Tag: Korea driving

Car Insurance in Korea for Foreigners: What You Must Have

Every car on Korean roads needs insurance, and the rules don’t change for foreign residents. The law requires two coverages, fines owners who go without them, and treats driving an uninsured car as a crime. Everything else on a Korean policy is optional.

This guide covers what the law requires, what the optional parts do, how premiums are set and how insurance history from abroad can count. In Korean, car insurance is 자동차보험.

How we checked

The requirements, limits and fines come from the Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation Guarantee Act (자동차손해배상보장법) and its Enforcement Decree, in the versions in force on October 25, 2026. The rules on premiums and driving history come from an April 2024 press release by the Financial Services Commission (금융위원회), Korea’s financial regulator.

The coverage types come from the government’s legal information service, Easy Law (찾기쉬운 생활법령정보), which follows the standard car insurance policy terms. We didn’t use insurer ads, comparison blogs or forums, and we don’t quote premium prices.

The short answer

Required: bodily injury liability (대인배상Ⅰ) and property damage liability (대물배상).
If you skip it: a fine that grows after the first 10 days, and up to a year in prison or a ₩10 million fine for driving it.
Optional: extra bodily injury cover, cover for yourself, cover against uninsured drivers, and cover for your own car.
Driving abroad: insurance history from another country can count toward a lower rate, if you prove it.
Buying a used car: the seller’s compulsory cover carries over to you only for a short window.

What the law requires

Article 5 of the Act says every car owner must carry two kinds of cover. Korean policies call the first bodily injury liability I (대인배상Ⅰ) and the second property damage liability (대물배상).

Required cover	What it pays	Legal limit
Bodily injury liability I (대인배상Ⅰ)	Someone else is killed or injured	Death: up to ₩150 million per person, with a ₩20 million minimum. Injury and lasting disability: up to amounts set by grade
Property damage liability (대물배상)	Someone else’s property is damaged	Up to ₩20 million per accident

These limits come from Article 3 of the Enforcement Decree. They are what the compulsory cover pays at most, not a cap on what you can owe. Damage above them falls to optional cover or to you.

Driving without it. Article 8 bans driving an uninsured car on the road. Under Article 46, an owner who does can face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to ₩10 million.

Letting it lapse. Insurers must remind you before your policy ends, and must report a lapse to your local government. The local government then orders you to insure the car within a set period of 10 to 15 days. It can also impound the license plates of an uninsured car.

Fines for a gap in cover

Owning an uninsured car brings a separate fine, even if it never leaves the parking lot. Annex 5 of the Enforcement Decree, last amended in September 2026, sets a base fine for the first 10 days and a daily amount from the 11th day, up to a cap.

Vehicle	Missing cover	First 10 days	From day 11	Cap
Non-commercial car	Bodily injury I	₩10,000	+₩4,000 a day	₩600,000
Non-commercial car	Property damage	₩5,000	+₩2,000 a day	₩300,000
Motorcycle	Bodily injury I	₩6,000	+₩1,200 a day	₩200,000
Motorcycle	Property damage	₩3,000	+₩600 a day	₩100,000

We read the table as adding the daily amount for each day from the 11th on, so 11 days without bodily injury cover on a car comes to ₩14,000. A car with no insurance at all is missing both, so both rows apply.

Days after your plates are impounded aren’t counted. The authority that issues the fine can cut it by up to half, unless you have unpaid fines, or raise it by up to half within the legal maximum. Commercial vehicles follow different amounts, which this guide doesn’t cover.

Use the calculator below to estimate a fine for a non-commercial car or a motorcycle.

Uninsured car fine estimator

Vehicle What cover was missing? Days without cover

Source: Enforcement Decree of the Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation Guarantee Act, Article 36 and Annex 5 (amended September 15, 2026). Last checked: October 25, 2026. The result is our calculation from that table. The authority that issues the fine decides the actual amount and can adjust it.

The optional coverages

A full Korean policy usually bundles the two required parts with up to four optional ones. Easy Law describes all six using the standard policy terms.

Bodily injury liability II (대인배상Ⅱ): pays what’s left when someone else’s death or injury costs more than bodily injury liability I covers.
Personal injury (자기신체사고): pays when the insured person is killed or injured.
Uninsured motorist (무보험자동차에 의한 상해): pays when an uninsured vehicle kills or injures the insured person.
Own vehicle damage (자기차량손해): pays for damage to your own car.

The required parts only pay up to the legal limits above. Optional cover is how you protect against costs beyond them, and against damage to yourself and your own car. When you compare quotes, check which of these each one includes.

Signing up as a foreign resident

Article 24 of the Act says an insurer can’t refuse to sell the compulsory cover, except for reasons set in the Enforcement Decree. There are three: the car hasn’t had its required inspection, it’s banned from the road, or the applicant clearly hid or misstated something important about the risk.

Being a foreign resident isn’t one of them. If insurers see a driver as high risk, the Act lets several of them share the policy, and they must explain how that works and what it costs.

This rule covers the compulsory parts only, not the optional ones.

Two records that set your premium

Korean premiums depend on two separate records, and foreign history only feeds one of them. The Financial Services Commission calls them the accident grade (우량할인·불량할증등급) and the insurance history rate (보험가입경력요율).

The accident grade runs from 1 to 29, and higher grades pay less. New policyholders start at grade 11, claim-free years move you up and accidents move you down. In the regulator’s reference rates, grade 11 pays 82.8% of the base premium, grade 29 pays 30% and grade 1 pays 200%.

If your own policy has ended more than three years before you sign up again, your old grade no longer resets straight to 11. Since August 1, 2024, grades 15 to 29 drop by three, and grades 12 to 14 go back to 11. Grades 9 and 10 keep their place, and grades 1 to 8 come back at grade 8.

The insurance history rate rewards time spent insured. A new policyholder pays a higher rate, which comes down each year for up to three years. For a mid-size or larger personal car, the reference rate is 138.1% of the base in the first year. It falls to 115.3% in the second, 110.3% in the third and 100% after three years.

Both sets of figures are reference rates from the Korea Insurance Development Institute, quoted in the regulator’s release. Each insurer’s actual rates can differ.

Getting credit for driving abroad

The regulator’s April 2024 release lists driving records that count toward the insurance history rate even without a Korean policy in your name. One of them is car insurance held abroad. The release lists it under the history rate, not the accident grade.

Driving record	Documents	Issued by
Car insurance held abroad	Overseas insurance certificate, entry and exit records	The foreign insurer; a community service center
Long-term rental car (not daily or hourly rental)	Rental contract naming you, proof of rent payments	The rental company

The release says to talk to your insurer’s call center or agent first and then apply. It names the foreign insurer as the source of the insurance certificate, and a community service center for the entry and exit records (출입국사실증명).

The long-term rental item was added in the 2024 release. It can help if you’ve driven a long-term rental car in Korea before buying one.

Insurance when you buy a used car

A used car’s policy doesn’t simply pass to the buyer. Easy Law says the seller must notify their insurer, and the policy transfers only if the insurer agrees. If the insurer doesn’t answer within 10 days of the notice, it’s treated as agreeing.

The compulsory part is the exception. Article 26 of the Act says the buyer takes over the seller’s compulsory cover from the day they pay and take the car. It lasts until the deadline to register the transfer, or until the buyer takes out their own compulsory cover if that comes first. Optional cover doesn’t carry over automatically, so arrange your own policy before you drive away.

If you file the transfer online, Car365 also checks that your policy names you as the insured and starts from the transfer date. Being only a named driver on a family policy doesn’t qualify. Our guide to buying a used car in Korea walks through that transfer and the papers each side needs.

Comparing quotes

Insurance Damoa (보험다모아, e-insmarket.or.kr) is a comparison site run by Korea’s insurance industry associations. It covers many products, including car insurance. Its FAQ notes car comparison is for personal-use cars and that cars over 20 years old can’t be compared. The site itself says final terms come from each insurer.

The site is in Korean, and we couldn’t confirm whether foreign residents can complete its identity check, so your insurer may be the easier route. When you call an insurer, have your alien registration details and car registration ready, and ask how they handle overseas insurance history.

Before you drive

Get bodily injury liability I and property damage liability in your name before the car moves.
Decide which optional coverages you want, especially bodily injury liability II.
Ask your Korean insurer which documents it accepts for overseas history, then get the certificate from your foreign insurer.
If you’re buying a used car, line up your own policy before the transfer.
Put the renewal date in your calendar so the cover doesn’t lapse.

Rules change, and your insurer and local government make the decisions in your case. Our guide to car tax in Korea for foreigners covers the acquisition tax you pay when you register a car and the yearly car tax after that.

Last checked: October 25, 2026. Sources: Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation Guarantee Act, Articles 5, 6, 8, 24, 26 and 46 (Korean Law Information Center, in Korean); Enforcement Decree of the same Act, Articles 3, 17 and 36 and Annex 5 (in Korean); Financial Services Commission press release of April 2, 2024 on driving history rules (in Korean); Easy Law, pages on mandatory car insurance and on insurance when buying a used car (in Korean); Car365 help page on insurance checks for online transfer (in Korean); Insurance Damoa (in Korean).

October 25, 2026

Buying a Used Car in Korea as a Foreigner, Step by Step

Korea’s registration rules don’t set a separate process for foreign residents buying a used car. You check the car, pay, and then register the change of ownership in your name within a set deadline. Most of the paperwork falls on the person who files that transfer, which depends on whether you buy from a dealer or a private seller.

This guide covers what to check before any money moves, how a dealer sale differs from a private one, the transfer itself and the papers each side brings. In Korean a used car is 중고차, and the transfer is 이전등록.

How we checked

The deadlines and document rules come from Korea’s Motor Vehicle Management Act (자동차관리법), its Motor Vehicle Registration Decree (자동차등록령) and its Motor Vehicle Registration Rule (자동차등록규칙). We read the versions in force on October 23, 2026, on the government’s Korean Law Information Center.

