Korean Job Discussion Forums

Mr. BlackCat · Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Location: Insert witty remark HERE

Alright, I did a search on this but everything that came up was at least 4 years old. The sticky on it redirected me to some thread on housing in Sinchon. So here we are.

I have a Canadian drivers licence and would like to get a Korean one. The old threads say it is very easy, take 90 mins or so. Does anyone have any (recent) experience with this?

Also, does anyone know the location of the Gangnam branch?

Thanks

happeningthang · Joined: 26 Apr 2003

My experience is a bit dated, but basically, if your current license is valid, you'll need confirmation from your embassy, and then it's just a eye, hearing and written test.

There's a link to the Korean equivalent of the DMV in the old posts that has a listing of all the licensing bureaus.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

jeffkim1972 · Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Location: Mokpo

Does having a Korean license versus an International one lower your insurance rate?

JZer · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Location: South Korea

jeffkim1972 · Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Location: Mokpo

so it was a test in Korean? did you have to surrender your american license?

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 7:04 pm Post subject: Re: Korean drivers licence

TDR · Joined: 07 Feb 2007 Location: Busan

I just went about three weeks ago to get my license. I'm Canadian and I live in Busan. Can't help you out with directions to the Gangnam branch.

It's pretty simple and took me an hour. As a Canadian you have to surrender your license. But when you're leaving the country you can go back to the same agency, show them your plane ticket and exchange your Korean license for your Canadian one again.

jeffkim1972: JZer said the test was translated. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it was translated into English from Korean and not the other way around. Wink

I didn't take the test in Busan so I don't know about down here BUT I will tell you that the "where do you live and what's your current status in Korea" form and the medical form WERE in Korean with no English translations lying around (again: in Busan).

I went in to the main building in Busan and she took my ARC, Cdn License and a copy of my passport. Then I had to go next door to fill out two forms and get a quick physical test. It was 5000won. The forms were in Korean and not in English. Fortunately, a Korean friend was with me who had to renew her license so she helped me out. They ask where you're from, your residence in Korea, your ARC #, etc. The second form was your standard "check yes or no if you have ever had a heart attack, have high blood pressure, have mental problems, etc.". I had to do an eye test, flex my fingers and squat once. The doctor sitting there signed off on it.

We took these back to the main building and walked to the cashier in the center of the desks. I believe it was another 5000won to get a stamp which I gave at the "foreigner" desk along with my medical forms. She gave me another form which asked what the licensing procedure was like in my home country. Took about 30 seconds to fill in (a written test, graduated licensing and a driving test). From there on it was a 10-15ish minute wait and !presto! they handed me my license right there! Unlike Onterrible there was no waiting six to eight weeks while hauling around an unnecessarily large piece of paper. One that will never comfortably fit into a standard wallet.

There ya go, that's as up to date as I can get. Seems pretty similar to the previous posts and the info that I got from the sticky. Oh, and my new license is good until July, 2016!! Hot damn!