Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bluelake]

This one is to complement the Korean driving thread.

How many years have you been driving in Korea? Also, when did you first start driving?

I've been driving in Korea since 1991, so seventeen years for me. I first started driving in the mid-70s.

[Night Ranger]

started driving in 1996..been driving here for 3 years.....definitely better than 99% of drivers here...I usually get compliments on my skill from Koreans all the time...but thats not saying much.

[happeningthang]

Is driving that hard? Unless you're in rally, or a member of the secret service I don't think there's much difference between the average driver on the road.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I checked 6-10 years because my driver's license expires this year and I'll have to get it renewed. But I don't really drive. Korean drivers scare the bejeezus out of me. It's not all their fault. American drivers in big cities also scare the bejeezus out of me.

Think of my car as a high-end umbrella/winter coat. Having a car is better than not having a car--it gives me the opportunity to drive past my co-workers walking to work.

[eamo]

Been driving for 20 years now. But only 3 in Korea.

My first drive in Seoul was a fear-filled nightmare compared to the relaxed pace of driving in Ireland. Nowadays, I approach driving in Seoul like a fun challenge. Get where you want to go nice 'n' quick without being an arse.

[Typhoon]

Started to drive in Korea in 2001. It has been fun, fun, fun driving here.

[Cheonmunka]

Some things I don't like about driving round Seoul and Kyongi:
-Late night speedster taxi drivers cutting in and out.
-Too quick traffic light changes from green to red.
-People not pre-thinking about the left turn they have to take and crossing lanes to get there.
-Likewise people who come up in the middle lane, realize they want to turn left so sit in the middle straight-thru lane of an 80kph road with straight thru traffic on the green light zooming down on top of them because they come over a hill and can't see that car until just 80 meters away.
-People cunning straight through on the left turn only lane and zoom and squeeze into the middle lane you are driving on.

I nearly witnessed a life-ending event on Solnal. I was getting off the freeway exit (on Naebu) and was lined up with cars in front and behind. A bright spark encroaches in where I left a bit of room for any of the silly buggers who always try it. Bright Spark's car sticks out onto the freeway proper. The cars just start moving so he pulls in and just as he does a car comes screaming thru the freeay lane right where half his car was one second before. There were two cars abreast on the freeway and they were hooting. So if the hooter swerved it would have caused a major death crash with the guy next to him in the freeway middle lane. If he didn't swerve the car in front of me would have been wiped out. Glass and debris would have flown onto my car with my kids in it.

I just don't get some people. They don't know wtf they are doing, I am sure of it.

How many times do you hear, "Look, slow down, you can't see what's around the corner." (Especially on Naebu)
"No problem, it's a 70 kph zone."
One time I was slow as usual and there was a friggin truck parked on the lane. You couldn't see it from around the corner.

[saw6436]

Been driving a total of 27 years. 10 years here in Korea.

[IncognitoHFX]

I drive in Korea infrequently. Under five times. Only because I'm always the sober one.

I have a Canadian driver's license, do you think this is okay? Or is there a different license required for a foreigner driving in Korea?

My friends and I have wondered about that but we always figured it's better for them to catch me driving without the proper paper work (if it exists) than to catch someone else driving with alcohol in their system.

[ABC KID]

Got my license last fall. Haven't had any accidents yet...

I have perfected the use of the horn as is the custom here

Actually, it sometimes feels safer to be driving here than observing as an outsider. It's not as hair-raising as it seems. Take the taxi drivers off the roads and complaints about driving in Korea would probably be halved.

I'm in a rage today as some kind soul decided to park horizontally in front of my car, totally blocking me in despite plenty of empty parking spaces just meters away - What's more the empty spaces were before he/she got to my car too. All this meant I had to walk to work today on a freezing day when I already had a cold

[itaewonguy]

I have been driving 7 years here.. and thats EVERYDAY!
I have not taken a bus, subway or taxi since!

I have driven about 200.000 km in that time..
had 4 minor accidents. 3 of then being taxis.. of course I had to pay.. even though they cut me off and slammed on the breaks to pick a passenger on the side of the road in my lane! what ever..
and hit a motor bike when he ran the yellow light to get a quick take off and did an illegal Uturn and didnt see me coming through the yellow light on my end.. he was lucky I slowed down for the intersection becuase I saw he was going for the illegal uturn and was saying to myself NO NO dont do it ADOSSI! so I slowed down and he went for it and slammed the breaks and clipped him..

anyway I drive with the best of them in korea! I still give way to buses though and taxis well I HATE THEM! but I no they will cry like babies if you get into an accident with them and a cop and my insurance company said AVOID taxis they are conmen! so otherwise driving here is easy as pie!

ohh thats right, a pizza delivery boy ran into my car once. I was coming out of an apartment and this crazy kid comes flying down the sidewalk and right into my car... then he has balls to tell me its my fault I didnt see him hahaha and I must pay for his bike! hahaha I said call the cops!
cops arrived I said " he drove on the footpath and ran into my car"
cop asked boy the boy admits it.. sends me on my way hahahahaha
billed the pizzashop for my damages and thats it..

ive had two koreans hit me from behind! no damage just a little scratch the nice guy that I am I just say dont worry about it.. ohh one guy I said to give me 30.000 for a can of paint hahahhaha

but yeah I would NEVER give up driving here.. NEVER!
actually I just bought a new car last week.. so I hope to god that it doesnt get scratched! as my old car I couldnt careless if someone hit it or keyed it
but my new car I will go crazy hahahahaa

[SuperHero]

6 years driving in Korea and swearing most of the time I am on the road.

[SuperFly]

My wife won't let me drive in Korea. She keep saying that dogs have no business behind the wheel of a car, but I don't agree.

[Mr. Pink]

[genezorm]

i've been driving in korea since 1951 during the war, back then it was a tank, now i have a daewoo matiz which is easier to maneuver