Bohemian villages in South Korea
TOLERANT Post als Lotse in exotischen Gefilden
If you ask corporations about their Asia strategy, China and Japan are traditionally at the forefront. The first Mercedes cardan car was delivered to Japan in 1912; China is always in focus as a market and production location, if only because of its enormous size. South Korea, on the other hand, has long been overshadowed by its neighbours. Hardly noticed by the world public, it has grown at a rapid pace: from one of the poorest countries in the world in the 1960s to one of the leading 15 industrial nations today.
According to Wikipedia, just under 51 million inhabitants generate a gross domestic product (GDP) of $1,222 billion (figures from 2013). The economy shines with an unemployment rate of about 3% and foreign direct investment of over 10 billion euros.
South Korea is one of the global leaders in IT and telecommunications. The country is home to global market companies such as Samsung and LG, plus a large number of innovative high-tech companies, often in the electronics field. South Korea is one of the most technologically open nations. Koreans use broadband multimedia applications, welcome new things very euphorically, and they are big fans of electronic games.
Innovative technical products are welcome in Korea. But consumers are just as demanding as European consumers. Service and a correct approach to customer care are extremely important.
In addition to the mobile phone number, accessibility via postal address also plays a major role. It is precisely in this sector that South Korea has made some changes in recent years.
How is a Korean address structured?
For a long time, South Korean addresses were based on parcel numbers. This was complicated because these parcel numbers were not assigned consecutively. Today, this identifier applies only to parcels of land. In 2014, the state introduced a new address system based on street names and house numbers. Both have been assigned consecutively since then. In August 2015, a new five-digit postal code system was also added.
Structure of a Korean address:
Within the country, it is appreciated to use the Korean script for addressing. This is a letter script whose basic features were developed as early as the 15th century. With minor changes, it is still used today in North and South Korea. The modern alphabet consists of 19 consonants and 21 vowels, and the individual letters are grouped syllabically so that each syllable fits into an imaginary square.
Many address databases today still contain the old address format of parcel numbers, which is still occasionally used in everyday communication. In the long run, however, it is necessary to know a customer’s data according to the new address format. Unfortunately, a simple conversion from the old to the new format is impossible, because it is not possible to infer the street name from the parcel numbers without additional information.
For converting individual addresses, the Korean Post website is helpful. (http://www.koreapost.go.kr).
For larger address quantities, TOLERANT Post supports you. The program validates and corrects addresses, masters the conversion from the old to the new format and enables you to address your customers in Korea accurately in the future.
We would be happy to show this to you live. Contact us, we will come to your place and also give advice for the right configuration.