Korean Job Discussion Forums

[toong tao daeng]

I am currently living/working in Thailand, and am considering the possibility of bringing my car with me to Korea in September. I'll be living in a relatively rural area, so I think that having private transportation will be a huge asset.

I just bought the car two years ago, and really don't want to sell it because I would take a pretty big loss. I suppose I could store it in Thailand (because I have every intention of returning in a few years) but I'll probably end up buying/selling a car in Korea---which seems like such a waste of money.

How difficult is to import a car into Korea? Are the fees exorbitant? Will there be import problems because the steering wheel is on the right side?

BTW, it's 2006 Honda Jazz (aka Fit).

Any insight would be most appreciated.

[ttompatz]

[dc'79]

I dont know about the fees or process of trying to bring a car over...

But unless you're planning to spend a few years in Korea, I would highly suggest just buying a local car. Parts and maintenance will be a fraction of the cost of you trying to maintain your Jazz. And I could do some quick googling but im lazy....when I was in Korea (2.5 years ago) they only had Honda dealerships in Seoul.

When I was there from 2002 to 2006, I bought a P.O.S (93' Daewoo Espero) for 500,000. Had 98,000kms on it. When I left, had 240,000kms on it and all total repair costs from time of ownership maybe 1,000,000 to 1.5. No BS. Now I was a cheap bastard but you can find a decent used car for like 2 to 3 million and it will last you a while. As long as you can find a good mechanic.

[dc'79]

Oh and forgot to mention auto insurance will also be cheaper for a local car.
Even though the Jazz is an econocar (although a very nice one) I believe it will still be considered 'exotic' and therefore more expensive.