Sending Mail and Packages in Korea: Post Office Phrases
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
Published · Updated · How we write & review
After this page, you can send a package or letter at a Korean post office and understand what the clerk asks you.
10-second answer
The short answer
The Korean post office is 우체국 (ucheguk). Walk in and say 소포 보내려고요 (sopo bonaeryeogoyo, "I'd like to send a package") or 이거 미국으로 보내주세요 (igeo migugeuro bonaejuseyo, "please send this to the US"). The clerk will ask 내용물이 뭐예요? (naeyongmuri mwoyeyo, "what's inside?") and 빠른우편으로 하실 거예요? (ppareunupyeoneuro hasil geoyeyo, "do you want express mail?") — knowing these two questions in advance makes the whole visit painless.
Quick check — did that land?
1. How do you say "I'd like to send a package"?
소포 보내려고 하는데요. 이거 미국으로 보내주세요. Need to mail a package?
Key Vocabulary
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 우체국 | ucheguk | Post office |
| 소포 | sopo | Package, parcel |
| 편지 | pyeonji | Letter |
| 등기 (우편) | deunggi (upyeon) | Registered mail (tracked, signature required) |
| 빠른우편 | ppareun-upyeon | Express mail |
| 국제우편 | gukje-upyeon | International mail |
| 송장 | songjang | Shipping invoice / customs form |
| 우표 | upyo | Stamp |
| 박스 / 상자 | bakseu / sangja | Box |
| 운송장 번호 | unsongjang beonho | Tracking number |
See also: Renting an Apartment in Korea
What to Say When You Walk In
소포 보내려고 하는데요.
sopo bonaeryeogo haneundeyo.
I'd like to send a package.
The standard opening line — -려고 하는데요 softens it into "I'm trying to..."
이거 미국으로 보내주세요.
igeo migugeuro bonaejuseyo.
Please send this to the US.
Swap 미국 for any country name — 영국 (UK), 캐나다 (Canada), 호주 (Australia).
등기로 보내주세요.
deunggiro bonaejuseyo.
Please send it as registered mail.
등기 adds tracking and a delivery signature — worth it for anything important.
빠른우편으로 해주세요.
ppareun-upyeoneuro haejuseyo.
Please make it express mail.
Costs more but arrives noticeably faster, domestic or international.
박스는 여기서 살 수 있어요?
bakseuneun yeogiseo sal su isseoyo?
Can I buy a box here?
Most post offices sell standard-size shipping boxes on-site.
Questions the Clerk Will Ask You
| Question | Meaning | How to Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 내용물이 뭐예요? | What's inside? | Name the item(s): 옷이에요 (it's clothes), 책이에요 (it's books) |
| 빠른우편으로 하실 거예요? | Do you want express mail? | 네, 빠른우편으로 해주세요 / 아니요, 일반으로 해주세요 (regular, please) |
| 무게 재볼게요. | I'll weigh it. | No answer needed — just wait, they'll tell you the price |
| 송장 작성해 주세요. | Please fill out the customs form. | For international packages — content, value, and sender/receiver info |
International packages need a 송장
Any package leaving Korea requires a customs declaration form (송장) listing the contents and their value. Staff usually hand you one to fill out on the spot — declaring the contents as "gift" (선물) or "personal item" can affect customs handling, so answer honestly.
The Red Post Box: Letters, Small Parcels and the ECO Slot
You don't always have to go inside. Korea's newer red post boxes, called ECO 우체통 (ECO post boxes), were introduced by Korea Post in December 2024 — the first new design in 40 years — and they have two slots:
| Slot | What goes in |
|---|---|
| 우편·소포 (upyeon·sopo) | Letters and postcards, plus small parcels up to Korea Post's No. 2 box size (27 × 18 × 15 cm). A parcel needs to be registered first — through the QR code on the box, the post office app or website — and the 16-digit number you get goes on the package. |
| ECO | Unused or expired medicine (폐의약품) and used coffee capsules. Medicine goes in a sealed envelope marked 폐의약품; liquid medicine isn't accepted. When the program launched, the capsule slot was only for one brand's aluminum capsules, emptied and bagged. |
The medicine slot solves a real problem: in Korea, leftover pills shouldn't go in the regular trash. Pharmacies and community centers collect them, and in some areas a sealed envelope marked 폐의약품 can already go in an ordinary post box; the ECO box simply gives medicine a slot of its own. The first ECO boxes went up in Seoul's Jongno and Gangnam districts at the end of 2024, with more planned across the Seoul area — so you won't find the ECO slot on every post box yet. For the trash rules this connects to, see Korean trash and recycling rules.
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 우체통 | uchetong | Post box, mailbox |
| 우편 | upyeon | |
| 엽서 | yeopseo | Postcard |
| 폐의약품 | pye-uiyakpum | Unused/expired medicine (for disposal) |
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Confusing 소포 and 편지
소포 is a package; 편지 is a letter. If you just need a stamp for a letter, ask for 우표, not 소포 service.
Mistake #2 — Skipping 등기 for valuables
Regular mail (일반우편) has no tracking. For anything you'd be upset to lose, always ask for 등기.
Mini Quiz
2 short questions — about 1 minute
2. What does the clerk mean by 내용물이 뭐예요?
3. What does 등기 add to regular mail?
Part of Life in Korea: Practical Guides for Foreign Residents
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
Another practical errand every foreign resident runs into early — same counter-phrase pattern as the post office.
Will you remember this tomorrow?
Save it — your daily review brings it back right before you'd forget. No account needed.