Can you buy a pretty postcard in Korea, add a stamp and drop it in a postbox? Sometimes the process is that simple, but an unusual card or an outdated postage figure can complicate it. The easiest first attempt is to take your written card to a staffed post office, name the destination country and ask for international postcard postage. Keep the visit separate from your last-minute departure errands.
Start with the card, not the stamp
Choose a flat card with enough blank space for a complete address. Korea Post's published international size table lists postcards between 90 × 140 mm and 120 × 235 mm. Its rules also distinguish ordinary card stock from folded items and objects with protruding attachments. If your souvenir has a wooden backing, a pop-up section or a bulky decoration, show it to the clerk before assuming it can travel as a postcard. See Korea Post's size and format guidance.
A useful buying strategy is to purchase one extra card. Use that one for your travel journal, test your pen on it, or keep it if the chosen format needs an envelope. Avoid decorating the address area until the postal clerk has confirmed where postage and service labels will go. A beautiful border is less important than an address that remains easy to read.
Prepare an address you can copy accurately
Ask your recipient for the full postal address before leaving your accommodation. Include their name, building or apartment details, street address, postal code, city and destination country. Do not reconstruct it from an old shopping receipt if you can obtain a current version instead.
Korea Post asks for clear Roman letters and Arabic numerals, with the destination city or province and country in capitals. The destination's local script may also be added. Use ink rather than pencil, and ask the counter staff where to place your sender details if the postcard layout is cramped. These points come from the official addressing instructions.
Write the message first, then copy the address slowly. Read the house number and postal code back against your saved version. A photograph is a nice record of the card, but if you share that photograph publicly, cover both addresses.
Which situation applies to your card?
| Your situation | Best next step |
|---|---|
| A plain, flat postcard | Show the destination country and request the appropriate international postage. |
| A thick, folded or decorated souvenir | Have the format assessed before buying stamps or sealing an envelope. |
| Arrival by a particular date matters | Ask which suitable service is currently available and what delivery estimate applies. |
| You already own Korean stamps | Ask the clerk whether the total and stamp type are suitable for this mailing. |
Ask two separate questions at the counter
First ask whether ordinary international postcard service is currently accepted for your destination. Then ask what postage is required for this particular card. Korea Post explicitly warns that inclusion in a price-zone list does not establish current service availability. Its destination-zone guidance recommends checking with a local post office.
A useful sentence to show is “이 엽서를 해외로 보내고 싶어요” meaning “I'd like to send this postcard overseas.” Follow it with the written country name. If you want a decorative stamp rather than a printed postage label, ask before payment; treat that as a preference, not a guaranteed option.
Do not build your budget around a tariff copied from an undated blog. The English letter and postcard rate page checked for this guide still identifies a 2017 implementation date. Confirm the applicable amount at the counter instead of assuming an old displayed rate answers every current mailing question.
Before you hand it over
- Check the recipient's postcode and destination country one final time.
- Keep postal labels and address details unobstructed.
- Ask how to submit the item after postage is applied.
- If tracking matters, confirm whether the chosen service actually includes it.
- Keep any receipt and your private photo until the card arrives.
The small reward is a souvenir that travels independently of your suitcase. Give it a clear address and a confirmed mailing service, then let its arrival be a surprise rather than a promised deadline.
Official sources checked: 19 October 2026, Korea Standard Time. Destination acceptance, available services and applicable postage should be reconfirmed when mailing.
To find the right post office branch, use the same destination checks in our Korean address and map checklist.