The online steps and vehicle history checks come from Car365 (자동차365), the government’s vehicle registration and history site. The scam warnings come from a Seoul city notice for foreign residents. We didn’t use dealer sites, marketplace apps or forums.

The short answer

Who can register a car: the registration rules accept a certificate of alien registration as an individual’s proof of address, so under these rules registered foreign residents can buy and register in their own name.
Before paying: look the car up on Car365 and check for seizures and loans recorded against it.
The deadline: the buyer must apply for the transfer within 15 days of buying the car.
Dealer or private: a registered dealer must file the transfer for you and give you a written inspection record first. In a private sale, you file it yourself.
Insurance: you need mandatory insurance in your name before you drive, and Car365’s online transfer checks for it.

Can you buy a car on your visa?

The registration rules don’t sort buyers by visa type. They require the registration office to confirm where the car will be kept, using a document that shows the owner’s address. For an individual, the rule lists three that count: a resident registration abstract, a driver’s license, or a certificate of alien registration (외국인등록사실증명).

So if you hold an Alien Registration Card, you can register a car in your name. We didn’t find a route in the rules for short-term visitors without registration. If that’s your situation, ask the registration office before you buy.

You’ll also need a license that lets you drive the car. Our guide to converting a foreign license covers which countries skip the written test and what to bring.

Dealer or private seller: what changes

Korea’s law treats a registered used car dealer (자동차매매업자) very differently from a private seller. The dealer takes on paperwork and duties that, in a private sale, fall on you.

	Registered dealer	Private seller
Who files the transfer	The dealer, on your behalf, within 15 days of the final payment date	You, within 15 days of buying
Written notice before the contract	Required: inspection record, seizures and loans, fees	Not required
Seller’s seal or signature certificate	Not needed	Needed, unless the seller confirms the sale in person at the office
Compensation if the notice was false	Dealer liable, backed by guarantee insurance or a deposit	Not covered by these dealer rules

What a dealer must give you. Article 58 of the Motor Vehicle Management Act says a dealer must hand the buyer a written notice before the contract is signed. It must include the car’s performance and condition inspection (성능·상태점검), including any flood damage, with photos and dated within 120 days, and it must state whether the car has any seizure or mortgage registered. It also covers the dealer’s fees and, if you ask, a price assessment.

If that notice is missing or false and you lose money, the dealer must compensate you. Dealers must carry guarantee insurance, mutual aid coverage or a deposit for this. When the sale is done, they must explain the coverage amount, the provider and the coverage period, and give you a copy of the certificate.

You can still file yourself. The Act lets a buyer file the transfer directly instead of the dealer. Most dealer sales won’t need this, but it’s an option if you’d rather handle it.

Check the car before any money moves

Car365 lets you look up a car you don’t own yet. How much you see depends on whether the owner has agreed to share the record. Car365’s own help pages describe three levels.

Owner has agreed to share: seizures and loans, basic details, maintenance history, used car inspection records, inspection history, mileage history, unpaid car tax and mandatory insurance status.
Owner hasn’t agreed: only the number of seizures and loans, plus basic details, insurance status and counts of unpaid car tax, inspections and used car inspections.
Vehicle registration record (등록원부): shows seizures in section A (갑부) and mortgages in section B (을부). You need the car’s plate number and the owner’s name exactly as registered.

For cars listed in a dealer’s name, Car365 points to a separate lookup for vehicles held for sale. Ask the seller for the plate number early, before you travel to see the car.

Why seizures and loans matter. A seizure (압류) and a mortgage (저당) are both claims someone other than the owner has registered against the car. Car365 says a seizure has to be cleared with the body that registered it. Sort these out with the seller before you pay, not after.

Look at the car in person and take it for a test drive. Compare the registration certificate and registration record with the car in front of you, and with the person selling it.

Paying without getting burned

In July 2026, the Seoul city government warned foreign residents about used car scams on Karrot (당근마켓), the secondhand marketplace app. It named four common types.

Fake listings: cars that don’t exist, or rental cars and other vehicles in someone else’s name sold as private cars.
Third-party scams: someone in the middle deceives the buyer or the seller and takes the money.
Hidden history: rolled-back mileage, or a car with an accident history sold as accident-free.
Delivery scams: a buyer has the car delivered and then doesn’t pay for it or the delivery.

The city’s advice is to treat a price far below the market as a red flag. Don’t send any money in advance, including a deposit. Meet the seller, inspect and drive the car, check the registration documents, and confirm the seller is a legitimate business if it’s a dealer.

If you’re scammed, the city suggests gathering chats, transfer records and car documents and filing a complaint with the police, and reporting the user in the app. Seoul’s foreign residents center (서울외국인주민센터) offers free interpreting and legal consultations in seven languages, by appointment, at 02-2229-4900.

Transferring ownership within 15 days

Article 26 of the Registration Decree gives the buyer 15 days from the purchase date to apply for the transfer. When a dealer files it, the Registration Rule counts the 15 days from the final payment date on the transfer certificate.

If the buyer never files, the seller can file instead. The office then gives the buyer 7 to 15 days to apply or object before completing it. Leaving a transfer to the seller isn’t a plan, though, since the car stays in their name until it’s done.

You can file in person at a vehicle registration office (차량등록사업소, or the city, county or district office that handles registration), or online through Car365. Use the checker below to see which papers your situation needs.

Which papers does my transfer need?

Who is selling the car?

Source: Motor Vehicle Registration Rule Articles 27, 33 and 34, Registration Decree Articles 26 and 27, Motor Vehicle Management Act Articles 12, 58 and 58-3, and Car365’s online transfer help pages. Last checked: October 23, 2026. The registration office makes the final decision, so treat this as a guide.

The papers, in detail

Article 33 of the Registration Rule sets the list. Every sale needs a transfer registration application (Form 14) and a vehicle transfer certificate (자동차양도증명서). The certificate uses Form 15 for a direct sale between two people and Form 16 when a dealer sells or arranges it.

The seller's certificate. In a private sale, the seller also provides one of three documents. It can be a seal certificate (인감증명서) issued for selling a car, with the buyer's name, address and registration number filled in. It can instead be a personal signature confirmation (본인서명사실확인서) or an electronic signature confirmation slip, with the same details.

This isn't needed when a dealer sells the car, when it's sold at a licensed auction, or when the seller confirms the sale in person at the registration office. Registered foreign residents can apply for the personal signature confirmation in person at a local government office, so a foreign seller isn't stuck without a seal.

Your proof of address. The office looks this up through shared government records, which for a foreign resident means the alien registration record. If you don't agree to that check, bring the certificate yourself. You can also send someone to file for you, with a power of attorney and a copy of your ID.

Filing online. Car365 offers online transfer for registered foreign residents, and the checker above lists its steps. Two limits are worth knowing. You must pay through the virtual account Car365 gives you, since paying elsewhere stops the online application. And tax-exempt or tax-reduced cars, or cars once registered for commercial use, can't be transferred online.

Insurance and registration costs

The Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation Guarantee Act (자동차손해배상보장법) requires every owner to carry mandatory liability insurance, and an uninsured car may not be driven on the road. Car365 adds that for an online transfer, the policy must name the buyer as the insured, with cover starting from the transfer date. A family policy that only lists you as an extra driver doesn't count.

Registration also comes with charges, and Car365's online steps name acquisition tax (취득세) and government bonds (공채) among them. Our guide to car insurance in Korea for foreigners explains the required cover, the fines for a gap and how insurance history from abroad can count. Our guide to car tax in Korea for foreigners explains how acquisition tax is worked out and what you pay each year after that.

After the transfer

Once the transfer is done, the office issues a new registration certificate in the buyer's name. Online, you print it from Car365. Keep a copy of the transfer certificate and your payment records with it.

Quick checklist before you pay

Get the plate number and look the car up on Car365.
Check for seizures and mortgages, and agree with the seller how they'll be cleared.
From a dealer, get the written notice and the inspection record before you sign.
See the car in person, drive it and match the documents to the seller.
Don't pay a deposit in advance for a car you haven't seen.
Arrange insurance in your name and plan the transfer within 15 days.

Rules can change and the registration office decides your case. For questions, Car365's help line is 1566-4682 (a paid call, weekdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.), or ask your local vehicle registration office before you go. Once the car is yours, sort out insurance next, and our car insurance guide covers what the law requires.

Last checked: October 23, 2026. Sources: Motor Vehicle Management Act, Articles 12, 58 and 58-3 (Korean Law Information Center, in Korean); Motor Vehicle Registration Decree, Articles 26 and 27 (in Korean); Motor Vehicle Registration Rule, Articles 27, 33, 34 and 35 (in Korean); Act on Certification of Personal Signatures (in Korean); Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation Guarantee Act, Articles 5 and 8 (in Korean); Car365 help pages on online transfer, insurance checks and seizure lookups (in Korean); Seoul city portal for foreign residents, notice on Karrot used car scams of July 7, 2026 (in Korean).

October 23, 2026

Korean Driver’s License for Foreigners: How to Convert Yours

If you live in Korea and hold a driver’s license from another country, you can usually exchange it for a Korean one with no road test and no course test. Whether you also sit a written test depends on where your license was issued and, in some cases, on your visa.

This guide covers who can exchange a license, which countries skip the written test, the documents and fees, and the Korean license class you end up with. In Korean the license is called 운전면허증, and the process is 외국면허 교환발급.

How we checked

The rules come from Article 84 of Korea’s Road Traffic Act (도로교통법), last amended in January 2024, and from Article 52 and Annex 3 of its Enforcement Decree (도로교통법 시행령), in the version in force since October 2, 2026. The documents, fees and country list come from the Korea Road Traffic Authority (KoROAD, 도로교통공단), which runs the driver’s license test sites.

We read KoROAD’s Korean and English pages on October 22, 2026. Where they differ, we’ve followed the Korean page, which cites a newer country list. We didn’t use visa agencies, forums or news reports.

