. What compensation am I entitled to?
Under the Fair Trade Commission's Consumer Dispute Resolution Standards, the formula is: days late multiplied by the waybill fee multiplied by 50%, capped at 200% of the fee. If you told the courier the shipment was for a specific occasion when you sent it, compensation is a flat 200% of the waybill fee. The default delivery target for private couriers is 2 days for general areas and 3 days for remote or island locations.
My parcel arrived damaged. What should I do and how long do I have?
Report the damage to the courier immediately. You must notify them within 14 days of receiving the item. After that window, the courier's liability for partial loss or damage lapses. Take photos of the item and its packaging before discarding anything. Compensation is based on the declared value on the waybill; the ₩500,000 cap applies if no value was declared.
What happens if a delivery driver comes while I am not home?
Check your phone for a missed-delivery message. Your building may also have unmanned parcel lockers (무인 택배보관함). For apartment complexes (아파트) of 100 or more households, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's building standards recommend installing these lockers, though the recommendation is not a legal mandate.
Can I use Korea Post to send things abroad?
Yes. Korea Post's international express product is EMS (국제특급우편). Rates vary by destination and by the higher of actual or volumetric weight. You can drop off at a post office counter or pay a home-pickup fee. The current rate table and destination list are at ems.epost.go.kr.
How do I send a purchased item back to an online seller?
A return pickup (반품택배) works the same way as any outbound shipment. Arrange the collection through the seller or the platform you bought from. The parcel follows the same compensation rules: declare the value if the label has a field for it, and report any collection problems promptly. Who pays for the return depends on why you are returning the item, which is covered in the Korea online shopping guide.