Korean Job Discussion Forums

[latinthrilla]

Went down to the local transportation office today. Very easy if you are married to a Korean. Here are the steps.

1. Go with your spouse and bring your ID, Passport showing your F2 stamp, your home country's drivers license and 3*4 size pictures.
They will keep your home country's drivers license until the next time you go home. You head back there and show them your Korean license (you will keep it), passport, ID and booked plane ticket. Then they will give it back to you.

2. Have your spouse fill out the Korean form while you fill out the English one. This is done in a special line for non-Koreans, you'll see a blue sign on one of the counters printed in English. It was empty since I was the only non-Korean there. This makes it very fast.

3. Head to the examination room (mine was in the basement) and fill out a form that asks 10 questions about your physical and mental state. Just check no on all of them if you are a normal Joe that doesn't wear glasses. Hand it in and pay 5000 Won.

4. Get in line for the eye test. You are asked to cover each eye once and look at a number on the wall. My eye sight is getting worse each year but they ask for fairly large numbers so you shouldn't worry.

In the sencond test you are asked to read a number made up of coloured dots to check for colour blindness. After that you go to the next station (upstairs for me).

5. Here you buy 2 stamps that cost 3000 won each.

6. Go back to the first station and show them everything.

7.One hour later your license is ready. They even give you a handbook for driving in Korea, yes it is in English.


I don't recommend going without your spouse.

Total cost 11000 Won, Total time about 1.5 hours (including a one hour wait for the license to be printed).


They were very nice and spoke a little English but the forms are in Korean.

[air76]

Are you American? I know that when I went to get my Korean license it was far more complex because I am American....Canadians can just exchange the one for the other like that, and I am not sure about other nationalities.

I had to take the written test, but not the driving test.

That driving handbook is incredible, one of the best souvenirs available in Korea. It's worth the hassle of getting the Korean license JUST to get your hands on one of those hilarious books.

[Netz]

[huffdaddy]

[air76]

It was some time ago, and I don't have the book on me, but a couple highlights were:

1. Try to avoid driving at night

and

2. Don't jump the curb and drive over the sidewalk into the forest, this is dangerous

Yes, both of these jems of advice were actually in the book.

[latinthrilla]

Yes, sorry. Should have mentioned I am Canadian.