The short answer

Who can apply: registered foreign residents, overseas Koreans with a domestic residence report, refugees and Korean citizens with resident registration. Tourists can’t.
What license qualifies: a valid full license you got while staying more than 90 days in the country that issued it.
Tests: everyone takes an aptitude test (a physical check-up). Licenses from countries on Korea’s recognized list skip the written test, and others take a 40-question written test.
What you get: a Class 2 ordinary license (제2종 보통), except for licenses from five countries with their own agreements.

Who can exchange a foreign license

Article 84 of the Road Traffic Act limits the exemption to foreign license holders in four groups. They’re people with Korean resident registration, foreigners registered with immigration (or exempt from registration), recognized refugees, and overseas Koreans who have filed a domestic residence report.

In practice, most foreign residents apply with their Alien Registration Card. KoROAD’s document list asks for the original card, so a tourist without one can’t exchange a license. If you’re only visiting, an international driving permit is the route instead. Our guide to driving in Korea on an IDP explains which permits Korea accepts and how the one-year limit works.

The 90-day rule. The Act and the Enforcement Decree count only a license obtained while staying more than 90 days in the issuing country. KoROAD checks this with your passport and an entry and exit record, and it won’t exchange the license if the stay can’t be confirmed.

Full licenses only. KoROAD accepts only a full license that hasn’t expired. Temporary licenses, learner or provisional licenses, probationary licenses and permits or certificates can’t be exchanged. New Zealand restricted licenses are the one exception it notes, covered below.

Which tests you’ll take

Annex 3 of the Enforcement Decree splits foreign licenses into two groups. The dividing line is whether the issuing country exchanges a Korean license without a test. Korea calls those countries 국내면허 인정국가, which we’ll call recognized countries.

Your license is from	Tests you take	Tests you skip
A recognized country	Aptitude test (physical check-up)	Written test, course test, road test
Any other country	Aptitude test and written test	Course test, road test

Annex 3 also lets countries with a separate mutual recognition agreement follow the terms of that agreement. Motorcycle and moped licenses aren’t covered by these two rows.

The written test has 40 multiple-choice questions, according to KoROAD. You can take it in Korean, English, Chinese or Vietnamese.

Is your country on the recognized list?

The Korean National Police Agency publishes the list, and KoROAD shows the version from a notice dated April 6, 2026. It covers 133 countries and regions. Regions with their own license systems, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, count as countries. A country can be dropped if Korea is told it no longer recognizes Korean licenses.

Some countries are listed only in part. Here are examples from the list, not the full list:

United States: 29 states are listed, including Texas, Florida, Virginia, Washington and Massachusetts. California and New York aren’t on it.
Canada: all 10 provinces are listed. The territories aren’t.
India: only Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra.
Mexico: only Nuevo León. Iraq: only Erbil.

Some common home countries aren’t on the list, including Australia, mainland China, Indonesia, Russia and Singapore. Licenses from those countries go through the written test unless your visa exempts you (see below).

Four listed states still take the written test. KoROAD says licenses from Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Nevada need the written test even though those states are on the list.

New Zealand has its own rule. KoROAD says restricted license holders must pass the written test. So must full license holders less than two years after the license was issued, unless their visa exempts them.

Use the checker below to see which tests apply to you. It uses KoROAD’s list and notes as of October 22, 2026, and translates the Korean place names into English.

Which tests apply to my license?

Where was your license issued? Your stay status in Korea

Source: KoROAD’s foreign license exchange pages and its recognized country list (National Police Agency notice of April 6, 2026), plus Road Traffic Act Article 84 and Enforcement Decree Article 52 and Annex 3. Last checked: October 22, 2026. The test site makes the final decision, so treat this as a guide.

The visa exemption from the written test

A license from a non-recognized country doesn't always mean a written test. Article 84 treats licenses held by people in Korea for certain purposes as if they came from a recognized country, and the Enforcement Decree lists the stay statuses. KoROAD gives them as A-1, A-2, A-3, D-7, D-8, D-9, E-1, E-3, E-4, E-7 and F-4.

The exemption also covers a holder's spouse and any unmarried children under 19. Common statuses such as E-2 and D-2 aren't on the list, so holders of those visas from non-recognized countries take the written test.

Documents to bring

KoROAD's list for foreign nationals is the same for both groups. The only difference is the written test fee.

Your original foreign driver's license
Your original passport, showing your departures and arrivals
Your original Alien Registration Card (or overseas Korean residence card)
Three color photos taken within the last six months, 3.5 cm × 4.5 cm (about 1.4 × 1.8 inches, by our conversion)
An embassy certificate or an apostille for the license
A certificate of entry and exit (출입국사실증명) covering your birth year to the present

The embassy certificate or apostille confirms the license is genuine. It must be issued within one year before you apply, in Korean or English. It can come from your country's embassy in Korea, the Korean embassy in your country, or an apostille authority in a country that has joined the Apostille Convention.

KoROAD says several embassies have stopped issuing these certificates, including the UK and Finnish embassies and the Netherlands embassy in Korea. Holders of those licenses should get an apostille instead. If a certificate says the embassy didn't check the license's authenticity, KoROAD may ask for more documents or reject the application.

Country-specific extras. Some countries also need a driving record certificate, and KoROAD names Canada, the UAE, New Zealand, Singapore and Colombia. Colombian licenses need both an apostille and a General Driver Report. A Chinese license must have both its main and supplementary parts notarized and submitted. If your license shows no issue or expiry date, bring a driving record certificate or a similar document from the issuing authority that shows it.

If the 90-day stay doesn't show in your passport, KoROAD accepts other proof. Its examples include a certificate of enrollment or employment, a tax invoice, a permanent resident card such as a US green card, a citizenship certificate, or a long-term visa of one year or more.

Fees

These are the fees on KoROAD's Korean page when we checked. The English page shows lower physical check-up fees and cites an older country list, so it may not be up to date.

Item	Fee (KRW)
Physical check-up at a test site	7,000
Written test, if you need it	10,000
License card, standard (Korean or English)	10,000
License card, mobile IC (Korean or English)	15,000

At the test site

You apply in person at any driver's license test site (운전면허시험장) in Korea. KoROAD doesn't accept applications through someone else, except for holders of ID cards issued by Korea's foreign ministry.

The process runs in three steps: a document review, the aptitude test plus the written test if you need it, then the new license. If the reviewer finds something missing, you may be asked for more documents.

KoROAD says an exchange takes time, so it asks you to apply by 5 p.m., an hour before closing. If you need the written test, it suggests arriving before 4 p.m.

Most test sites do the physical check-up on site. KoROAD lists six that don't: Mungyeong, Gangneung, Taebaek, Gwangyang, Chungju and Chuncheon. Applicants there should get the check-up at a nearby hospital first.

What license class you get

KoROAD says exchanges are limited to a Class 2 ordinary license. Licenses from Belgium, Poland, Spain, Italy and Ireland can be exchanged for the matching class, because those countries' mutual recognition agreements say so.

Annex 18 of the Enforcement Rule of the Road Traffic Act says a Class 2 ordinary license covers passenger cars, vans and buses with up to 10 seats, and trucks with a payload of up to 4 tons. Vans with 11 to 15 seats need a Class 1 ordinary license instead. Our Porter and Bongo truck guide shows how the payload limit works on two small trucks sold in Korea.

What happens to your foreign license

Article 84 lets KoROAD collect your foreign license in situations the Enforcement Decree sets out, and the decree names two. One is when the issuing country asks for it back. The other is when that country takes Korean licenses in exchange for its own. KoROAD's list puts 163 countries and regions in those two groups and 121 outside them.

For example, licenses from Japan, the UK and New York are on the collected side. Licenses from Australia, mainland China, Singapore and California are on the side that isn't collected. If yours is collected, the test site keeps it.

A collected license can be returned if you leave Korea and show your departure ticket, if you cancel your Korean license, or if an embassy asks for it. KoROAD says that if you don't collect it within 10 years of the exchange, it may be destroyed under the consent form you sign.

Before you go

Check your license is a full license and still valid.
Confirm your passport or other papers prove a stay of more than 90 days where you got it.
Get the embassy certificate or apostille, and check it's less than a year old.
Check whether your country or state is on the recognized list, and whether your visa exempts you.
Arrive early, especially if you need the written test.

Rules and lists change, and the test site decides your case. For anything unclear, call KoROAD's customer center at 1577-1120 before you go.

Last checked: October 22, 2026. Sources: KoROAD foreign license exchange page (in Korean), with its notes for exchange applicants and its recognized country list (National Police Agency notice of April 6, 2026); KoROAD English exchange page; Road Traffic Act, Article 84 (Korean Law Information Center, in Korean); Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act, Article 52 and Annex 3 (in Korean); Enforcement Rule of the Road Traffic Act, Annex 18 (in Korean).

October 22, 2026

Gas Stations in Korea: Fuel Types, Prices and Self-Service

The first fill-up in a Korean rental car comes with a few practical problems. The fuel names are in Korean, some pumps are self-service, and prices vary from station to station. A free public price site, Opinet, answers most of it, though it’s in Korean too.

This guide covers the Korean fuel names, what Korea’s safety rules require at self-service pumps, how to check prices on Opinet and what a trip is likely to cost.

How we checked

Prices come from Opinet (오피넷), the fuel price service run by the Korea National Oil Corporation, a public corporation. We checked its nationwide averages on October 22, 2026. The pump rules come from Annex 13 of the Enforcement Rule of the Dangerous Substances Safety Management Act (위험물안전관리법 시행규칙), in the version in force since July 1, 2026.

The fuel economy example uses Hyundai Korea’s official rating for the new Avante, and the rental section uses Lotte Rent-a-Car’s English page. We didn’t use prices or claims from news reports or station chains.

Fuel names in Korean

Opinet uses these names for road fuels. The averages include VAT.

