Postal serivce
Any visitor to a foreign country may naturally want to send postcards or letters to friends and family back home. Ten years ago, it was easy for travelers to find the red mailboxes on the street and in buildings. Finding a mailbox today is a bit difficult because of the Internet revolution.
Korea has the highest Internet penetration of any country in the world, with the result that the volume of regular mail has fallen precipitously.
If you cannot find a mailbox, you can ask your hotel front desk to put your letters or postcards in the mail or you can go directly to a nearby post office.
Postal charges for both domestic and international mail, including letters, postcards, and parcels, are based on weight (grams).
hotos on How to Mail a Letter
1. Buying an envelope: You can buy envelopes at any post office or stationery shop. An envelope for international mail costs 50 won, and one for domestic mail costs 30 won.
2. Searching a zip code: If you dont know a zip code for the address of the sender or the receiver, you can look it up on the Internet or in a zip code book. Internet-connected computers and zip code books are both available at local post offices.
3. Writing an address: The addresses of the sender and receiver should be written in the language of the receiving country or in English. If the address is in the language of the receiving country, the country name should be written in English or the language of the sending country.
4. Paying postage: Have your letter weighed at an international mail counter. Pay the postage, which is weighed in grams. Refer to the table below for the details of the postage charge.
Postal Charges for Domestic Mail
| Category | Weight | Postage |
| Postal Charges for Domestic Mail | Up to 5g 5g – 25g 25g – 50g |
220 won 250 won 270 won |
| Oversized mail | Up to 50g Each additional 50g |
340 won 120 won |
Postage for domestic mail (updated on May 4, 2011)
Postal Charges for International Mail
[Postage for postcards and aerogrammes (less than 20g)]
| Type | Air | Surface |
| Postcard | 350 won | 250 won |
| Aerogramme | 400 won | – |
* Postage for postcards and aerogrammes is the same for all destinations.
Where to Get Stamps, Postcards, and Letters & Envelopes
You can get stamps, which are also great souvenirs, at post offices or stationery shops.
Standard envelopes are also available at these places. Postcards can be purchased at bookstores or tourist souvenir shops.
Decorated letter paper or envelopes are sold at art supply shops and stationery shops.
Traditional Korean postcards are available at stationery shops in Insa-dong or those located within large bookstores.
Postage for air mail letters
| Weight (g) |
Postage by region (in Korean won) | |||
| Japan China Taiwan Hong Kong Macau | Bangladesh Brunei Myanmar Cambodia East Timor Indonesia Laos Malaysia the Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam Mongolia |
US Canada France Germany UK and European countries Russia and former USSR countries East European countries Australia New Zealand India Middle Eastern countries |
Egypt Kenya Libya Mexico Panama Argentina Brazil Uruguay Peru etc. |
|
| Up to 10 Up to 20 Up to 50 Up to 100 Up to 250 Up to 500 Up to 1,000 Up to 2,000 |
480 520 810 1,450 2,800 5,050 9,500 17,500 |
520 580 940 1,540 3,700 7,300 14,500 26,500 |
580 650 1,220 2,170 4,570 8,570 16,570 32,570 |
600 700 1,400 2,650 6,050 11,950 22,950 40,950 |
Rates for surface mail letters
| Weight (g) | Rates (won) | Weight limit | ||
|
|
Up to 2kg |
* If you want to check delivery after sending a piece of international mail (EMS, air parcel/registered mail), you can call the International Mail Customer Service Office at the Post Office Call Center. (+82-2-2108-0050~60)
* To call from overseas: 82-2-2108-0051~0059