Korean Job Discussion Forums

[El Bandito]

Not sure why there isn't a sticky on this one.
I'm about to have some time off and I thought I would try to get my driver's license. My US license expired long ago so I have to start from scratch.
Questions that the website can't seem to cover for me.
Do you have to sit through the Traffic Safety Education instruction, leave the DMV, get the health check, then come back and apply to take the written test? Can you just go to the hospital beforehand and get the driver's license medical checkup, then go and do the video, present the medical test results and then take the written test?

Also, I can't seem to find any license test study guide online.
Can anyone who has done this before help me out?
Cheers

[Steelrails]

Something about a guy calling himself "El Bandito" driving in Korea puts a smile on my face.

Unfortunately he is killing it by asking things like "what's the law?" and "study guide".

Just hop in the El Camino and start driving man.

[El Bandito]

[Ruthdes]

I'm not sure about the logistics of getting a licence from scratch, but here are some resources for learning the road rules:
This is the Korean Government one:
http://taas.koroad.or.kr/Eng/dm/dm_indexMain.jsp...
And this is the most recent (as far as I'm aware) American military document:
http://www.osan.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-090217-002.pdf

[hollakris]

Its a 3 step process.
1 Written exam
2 Course exam
3 Real live exam

1st and 2nd one is easy. Its available in English.
The written test is common knowledge. If you passed your permit and license test in the states, you will pass it.

3rd one, you have to memorize the course. The course depends on the DMV location.

[nora]

It's more than 3 steps.

First, you have to watch a video. It's in Korean but it has English subtitles. Fairly entertaining, easy enough.

Afterwards, you take the test. It's on computer and it's fairly straightforward. If you know how to drive, you should be fine. The translations are decent, but there are a few oddball questions on there. I passed mine with one question to spare. The ones I missed were odd - how do you use the AC in the car? How do you change the oil? The answers were either very obvious, or totally confusing.

Second, you'll do the medical check. It's a form you fill out - mine was filled out by the woman there when I told her "I have no medical issues." She just checked it all. Then you'll do the eye test. Again, very simple.

Next you do the course test. The car has a computer that will give the directions in English. You'll also watch the video (all korean, no subtitles) that explains it all.

If you pass that, then you'll do the road test. Depending on the instructor, it can be simple or not. I passed mine with a perfect score, but the instructor was really laid back. A friend of mine failed it by a couple of points and there tester was really harsh - so it depends. Again, if you know how to drive and are able to fit in to the driving here, you'll be fine.

Good luck!

[El Bandito]

[nora]

Doing it in a single day would be really tough - the video is an hour, the test is as long as it takes (10-20 minutes on average), and then the standing in lines and paying fees - it adds up for time.

The real kicker is the course and road test. You have to make an appointment for it. I did mine in the same day, but only because I did the course test in the morning, passed it, AND they had an opening for the afternoon. They won't let you make an appointment for the road test until you've passed the course test.

I would schedule two days for it, minimum. One day for the video, written test, and POSSIBLY course test. Second day for course and road. If it's busy, it could be three days - tests and papers, then course, then road. I would try and do it during the week, getting in early for that first class and see what you can do.

[tob55]

Plan on up to a week to finish everything. They have to schedule you in and it depends on how many others are waiting to test. Good luck. I did the same thing back in 2005 when it wasn't quite so nice to do in the rural areas. Mine was ALL in Korean, so I had to rely a lot on my minimal Korean language skills at the time.

[rmparent]