Fuel	Korean	Avg. price (won/L)
Regular gasoline	휘발유 (보통휘발유)	1,855.87 (Oct 22)
Premium gasoline	고급휘발유	2,397.46 (Oct 21)
Diesel	경유 (자동차용경유)	1,842.47 (Oct 22)
LPG (autogas)	LPG	1,143.84 (Oct 22)

The premium figure comes from Opinet’s daily statistics page, which showed October 21 as its latest day. The others are the averages on Opinet’s front page on October 22.

Diesel is 경유 (gyeong-yu) and gasoline is 휘발유 (hwi-bal-yu). The two words look nothing like their English names, so learn them before your first stop. If you’re not sure which fuel your rental takes, ask at pickup.

Rules at every gas station

Section II of Annex 13 requires every gas station to post a sign reading 주유중엔진정지, “engine off while refueling,” in black on yellow. It must also post a sign marking the station as a no-smoking area. Switch the engine off before you start.

Self-service pumps

Korea has both full-service and self-service stations. Opinet’s station search can filter for full-service (일반) or self-service (셀프) stations, so you can choose before you arrive. At a full-service pump, an attendant fills the car for you.

Section XV of Annex 13 sets the standards for self-service pumps. Among them:

The nozzle stops automatically when the tank is full.
If a nozzle can be latched open, fueling must stop automatically when it leaves the filler neck.
The pump must have a structure to prevent mixing up gasoline and diesel.
Each session is capped at 100 liters and 4 minutes for gasoline, and 600 liters and 12 minutes for diesel.

Signs next to a self-service pump must say customers can fill up themselves and show where to stop the car. Instructions and the fuel type must be shown near the hose. Where a station also has staff-only pumps, those must be marked as not for customer use.

The station must have a monitoring booth that can see every self-service pump. The booth needs a control that stops fuel to all of them and a speaker system to give customers instructions.

The misfuel safeguard is a requirement for the equipment, not a guarantee, so read the nozzle label anyway. If you think you’ve put in the wrong fuel, tell the staff and call your rental company before you drive off.

Checking prices with Opinet

Opinet’s website is in Korean. Its front page shows today’s nationwide average for gasoline, diesel and LPG, and averages by province.

The station search (싼 주유소찾기, “find a cheap station”) lists stations in an area with their prices. It can also filter for extras such as a car wash, a convenience store or stations open 24 hours. On October 22, 2026, the lowest gasoline price on the front page was 1,765 won and the highest was 2,549 won, so the gap between stations can be large.

Opinet also has a menu where rule violations by stations are made public (불법행위공표). We didn’t review those listings, but you can check them before choosing a station.

How much will a trip cost?

Divide the distance by the car’s fuel economy to get liters, then multiply by the price. For example, a 400 km drive in a car rated at 14.3 km/L, at 1,855.87 won a liter, comes to about 51,900 won by our calculation, rounded to the nearest 100 won.

The 14.3 km/L figure is the official Korean combined rating for the new 2.0 gas Avante on 16-inch wheels. Our guide to the new Avante and the Elantra has the rest of its specs. Official figures come from a standard test, so real driving can differ.

Trip fuel cost estimator

Enter your distance and your car’s fuel economy. The price starts at Opinet’s nationwide average for the fuel you pick, and you can change it to the price at your station. Changing the fuel resets the price.

Fuel

Price (KRW per liter)

Distance (km)

Fuel economy (km/L)

Default prices: Opinet (Korea National Oil Corporation) nationwide averages shown on October 22, 2026, including VAT: regular gasoline 1,855.87, diesel 1,842.47 and LPG 1,143.84 won per liter. Prices change daily. The default 14.3 km/L is the official Korean combined rating for the 2.0 gas Hyundai Avante on 16-inch wheels. Results are estimates, not quotes.

The estimator works in km/L because that’s how Korean ratings are published. If you think in US mpg, our Kia K8 guide has a converter that turns km/L into mpg.

LPG and electric cars

Opinet lists LPG separately from gasoline and diesel, and its station search has a separate tab for LPG filling stations (충전소). If your rental runs on LPG, plan your stops with that tab. The Hyundai Grandeur and the Kia K8 are both offered with LPG engines in Korea, as our list of Korea-only Hyundai and Kia models shows.

LPG filling stations come under a separate gas safety law, so the gas station rules above don’t describe them. If you’re driving an electric car, our guide to EV charging in Korea covers chargers and rates.

Filling up a rental car

How full the tank should be when you return the car, and what you pay if it isn’t, depends on your rental contract. When we checked Lotte Rent-a-Car’s English rental page on October 9, 2026, it said fuel charges after a key-drop return are billed to your registered card.

Read the fuel section of your own contract before you set off. Our guide to renting a car in Korea covers what the law requires of rental companies and what comes from their own terms.

Before you pull in

Know your fuel: 휘발유 for gasoline, 경유 for diesel.
Check the station type and price on Opinet if you have time.
Turn the engine off before fueling.
At a self-service pump, read the nozzle label before you start.
Keep your rental contract’s fuel rule in mind before the last fill-up.

Last checked: October 22, 2026. Sources: Opinet, Korea National Oil Corporation (front-page averages for October 22, 2026, daily average price statistics for October 21, 2026, and station search; in Korean); Enforcement Rule of the Dangerous Substances Safety Management Act, Annex 13, sections II and XV (Korean Law Information Center, in Korean); Hyundai Korea all-new Avante price list (fuel economy); Lotte Rent-a-Car English rental page (checked October 9, 2026, for our rental guide).

October 22, 2026

Car Seat Laws in Korea: Rules for Driving With Kids
Korean law requires a child seat for young children, but the details that matter to visiting families are easy to miss. Who gets fined, which seats count, and what happens in a taxi are all spelled out in the law, mostly in Korean.

Below: the age limit, the certification rule for the seat itself, the taxi exception and the fines, each tied to the article it comes from.

The short answer
- Under 6: the child must ride in a child restraint fitted to the seat.
- 6 and older: a seat belt in every seat, front and back.
- The driver is responsible. The fine for an unbelted passenger under 13 is KRW 60,000, charged to the driver.
- The seat must be certified in Korea. The rule names Korea’s own safety certification for children’s products.
- Taxis and buses have a narrow exception for the driver, not a general one for children.
What the law says

Article 50(1) of the Road Traffic Act (도로교통법) requires every driver to wear a seat belt and to make sure passengers in all seats wear one too. The rule doesn’t apply to motorcycles.

For a child under 6, the article says “seat belt” means the belt used after a child restraint (유아보호용 장구) is fitted. A belt alone doesn’t meet the rule at that age.

The age comes from Article 11(1), which defines 영유아 (infants and young children) as anyone under 6. Article 50(1) also allows exceptions for illness and for situations set by ministry rule, covered further down.

How the age is counted

Korea’s Civil Act counts age in full years from the date of birth (Article 158, revised in 2022). That is the same way most countries count.

So the car seat rule applies until the child’s sixth birthday. The older “Korean age” count doesn’t apply.

After that, the child moves to the ordinary seat belt rule. These articles set no booster stage between 6 and adulthood. Whether a 6- or 7-year-old still fits an adult belt safely is a separate question from what the law requires.

The seat itself has to be certified in Korea

Article 30 of the Enforcement Rule of the Road Traffic Act (도로교통법 시행규칙), revised in 2022, says the child restraint must have safety certification under Article 17 of the Special Act on the Safety of Children’s Products (어린이제품 안전 특별법).

That is a Korean certification. A December 2019 survey report by the Korea Consumer Agency, written before this rule change, lists car seats among the safety-certified children’s products, the highest level of control, and refers to certified seats as KC-certified.

What about a seat you bring from home? The rule’s wording names only the Korean certification. It doesn’t mention seats certified to European (ECE) or US standards, and we found no official guidance on how police treat them.

If this matters for your trip, ask the Korean National Police Agency, which enforces the rule. Don’t rely on a rental company or a seller to answer it.

Taxis and buses

You may read that taxis are exempt from the car seat law. The rule text is narrower than that.

Article 31 of the Enforcement Rule lists when a driver doesn’t have to make passengers buckle up. Item 8 covers drivers of commercial passenger vehicles, such as taxis and buses. It applies when a passenger is drunk or otherwise can’t be made to wear a belt, or when the driver has told passengers to wear one and they don’t.

So the exception lifts the driver’s duty once they have told you to buckle up. It doesn’t make riding without a restraint allowed or safe. It means the fine can’t land on the taxi driver.

None of these articles require a taxi to carry a child seat either. If you want one, plan to bring or book it.

Separately, Article 31 lists other exceptions, such as a person who is injured, ill, disabled or pregnant and judged unsuitable for a seat belt, and emergency vehicles on duty.

Fines

Article 160(2), item 2, of the act allows a fine of up to KRW 200,000 on a driver who fails to make passengers wear seat belts. The actual amounts are in Annex 6 of the Enforcement Decree (도로교통법 시행령), item 9, in the version in force since October 2, 2026:

Unbelted passenger Fine to the driver
Under 13 KRW 60,000
13 or older KRW 30,000

Because Article 50(1) defines a young child’s seat belt as the belt used with a child restraint, a child under 6 without one falls under the under-13 line. That is our reading of how the two provisions fit together. The Korea Consumer Agency’s car seat report cites the same KRW 60,000 figure.

These are administrative fines (과태료) on the driver, whether or not they own the car. The duty sits with the driver, so a parent riding as a passenger doesn’t shift it. The driver’s own unbelted fine comes under a different provision and isn’t covered here.

Renting a car with children

If you plan to rent, ask about child seats when you book, not at the counter. Check that the seat you are given carries the KC mark, since Korean certification is what the rule names.

Whether a seat costs extra, and what happens if it is damaged, depends on your rental contract. Our guide to renting a car in Korea covers what the law requires of rental companies and what comes from their own terms.

If something goes wrong on the road, our guide to what to do after a car accident in Korea sets out the steps the law requires and when you must call the police.

