Why addresses can be confusing
Korea traditionally used a land-lot-based address system rather than a sequential road-numbering system, and only shifted toward the road-name-based system familiar to Western visitors within the last couple of decades. Both systems still coexist in practice to some degree, which occasionally means a place is better known by a landmark or building name than by its formal street address.
How to actually navigate around this
- Use place names and map pins, not typed addresses — searching for a business or landmark by name in a map app is generally far more reliable than typing an address.
- Save locations before you need them — pin restaurants, hotels, and attractions in a map app in advance rather than trying to type an address on the ground.
- Ask for the nearest subway exit number — Seoul locations are very commonly described relative to a specific numbered subway exit rather than a street address, and this is often the most reliable direction a local will give you.
- Screenshot addresses in Korean — if you do need to show an address to a taxi driver, having it in Korean script (via translation app) is far more useful than a romanized version.
What this means practically
Don't be surprised if a typed address doesn't pull up exactly what you expect, or if directions from locals reference a building or exit number rather than a street name — this isn't a sign you're doing something wrong, it's just how navigation actually works day-to-day in Korea.
Tip: Save your hotel's location as a pinned point on day one, in both English and Korean if possible — it's the single most useful navigation reference for the rest of your trip.