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indieROK
Joined: 16 May 2010
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 Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 7:17 am Post subject: |
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| I've never really understood... what's the point of them keeping your home country license? |
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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:21 pm Post subject: |
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Umm...the answer probably lies in the word 'exchange' - you 'exchange' your home licence for a Korean one - i.e. you give them your home licence and in exchange they give you a Korean one.
Yeah, I know that doesn't really answer the question but I would've thought it's obviously to prevent things like people trying to get out of incurring penalty points by claiming they don't have a Korean license and are driving on an IDP plus home licence.
As I said earlier, some other countries are actually much stricter than Korea on this, taking your home country licence when they issue you a local one and immediately sending it back to your home licensing authority to be cancelled and re-applied for.
A more pertinent question might be "what is the point of the Korean DLA not chasing people up to re-surrender their home licence when they return from a trip back home?" (Not that I'm complaining they don't do this, of course.) Just guessing, but the answer to that might be that in most cases the foreigner involved is leaving Korea for good and it's a waste of manpower chasing up the smaller number of cases where that person returns to and continues to live in Korea. |
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toonchoon
Joined: 06 Feb 2009
Location: Gangnam
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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| warmachinenkorea wrote: |
For Americans, now since they've made it tougher, you have to get an affidavit from the embassy stating your license is real. Then go to your local DMV, or whatever it is called in Korea, take the test for a korean license, then trade your Korean license for a IDP. If you don't live in Seoul
it sucks.
I think the affidavit is a requirement for anyone wanting to get a Korean license.
My wife and I are gettign a car so I've been checking on all of this stuff.
It's a big headache now. Before it was just trade your home license for an IDP. |
Glad I got mine before this. It expires in 8 years, and by then, who knows how their laws will change. I did, however, have to take a computerized test, which was translated horribly into English. Passed with the same score as my friend. Coincidence?  |
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dedede
Joined: 10 May 2010
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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This might be redundant, but I've got an update for Americans regarding exchanging your U.S. driver's license for a Korean one -
Americans now have to take a written/computer test as one of the requirements for exchanging their U.S. driver's license for a Korean one...this didn't use to be the case...before February of 2010, Americans didn't actually need to take any sort of test as a requirement for the exchange, but in February the U.S. started forcing Koreans in America doing a similar trade (Korean license to an American license) to take a test, and in retailiation Korea began to require the same of us Americans.
I have't gotten my license yet, this is just what one of my co-teachers found out when she called our local driver's license office on my behalf. |
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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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You can get them done at the traffic authority office for a reasonable price- 5 or 6,000won I think. (Or you can at the one in Samseong-dong, anyway). |
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Heli Mike
Joined: 26 May 2010
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 5:40 pm Post subject: DMV Location Near US Embassy |
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| Does anyone know the address of the DMV office that is close to the US Embassy? And do you know the hours of operation? |
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Lazio
Joined: 15 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| indieROK wrote: |
| I've never really understood... what's the point of them keeping your home country license? |
There is some international agreement that one person can't hold valid driving licenses from 2 different countries. I don't know why, perhaps if you violate some traffic law and the police takes your license you could still drive with the other license which wouldn't be cool.
I have 3 licenses however  When I got my US one I was stupid enough to write on the application form that I already have a license from another country. I thought the process would be easier but I was wrong. I still had to take the written test and driving in traffic. I was told that as soon as I have all tests done I will need to surrender my original license. They said they will not just only keep it but will punch a hole on the plastic card! I told them it was nonsense so in the end they just stamped a note on the back with regular ink "not valid in the US" Just removed it with my finger while walking away from the counter:)
In Korea I showed a flight ticket to home and the lady allowed me to keep the original one as well. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Lazio wrote: |
| There is some international agreement that one person can't hold valid driving licenses from 2 different countries. I don't know why, perhaps if you violate some traffic law and the police takes your license you could still drive with the other license which wouldn't be cool. |
Really? Anyways, I got my K-DL in 2005 and they didn't take my Canadian one away. Lucky I guess... Also, good thing Korean DL's are valid for 10 years. |
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