Before you drive
- Count each child’s age from their birthday. Under 6 means a car seat.
- Look for the KC mark on any seat you rent or buy in Korea.
- If you are bringing a seat from home, ask the police how it is treated before you rely on it.
- Make sure everyone in the back seats is belted, not just the front.
- For taxis, plan to bring or book a seat. The law doesn’t require the taxi to have one.
Last checked: October 21, 2026. Sources: Road Traffic Act, Articles 11, 50 and 160, Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act, Annex 6, Enforcement Rule of the Road Traffic Act, Articles 30 and 31 and Civil Act, Article 158 (Korean Law Information Center, in Korean); Korea Consumer Agency, survey report on child restraints for cars, December 2019 (in Korean); Korean National Police Agency (English).
October 21, 2026

Unbelted passenger	Fine to the driver
Under 13	KRW 60,000
13 or older	KRW 30,000

Google Maps Driving in Korea: Why It Fails and What to Use

Google Maps won’t give you driving directions in Korea yet. You can search for places and get public transit routes, but the car mode returns nothing. To drive, you need a Korean navigation app, and some of them work in English.

What Google Maps can and can’t do in Korea

We checked Google Maps on the web on October 20, 2026, with a route from Seoul Station to Busan. Only the transit tab returned routes, mostly KTX trains at just under three hours. The car, walking and cycling tabs were grayed out with no time shown.

So Google Maps is still useful for looking up a place, reading reviews or checking a train. It just can’t guide you turn by turn behind the wheel.

The reason: Korea’s map export rules

Korea restricts taking detailed map data out of the country. Google says it can display Korean maps using 1:5,000 data bought from SK TMAP, but calculating routes needs the data in Google’s global data centers. That requires export approval.

On February 27, 2026, a government committee set up under Korea’s Spatial Information Act approved Google’s request to export 1:5,000 map data, with conditions. The exported data is limited to the base map and road and transport network needed for navigation. Military and security sites must be blurred, and Google must remove or limit how coordinates are displayed for places in Korea.

The joint government release adds that the data leaves Korea only after the government confirms those conditions are met. So approval wasn’t the same as launch. When we checked in October 2026, the car option still showed nothing.

Korean navigation apps compared

We compared four major Korean apps. The table shows what each app’s US App Store listing says. “Not stated” doesn’t mean no. It means the developer doesn’t say so on the listing.

App	App Store languages	English navigation (developer text)	CarPlay
NAVER Maps	English + 3 more	Stated: “English navigation provided”	Mentioned in release notes
KakaoMap	English and Korean	Not stated	Not mentioned in description or latest notes
Kakao Navi (카카오내비)	English, Japanese and Korean	Not stated	Mentioned in release notes
TMAP (티맵)	English and Korean	Not stated	Mentioned in release notes

Source: each app’s US App Store page, checked October 20, 2026. We didn’t check Android Auto. If you use Android, look at the Google Play listing on your phone.

NAVER Maps

NAVER Maps is the only one of the four whose listing explicitly mentions English navigation. It also offers maps in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. That makes it the most clearly documented option if you don’t read Korean.

Its October 2026 update added alerts for parking enforcement cameras near your destination and after arrival. For where you can’t stop and what a ticket costs, see our parking rules guide.

KakaoMap and Kakao Navi

KakaoMap’s listing says navigation is built in, so you don’t need a separate app to get directions. It lists English as an interface language, but doesn’t say whether spoken directions come in English.

Kakao Navi is Kakao’s dedicated driving app, with CarPlay and guidance voice updates in its release notes. One note adds a voice warning after you pass a rear-facing enforcement camera. On the US App Store, it appears under its Korean name, 카카오내비.

TMAP

TMAP shares its name with SK TMAP, whose 1:5,000 data Google says it uses to display Korean maps. The app’s release notes mention CarPlay and highway rest stop information. It’s listed under its Korean name, 티맵, so that name may help you find it.

As with both Kakao apps, the listing doesn’t state English voice guidance. If you can’t read Korean at all, test any of these three before relying on it for a long drive.

Set it up before you drive

The easiest time to set up is at your hotel, with no one waiting behind you.

Install and switch the language first. Download your app and set it to English before you pick up the car.
Save your destinations. Bookmark your hotel and first few stops while you’re still on Wi-Fi.
Keep the Korean name handy. Copy the Korean name or address from your booking. English spellings of Korean places vary, so the Korean version is usually easier to match.
Bring a phone mount. Korean law limits what you can do with a phone while driving (see the next section).

Phone rules while driving

Under the Road Traffic Act, Article 49(1):

No handheld phone use while driving. Exceptions include when the car is stopped, urgent reports such as crimes or disasters, and devices set by presidential decree that don’t interfere with safe driving.
Navigation on screen is allowed when the screen is mounted or cradled in the car.
No operating the screen while driving, with limited exceptions such as when the car is stopped.

The simple rule: set or change your route only when you’re stopped. Mount the phone where you can see it, and let voice guidance do the work.

Cameras, tolls and charging on your route

Camera alerts in navigation apps are a reminder, not a guarantee. Our guide to speed cameras in Korea explains speed limits, fines and who gets the ticket when you’re driving a rental.

Long drives often use toll highways. Our Korea highway tolls guide explains Hi-Pass, toll tickets and what happens with unpaid tolls. If you’re driving an EV, our EV charging guide compares public vs. private rates and shows how to pay.

What about the rental car’s built-in navigation?

If your rental has a built-in navigation screen, ask at pickup whether it has an English option. Our car rental guide for foreigners covers the documents and rules to check at the counter.

When will Google Maps add driving directions?

Google hasn’t given a date. In an August 25, 2026 Korea Herald report, Google confirmed its plan includes turn-by-turn navigation, but didn’t say when it would launch.

Until then, plan your trip around a Korean app. We’ll update this guide when Google’s driving mode goes live in Korea.

Last checked: October 20, 2026. Sources: joint government release on Google’s 1:5,000 map export approval (February 27, 2026, Ministry of Foreign Affairs posting, Korean); Google Korea blog Q&A on map data (August 5, 2025, Korean); Road Traffic Act Article 49 (Korean); US App Store pages for NAVER Maps, KakaoMap, Kakao Navi and TMAP; The Korea Herald (August 25, 2026); our own Google Maps web route check on October 20, 2026.

October 20, 2026

Car Accident in Korea: What to Do and When to Call the Police

Most drivers know to stop after a crash. Fewer know what Korean law expects next: who you must help, what you must hand over, and when a call to the police is required rather than optional.

This guide walks through those steps in order, using the Road Traffic Act and the two laws that decide what happens afterward. It also covers how insurance changes the criminal side of an injury crash.

The short answer

Stop immediately, help anyone who is hurt, and give the other party your name, phone number and address.
Report to the police unless only vehicles were damaged and you have made the road safe. Any injury means you report.
On expressways, put out a warning triangle behind the car and move people behind the guardrail.
Failing to stop, help the injured or give your details is a crime, with up to five years in prison or a fine of up to KRW 15 million.
If someone is injured, insurance can keep a careless driver from being prosecuted, but not in twelve listed situations, not after a death, and not if the driver fled.

Right after the crash

On an expressway, get people to safety first (see the next section). Then the legal duties apply.

Article 54(1) of the Road Traffic Act (도로교통법) applies whenever a vehicle injures or kills someone or damages property. The driver, and other crew if there are any, must stop at once and do two things.

Help the injured. The law says to take the necessary steps to aid casualties. In practice that starts with calling 119, which handles ambulances and rescue.

Give your details to the victim. The article means details such as your name, phone number and address. If the other driver isn’t there, as with a parked car you have scraped, you still have to leave your details. Doing nothing in that case is a separate offense under Article 156, item 10, punishable by a fine of up to KRW 200,000, detention or a minor fine.

Making the scene safe

On expressways and motor-vehicle-only roads, Article 66 of the act requires a driver whose car can’t move to set out a warning sign and move the car off the expressway or take other necessary steps.

Article 40 of the Enforcement Rule (도로교통법 시행규칙) names the sign: a safety triangle. At night you also need a red flare, flashing light or electric lamp that can be seen from 500 meters away in every direction (about 1,640 feet, our conversion). Both go where drivers coming from behind can see them.

The Korea Expressway Corporation gives this order on its secondary-accident prevention page:

Turn on your hazard lights.
Move the car to the shoulder or another safe spot.
Put the triangle behind the car, plus a flare at night.
Get everyone out and behind the guardrail.
Report to 112 (police) and 119 (fire and ambulance), and call 1588-2504 for emergency towing.

The same page says a crash into a car or person already stopped after an earlier accident or breakdown is about six times as deadly as an ordinary crash. Standing next to a damaged car in a live lane is the risk this order is built to avoid.

When you must report to the police

Article 54(2) requires the driver to report without delay to an officer at the scene, or to the nearest police station if none is there. Small local police boxes (지구대, 파출소) count. The report covers:

where the crash happened
how many people were hurt or killed, and how badly
what was damaged, and how badly
what else you have done

The one exception. You don’t have to report when it is clear that only vehicles were damaged and you have taken the steps needed to prevent danger and keep traffic moving. If anyone is hurt, even slightly, the exception doesn’t apply. The same goes for damage to anything other than a vehicle, such as a guardrail or wall.

Failing to report when you must is punishable under Article 154, item 4, by a fine of up to KRW 300,000 or detention. Calling 112 reaches the police directly.

The police may ask you to wait at the scene until an officer arrives (Article 54(3)), and officers there can give you instructions for helping the injured and keeping traffic safe (Article 54(4)).

In an emergency, call 112 or 119 first. The Korean National Police Agency’s English site also lists 1330, the Foreign Tourist Information line.

Leaving the scene

Driving off without stopping, helping the injured or giving your details is covered by Article 148. The penalty is up to five years in prison or a fine of up to KRW 15 million.

The article carves out one case: a crash where only a parked or stopped car was damaged and the driver failed to leave details. That case falls under the smaller Article 156 offense described above. It is still an offense, so leave a note with your name and number, or wait for the owner.

