Military Facilities to Become Searchable on Maps, Reducing Parcel Delivery Errors

Standardizing Guidelines for Road Name Addresses and Map Services
Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Ministry of National Defense to Implement from November 17
Application Differentiated by On-Base/Off-Base Status and Facility Purpose

From now on, both on-base military facilities such as military units and off-base military apartments will be able to receive parcel deliveries and find directions using 'road name addresses' searchable on maps and navigation systems.

On November 13, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of National Defense announced that they have established security guidelines specifying the method for assigning road name addresses to military facilities and the scope of information to be provided for map services. These guidelines will take effect starting November 17.

Yonhap News Agency

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of National Defense have standardized the operational guidelines for road name addresses at military facilities to reduce socioeconomic costs such as misdelivered parcels and to alleviate address-related inconveniences for residents and visitors. In addition, the measure aims to further strengthen the security of military facilities.

Until now, for security reasons, military facilities such as military units have used post office P.O. box addresses or road name addresses that could not be identified on maps to receive mail. As a result, misdeliveries increased, and the process of explaining location information to receive parcels led to unnecessary exposure of information about military facilities, raising security concerns.

In October last year, the Ministry of National Defense announced that military units could also use road name addresses. However, confusion persisted due to the absence of detailed guidelines regarding the scope of location information to be provided. Additionally, for military apartments and visitor centers located outside the base, there was no clear standard for disclosing address information.

Main Contents of the Expansion of Military Facility Address Allocation. Provided by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety

According to the revised plan, facilities eligible for road name addresses will be categorized by purpose as follows: ▲military facilities ▲military residential facilities ▲military welfare facilities. Military facilities will also be classified as on-base or off-base, depending on whether they are inside or outside the perimeter walls and barbed wire.

Among these, on-base facilities will continue to be managed as secure areas and remain undisclosed to the public. However, to prevent issues with parcel deliveries, road name addresses will be assigned at entry points so that their locations can be confirmed via navigation systems and online maps. Off-base military residential and welfare facilities will have their addresses and locations provided according to the same standards as civilian buildings. The assignment of road name addresses will require the commanding officer in charge to review the facility's specific characteristics and security needs before applying to the relevant city, county, or district office.

With these improvements, it is expected to become easier to locate military family housing, reduce parcel misdeliveries and returns, and lower related socioeconomic costs. In addition, when emergency calls are received from military residential or welfare facilities, patients can now be transported quickly to hospitals using map services without having to confirm the military unit's location. By standardizing security guidelines for location information related to military facilities, unnecessary disclosure of military facility information will be prevented, further strengthening security.

Yoon Hojoong, Minister of the Interior and Safety, stated, "Addresses are an essential element in various economic activities and daily life, including logistics delivery, commerce, and administrative services," and added, "We will strengthen cooperation with relevant ministries to ensure that there are no blind spots in address coverage."

Ahn Kyubaek, Minister of National Defense, said, "With this measure, we expect to enhance the security of military facilities while making parcel delivery services more convenient for service members and their families. We will continue to develop and implement new policies to improve military welfare."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.