If someone is injured: how insurance affects prosecution

Injuring someone through negligent driving can be a crime in Korea, under Article 268 of the Criminal Act. The Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents (교통사고처리 특례법) sets the penalty and then limits when prosecutors can use it.

The penalty. Article 3(1) sets up to five years’ imprisonment (without labor) or a fine of up to KRW 20 million when a driver causes death or injury through negligence while driving.

The victim’s wishes. Under Article 3(2), a driver who carelessly injures someone, or carelessly damages property (Road Traffic Act Article 151), can’t be prosecuted against the victim’s clearly stated wishes, unless an exception below applies.

Insurance. Article 4 goes further. It applies when the car is covered by insurance or a mutual-aid scheme that pays the victim’s full medical costs up front and, in the end, the full damages set by a court. Then the driver can’t be prosecuted for those offenses, unless an exception below applies. The insurer must confirm the cover in writing.

Where neither protection applies. Both rules cover injury and property damage only. They don’t cover a death. They also fall away in these cases:

Situation	Where it comes from
Leaving without helping the victim, or moving and abandoning them	Art. 3(2), proviso
Refusing or obstructing a breath test for alcohol (unless you asked for or agreed to a blood test)	Art. 3(2), proviso
Running a signal or ignoring an officer’s signal, or ignoring a no-entry or stop sign	Art. 3(2), item 1
Crossing the center line, or an illegal U-turn, crossing or reversing on an expressway	Item 2
Driving more than 20 km/h over the limit	Item 3
Illegal overtaking or cutting in	Item 4
Breaking the rules at a railroad crossing	Item 5
Failing to protect a pedestrian on a crosswalk	Item 6
Driving without a license, or without carrying an international driving permit	Item 7
Driving drunk or impaired by drugs	Item 8
Driving onto a sidewalk	Item 9
Failing to prevent passengers from falling out	Item 10
Injuring a child in a children’s protection (school) zone through a breach of the duty of care	Item 11
Failing to secure cargo	Item 12

Insurance protection also ends under Article 4(1) if the victim’s injury becomes life-threatening, leaves them disabled, or causes an incurable or hard-to-cure illness. It ends as well if the policy is void or cancelled, or the insurer owes nothing because of an exclusion in the contract.

Item 7 matters for visitors. Its wording covers driving without an international driving permit on you. Our guide to Korea’s international driving permit rules explains which permits Korea accepts.

Whether a case falls into any of these categories is decided by the police and prosecutors, not by the other driver or an insurer. If you are told you may be charged, ask the investigating police station what applies to your case, or speak to a lawyer.

Insurance and rental cars

The Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation Guarantee Act (자동차손해배상 보장법) makes liability insurance compulsory. Article 5 requires every owner to carry cover for death and injury to others, plus cover for damage to others’ property. Rental companies must also carry extra injury cover above the compulsory limit (Article 5(3)).

Under Article 10, a victim can claim directly from the at-fault driver’s insurer rather than waiting for the driver to pay. If someone is injured or killed by a car whose owner can’t be identified, or by an uninsured driver, Article 30 lets the government pay compensation up to the compulsory insurance limit. This covers injury and death, not damage to vehicles.

If you were driving a rental, call the company as soon as everyone is safe. What its insurance covers, the deductible on damage to the car itself, and charges for the days it is off the road all come from your contract. Our guide to renting a car in Korea goes through those terms in the government’s model rental contract.

What to record before you leave

Do this only where it is safe. On an expressway, move first and take photos later. None of it is a legal requirement, but it makes the police report and any insurance claim easier.

Photos of both cars, their positions on the road, plates and any skid marks or debris
The other driver’s name, phone number and insurer
Names and numbers of witnesses
Dashcam footage, saved before it is overwritten
The name of the police station or officer handling the report

Before you drive

Check that the car has a warning triangle, and a red flare or flashing lamp if you will drive on expressways at night.
Save 112, 119, 1330 and, for expressways, 1588-2504 in your phone.
If you rent, note the company’s accident number from the contract.
Keep your international driving permit with you, not in your luggage.

Last checked: October 18, 2026. Sources: Road Traffic Act, Articles 54, 66, 148, 151, 154 and 156, Enforcement Rule of the Road Traffic Act, Article 40, Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents, Articles 3 and 4 and Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation Guarantee Act, Articles 5, 10 and 30 (Korean Law Information Center, in Korean); Korea Expressway Corporation, secondary-accident prevention page (in Korean); Korean National Police Agency (English).

October 18, 2026

Parking in Korea: Where You Can’t Stop and What a Ticket Costs

Many of Korea’s no-parking rules are distances written into the law. Within 5 meters of an intersection corner, within 10 meters of a bus stop or crosswalk, and on the sidewalk, you can’t even stop. These distances come from the law itself, so they apply whether or not a sign is posted.

This guide covers where stopping and parking are banned and what a ticket costs for a car. It also explains towing, and who gets the bill when the car was a rental.

The short answer

No stopping, no parking: intersections, crosswalks, railroad crossings, sidewalks, and set distances from corners, bus stops, crosswalks and fire hydrants. Children’s protection zones count too.
Cost for a passenger car: KRW 40,000 for most spots, KRW 80,000 at a marked fire-facility spot, and KRW 120,000 in a children’s protection zone between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Each rises by KRW 10,000 if the car stays two hours or more in the same place.
Who pays: the fine is issued by the city, county or district office and goes to the person responsible for the car. On a rental, that is normally the renter.
Disability parking spaces are covered by a separate law. Parking in one without a permit costs KRW 100,000.

Stopping and parking are different things

Article 2 of the Road Traffic Act (도로교통법) defines both. Stopping (정차) means halting the car for no more than 5 minutes, in a way that isn’t parking.

Parking (주차) is keeping the car stationary to wait for passengers, load cargo, deal with a breakdown or for any other reason. It also covers leaving the car so you can’t drive it away at once. So stepping away from the car, even briefly, can make a stop count as parking.

The difference matters because the law has two lists. Some places ban both, and some ban parking only.

Where you can’t stop or park

Article 32 of the Road Traffic Act bans both stopping and parking in these places:

Place	Distance
Intersections, crosswalks and railroad crossings	On them
Sidewalks on roads where the sidewalk is separate from the roadway	On them (except on-street parking lots marked across both)
The edge of an intersection or a road corner	Within 5 m
A safety zone (안전지대)	Within 10 m on every side
A bus stop post, sign or line	Within 10 m
The edge of a railroad crossing, or a crosswalk	Within 10 m
Fire hydrants, water towers and water tanks for firefighting, emergency fire-fighting devices (비상소화장치), and certain fire-department inlets on buildings	Within 5 m
Places the provincial police designate	As signed
Children’s protection zones (school zones) designated by local governments	Inside the zone

For reference, 5 m is about 16 feet and 10 m about 33 feet (our conversions). The building fire-department inlets are those listed in Article 10-3 of the Enforcement Decree. They include sprinkler and standpipe connections.

Buses may stop at their own stops to pick up and drop off passengers. Article 32 also allows a stop when you’re following police instructions, or halting briefly to avoid danger.

Places where you can stop but not park

Article 33 adds a second list where a quick stop is fine but parking isn’t:

Inside tunnels and on bridges
Within 5 m of either edge of a road construction area
Within 5 m of certain buildings housing multi-use businesses, where the fire department has asked the police to designate the spot
Other places the provincial police designate

When a sign says otherwise

Signs can open some banned spots. Under Article 34-2, where the provincial police allow stopping or parking by sign, setting the area, hours, method and vehicle type, you may park there. That applies to police-designated spots, children’s protection zones and police-designated no-parking spots.

The distance rules for corners, crosswalks, bus stops and fire facilities aren’t on that list. Read the sign for the hours and vehicle types it allows.

How to stop and park legally

Article 34 and Article 11 of the Enforcement Decree set the basic method. When stopping on a road, pull over to the right edge of the roadway. If the road has no separate sidewalk, leave at least 50 cm (about 20 inches) from the right edge.

On the road, follow the place, hours and method the provincial police set. Don’t block other traffic.

On a slope, Article 34-3 requires steps to stop the car rolling, such as placing a wheel chock or turning the wheels toward the edge of the road. That applies to slopes off the road as well.

What a parking ticket costs

The amounts below are administrative fines (과태료) under Annexes 6 and 7 of the Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act. The annexes split vehicles into two classes:

Passenger car class (승용자동차등): passenger cars and trucks of 4 metric tons or less.
Van class (승합자동차등): vans and buses (승합자동차), trucks over 4 metric tons, special vehicles, construction machinery and trams.

Where	Passenger car class	Van class
Most no-stopping and no-parking spots	KRW 40,000 (50,000)	KRW 50,000 (60,000)
Fire-facility spot marked with a safety sign	KRW 80,000 (90,000)	KRW 90,000 (100,000)
Children’s protection zone, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.	KRW 120,000 (130,000)	KRW 130,000 (140,000)
A no-stopping or no-parking spot inside a senior or disability protection zone, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.	KRW 80,000 (90,000)	KRW 90,000 (100,000)

Amounts in brackets apply when the car stays in the same place for two hours or more. A fire-facility spot without the safety sign is charged at the ordinary rate.

Local governments put the safety sign at fire-facility spots they consider especially important for firefighting, under Article 10-3(2) of the decree. Article 88(4) applies the higher protection-zone amounts only from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Senior and disability protection zones don’t ban parking as a whole. Their row applies when you use one of the banned spots listed earlier inside such a zone.

Outside 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., a children’s protection zone still bans stopping and parking, at the ordinary rate of KRW 40,000 for a car.

The parking rows of these tables don’t list motorcycles, so this guide covers cars, vans and trucks only.

Parking fine lookup

For cars, vans and trucks. Pick where the car was and how long it stayed.

Where was the car?

Vehicle

Time of day

How long in the same place?

Amounts from Annexes 6 and 7 of the Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act, and Annex 3 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Guarantee of Convenience Promotion for Persons with Disabilities, the Aged and Pregnant Women. Last checked October 16, 2026. This shows the standard amount, not a legal decision. Check the notice for what you actually owe.

How the ticket reaches you

Under Article 88(2) of the decree, the local office either puts a notice on the car and photographs it, or records it with enforcement cameras. The fine then goes to the person responsible for the car, not necessarily the driver.

Annex 8 of the decree also sets a driver’s fine (범칙금) for these violations, which police can issue to an identified driver. That is a separate process with its own amounts. Our guide to speed camera fines explains how the two routes differ, and how early payment can reduce an administrative fine.

Disability parking spaces

Disability-only parking spaces (장애인전용주차구역) fall under the Act on Guarantee of Convenience Promotion for Persons with Disabilities, the Aged and Pregnant Women (장애인ㆍ노인ㆍ임산부 등의 편의증진 보장에 관한 법률). Article 17 bans parking there without a disability parking permit. It also bans parking with a permit when no one with a walking disability is in the car.

The fine is KRW 100,000 in either case, under Annex 3 of that Act’s Enforcement Decree. Blocking a space, for example by leaving objects in it or blocking its access path, costs KRW 500,000.

Annex 3 lets the issuing office lower or raise these amounts by up to half, depending on the case. A raised fine still can’t exceed the Act’s ceilings of KRW 200,000 and KRW 1,000,000.

The permit Article 17 refers to is one issued in Korea, by the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs or a local government head. Article 17 says nothing about foreign permits, so don’t assume yours counts.

Towing

Article 35 lets the police and local governments order an illegally parked car moved when it could cause danger or block traffic. In some cases they can change how the car is parked themselves or, where unavoidable, have it moved to a place they designate.

The office must then tell the car’s user or driver and arrange its return. If no one claims it within one month of that notice, the car can be sold or scrapped.

Towing, storage and related costs fall on the car’s user. Article 36 lets offices hand towing and storage to contractors. We haven’t checked the amounts, so ask the office named on the notice.

If you were driving a rental car

When the violation is shown by photo or video and the driver can’t be identified, Article 160(3) lets the office fine the person responsible for the car, up to KRW 200,000. As our speed camera guide sets out, the law counts a renter as that person. It excludes the rental company when it is clear the company only rented the car out.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission’s model rental contract names parking fines among the charges the renter owes from the rental period. Ask at pick-up how your company handles fines that arrive after you’ve left Korea. Our guide to renting a car in Korea covers what the law and rental companies each require at pick-up.

Checking and paying a parking fine

Article 161(1) assigns parking fines to the mayor, county head or district head (시장등), and to the governor in Jeju. Speed camera fines, by contrast, come from the provincial police. So the office to contact is the one named on your notice.

Parking fines are local non-tax revenue (세외수입), not taxes. Wetax, Korea’s online site for local taxes, has a menu for local non-tax revenue due (지방세외수입 납부대상). It also has one for submitting an opinion on an administrative fine (과태료 의견제출신청).

When we opened Wetax on October 16, 2026, we found no English menu. We haven’t confirmed that every parking fine can be paid there, so follow the payment options on your notice. If you think a fine is wrong, contact the issuing office named on the notice. A rental company can tell you what it charges under your contract, but it can’t decide the legal question.

Before you park

Count the meters: 5 m from corners and fire hydrants, 10 m from bus stops and crosswalks.
Assume no stopping in a school zone unless a sign says parking is allowed, and remember the higher daytime fines.
Leave the car only where parking is allowed. Stepping away from it can turn a stop into parking.
Don’t use a disability parking space without a Korean permit.
On a slope, turn the wheels toward the curb or use a wheel chock.
If you rent, keep your contract and ask how parking fines are passed on.

Last checked: October 16, 2026. Sources: Road Traffic Act, Articles 2, 32, 33, 34, 34-2, 34-3, 35, 36, 160 and 161, Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act, Articles 10-3, 11 and 88 and Annexes 6, 7 and 8, Framework Act on Firefighting, Article 10, Act on Guarantee of Convenience Promotion for Persons with Disabilities, the Aged and Pregnant Women, Articles 17 and 27 and its Enforcement Decree, Annex 3 (Korean Law Information Center, in Korean); Standard Terms for Car Rental No. 10064 (Korea Fair Trade Commission, in Korean); Wetax (in Korean).

October 16, 2026

Hyundai Staria Explained: Korean Versions vs Australia and the UK

In Korea, the Hyundai Staria (스타리아) comes as a people mover with up to 11 seats or as a cargo van, with LPG, hybrid or electric power. Australia’s Staria page lists diesel, which Korea’s lineup doesn’t, and tops out at eight seats. The UK is waiting on an electric version, and the US lineup doesn’t list the Staria at all.

We checked Hyundai’s Korean, Australian, UK and US pages on October 15, 2026. This guide sets out what each market lists, and what the Korean version names mean when you read Korean listings.

The Staria in Korea at a glance

Hyundai Korea sells the current Staria as 더 뉴 스타리아 (The New Staria), with each powertrain on its own model page. Prices are the starting figures those pages show, before options.

Model	Powertrain	Tourer	Cargo	From
The New Staria	3.5 LPG, 240 PS, 8-speed auto	11 seats	3 or 5 seats	KRW 32,590,000
Staria Hybrid	1.6 turbo hybrid, 245 PS system output, 6-speed auto	9 or 11 seats	2 or 5 seats	KRW 36,250,000
Staria Electric	84.0 kWh battery, 160 kW motor	11 seats	3 or 5 seats	KRW 57,920,000

All three pages list the same exterior dimensions: 5,255 mm (206.9 in) long and 1,995 mm (78.5 in) wide, with a 3,275 mm (128.9 in) wheelbase. The Tourer is 1,990 mm (78.3 in) tall and the Cargo 2,000 mm (78.7 in). Inch figures are our own conversions.

Hyundai Korea lists combined ratings of 6.7 km/L for the 11-seat LPG Tourer and 12.7 km/L for the Hybrid Tourer, for versions without the built-in dash cam. These are figures reported to the Korean government, so don’t compare them directly with US EPA or UK ratings. Hyundai Korea’s catalog doesn’t list a diesel Staria.

Tourer vs Cargo

Tourer (투어러) is the passenger version, and Cargo (카고) is the van. The Hybrid Tourer comes with 9 or 11 seats, while the LPG and Electric pages list an 11-seat Tourer. The Cargo comes with two, three or five seats, and Hyundai pitches the 5-seat version for carrying people as well as goods.

They differ underneath, too. Hyundai Korea lists multi-link rear suspension for the Staria, with a rigid rear axle on the Cargo.

Hyundai Korea also shows purpose-built versions. The LPG model page includes a wheelchair-lift van, and the Hybrid page includes an ambulance and a more heavily equipped special ambulance.

Lounge and other versions in Hyundai’s Korean catalog

Hyundai Korea’s catalog and price list page lists more Staria versions than the three main models. Under its MPV heading are Lounge (라운지), Limousine (리무진) and Kinder (킨더) versions. A Lounge Electric is listed in the page’s EV section, and Limousine Electric and Lounge Mobility versions also appear on the page.

We only checked the Lounge in detail. Its model page shows the 3.5 LPG engine and a 7-seat layout, from KRW 47,720,000. We haven’t checked what the Limousine, Kinder or Lounge Mobility versions include.

Why 9 and 11 seats matter in Korea

Korea’s expressway bus lanes aren’t only for buses. Under the Road Traffic Act Enforcement Decree, a passenger car or van with 9 or more seats can use an expressway bus lane. If it’s a passenger car or a van with 12 seats or fewer, it also needs at least six people on board.

That means a 9- or 11-seat Staria Tourer qualifies when six or more people are riding. A Cargo van, or the 7-seat Lounge we checked, doesn’t meet the seat count.

The Staria in Australia, the UK and the US

Australia: Hyundai Australia lists the Staria, Staria Lounge and Staria Load van, plus Load Hybrid and Load Electric. Its Staria page lists petrol, diesel and hybrid drivetrains, with 7 seats (Lounge only) or 8 seats.
UK: Hyundai UK’s model page marks the Staria “Coming soon,” and the tile leads to a Staria Electric page. That page lists an 84 kWh battery, up to 248 miles of range and a choice of 7 or 9 seats, including a Luxury 7-seater. It also notes that UK specification may vary.
US: Hyundai USA’s vehicle lineup doesn’t list the Staria.

Of the four markets’ pages, only Korea’s show an 11-seat Staria or an LPG engine. Only Australia’s Staria page lists diesel. Because Australia sells it, the Staria just missed our list of Hyundai and Kia models missing from all three lineups.

Range figures don’t line up across markets. Hyundai Korea says its range figures are based on government-certified values, and the 11-seat Tourer Electric is rated at 371 km (about 230 mi). We couldn’t see the footnote behind Hyundai UK’s 248-mile figure, so we haven’t compared the two.

Searching Korean listings for a Staria

These are the terms Hyundai Korea uses on its Staria pages:

스타리아: Staria
투어러 / 카고: Tourer / Cargo
라운지: Lounge
하이브리드 / 일렉트릭: Hybrid / Electric
9인승 / 11인승: 9-seat / 11-seat (인승 means “seats”)

Hyundai Korea also puts 더 뉴 (The New) in front of the name. Our guide to Hyundai and Kia models missing abroad explains what Korean prefixes like this usually mark.

Where to check

Versions, seats and prices can change between model years, so check the official pages before relying on this guide:

Korea: Hyundai’s The New Staria, Staria Hybrid and Staria Electric and Staria Lounge pages, and its catalog and price lists (all in Korean)
Australia: Hyundai Australia Staria and the full Australian range
UK: Hyundai UK models and the Staria Electric page
US: Hyundai USA vehicles
Bus lane rule: Road Traffic Act Enforcement Decree on Korea’s National Law Information Center, Appended Table 1 (in Korean)

Last checked: October 15, 2026. Sources: Hyundai Korea’s The New Staria, Staria Hybrid, Staria Electric and Staria Lounge model pages and its catalog and price list page; the Hyundai Australia, Hyundai UK and Hyundai USA lineup pages, the Hyundai Australia Staria page and the Hyundai UK Staria Electric page; and the Road Traffic Act Enforcement Decree, Appended Table 1.

October 15, 2026

EV Charging in Korea: Public vs Private Rates and How to Pay

Korea’s government EV portal lists more than 100 charging operators, from government agencies to private companies. Each sets its own price, and some charge more if you don’t hold their membership card. Many charger screens are also in Korean.

This guide uses the Korean government’s official rate table to show what a kilowatt-hour costs, how to pay without a membership card, and the parking rules that can lead to a fine at a charger.

The short answer

Public rate: government-run chargers charge KRW 295 to 393.1 per kWh, depending on charger speed. Members and non-members pay the same.
Private rates vary: some private operators charge non-members far more than members. Others charge the same.
No membership card: the government’s fast chargers let you pay on the spot with a Korean card that has a postpaid transit function. The official guide doesn’t mention foreign cards.
Don’t overstay: leaving a car in a fast-charging space for more than one hour can bring a KRW 100,000 fine.

Public vs private charging rates

The Zero Emission Vehicle Portal (무공해차 통합누리집, ev.or.kr) is the government’s EV site. Its charging rate page lists each operator’s price per kWh for five charger speed tiers.

The government’s own chargers are listed under the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (기후에너지환경부). When we checked on October 13, 2026, these were its rates, last updated July 31, 2026.

Charger tier (maximum output)	Public rate per kWh
Slow, under 30 kW	KRW 295
Medium, 30 to 49 kW	KRW 307.2
Fast, 50 to 99 kW	KRW 325.6
Fast, 100 to 199 kW	KRW 348.4
Ultra-fast, 200 kW and above	KRW 393.1

The non-member column showed the same five numbers. Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO, 한국전력공사) listed the same member rates for its chargers.

Private operators set their own prices. The portal listed 102 operators. Here are a few examples at the 50 to 99 kW tier, showing how far member and non-member prices can split.

Operator (as listed)	Member price per kWh	Non-member price per kWh	Last updated
Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (public)	KRW 325.6	KRW 325.6	July 31, 2026
NICE Infra (NICE인프라)	KRW 320	KRW 320	August 3, 2026
LG U+ Volt Up (LG유플러스 볼트업)	KRW 350	KRW 450	July 1, 2026
GS차지비	KRW 325	KRW 470	September 22, 2026

These are examples, not a ranking. At these four, the highest non-member price is about 44% above the public rate (470 ÷ 325.6, our arithmetic).

The portal itself warns that its prices are a guide. On-site prices, promotions, roaming surcharges and membership terms can change what you actually pay. Check the price on the charger screen before you start.

What that means for one charge

Adding 30 kWh at a public 50 to 99 kW charger costs about KRW 9,770. The same 30 kWh at KRW 470 costs KRW 14,100. Both figures are our own multiplication. They leave out charging losses and any fees the charger adds.

The estimator below does the same math with your battery and your price.

EV charging cost estimator

Enter your battery size and how far you want to charge. Pick a public rate, or type the price shown on the charger screen.

Usable battery capacity (kWh)

Current charge (%)

Target charge (%)

Price per kWh

Public rates from the Zero Emission Vehicle Portal (ev.or.kr) charging rate table, government chargers, updated July 31, 2026. Last checked October 13, 2026. Charging losses and any extra fees aren’t included, so treat the result as an estimate.

Paying without a membership card

The portal lists member and non-member prices, and it also explains roaming. Roaming means using one operator’s membership card at a partner operator’s charger, and you pay the price of whoever runs that charger.

Getting the government’s own membership card starts with an ev.or.kr account. When we opened the site, its identity checks used a Korean mobile phone or a Korean digital certificate. Without either one, getting the card on a short visit may not be practical. The portal’s call center is 1661-0970, weekdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The non-member button. The portal’s FAQ says its government-run fast chargers work without a card. You press the non-member (비회원) button on the screen, then pay with a card before charging.

The FAQ lists the cards it accepts as those with a postpaid transit function (후불교통), meaning the card also works as a pay-later transit card. They come from Shinhan, BC, KB Kookmin, Hyundai Card, Samsung, Lotte, IBK and Citi. All are Korean card issuers. The FAQ doesn’t say whether foreign-issued cards work, and we couldn’t confirm it.

Private chargers each have their own payment screens, and we haven’t checked them. If you’re renting an EV, ask the rental company how it expects you to pay for charging before you leave the counter. Our guide to what Korean law and rental companies each require when you rent covers the rest of the pick-up process.

Fast and slow chargers, and which plug fits

Korean law uses 40 kW as the line between fast and slow. A notice from the industry ministry (산업통상부) defines the two charger types that count under the Eco-Friendly Vehicle Act.

Fast charging facilities: 40 kW or more, with a Combo 1 or Combo 2 connector under the Korean standard KS R IEC 62196-3.
Slow charging facilities: under 40 kW, with a Type 1 connector under KS R IEC 62196-2, or an outlet that bills for the electricity used.

The portal’s rate tiers split at different points, so don’t mix the two. The 40 kW line is for the legal rules below, and the tiers are for prices. A charger in the 30 to 49 kW price tier can fall on either side of the 40 kW line, so check its rated output on the unit or screen.

The portal’s FAQ also notes that fast-charging methods differ by car model. Check which connector your car uses before you pull in. If you rented the car, the rental company can tell you.

Most government-run fast chargers are open 24 hours, the FAQ says. Some at large discount stores can only be used during store hours.

Charging-space rules and fines

The Eco-Friendly Vehicle Act (친환경자동차법) protects charging spaces. Article 11-2 says only EVs and plug-in hybrids may park in a charging space, and it bans blocking a charger. The enforcement decree spells out what counts as blocking, and a ministry notice sets the time limits.

Violation	Fine
Parking a car that isn’t an EV or plug-in hybrid in a charging space	KRW 100,000
An EV or plug-in hybrid still parked at a fast charger after 1 hour	KRW 100,000
At a slow charger, an EV still parked after 14 hours, or a plug-in hybrid after 7 hours (for plug-in hybrids, midnight to 6 a.m. isn’t counted)	KRW 100,000
Blocking a charger or its access with objects or a parked car, or using it for anything but charging	KRW 100,000
Damaging or erasing the space’s markings, or deliberately damaging the charger	KRW 200,000

The amounts come from the annex to the enforcement decree. It also lets the local government cut or raise a fine by up to half, within the law’s caps of KRW 200,000 for parking and KRW 1 million for obstruction.

The slow-charger time limit has an exception. It doesn’t apply to chargers at detached houses, row houses, multi-household houses or apartment complexes with fewer than 100 units.

These fines are issued by the city, county or district office. Provincial governments are required to mark charging spaces with lines and lettering. If you’re renting, your contract’s section on fines is worth reading. If you think a fine is wrong, the office named on the notice is the one to contact.

One more cost to know about: EVs get a discount on expressway tolls through 2027, set at 30% for 2026 and 20% for 2027. Our guide to Korea’s highway tolls and Hi-Pass explains how it applies.

Before you charge

Check the price on the charger screen. Operators set their own rates, and non-member prices can be higher.
If you don’t have a membership card, government-run fast chargers have a non-member option. Bring a Korean card with a postpaid transit function if you can.
Know your car’s connector before you pull into a charging space.
Move the car once charging ends. At a fast charger, the limit is one hour.

Last checked: October 13, 2026. Sources: EV charging rate information and FAQ (Zero Emission Vehicle Portal, in Korean); Eco-Friendly Vehicle Act, Articles 11-2 and 16 and its Enforcement Decree, Articles 18-8 and 21 and Annex; Regulation on the Requirements for Eco-Friendly Vehicles, Articles 6 and 7 (산업통상부 Notice No. 2026-108) (Korean Law Information Center, in Korean).

October 13, 2026

Tag: Korea driving

How we checked

The short answer

What the law requires

Fines for a gap in cover

Uninsured car fine estimator

The optional coverages

Signing up as a foreign resident

Two records that set your premium

Getting credit for driving abroad

Insurance when you buy a used car

Comparing quotes

Before you drive

How we checked

The short answer

Can you buy a car on your visa?

Dealer or private seller: what changes

Check the car before any money moves

Paying without getting burned

Transferring ownership within 15 days

Which papers does my transfer need?

The papers, in detail

Insurance and registration costs

After the transfer

Quick checklist before you pay

How we checked

The short answer

Who can exchange a foreign license

Which tests you’ll take

Is your country on the recognized list?

Which tests apply to my license?

The visa exemption from the written test

Documents to bring

Fees

At the test site

What license class you get

What happens to your foreign license

Before you go

How we checked

Fuel names in Korean

Rules at every gas station

Self-service pumps

Checking prices with Opinet

How much will a trip cost?

Trip fuel cost estimator

LPG and electric cars

Filling up a rental car

Before you pull in

The short answer

What the law says

How the age is counted

The seat itself has to be certified in Korea

Taxis and buses

Fines

Renting a car with children

Before you drive

What Google Maps can and can’t do in Korea

The reason: Korea’s map export rules

Korean navigation apps compared

NAVER Maps

KakaoMap and Kakao Navi

TMAP

Set it up before you drive

Phone rules while driving

Cameras, tolls and charging on your route

What about the rental car’s built-in navigation?

When will Google Maps add driving directions?

The short answer

Right after the crash

Making the scene safe

When you must report to the police

Leaving the scene

If someone is injured: how insurance affects prosecution

Insurance and rental cars

What to record before you leave

Before you drive

The short answer

Stopping and parking are different things

Where you can’t stop or park

Places where you can stop but not park