Seoul story #3-1. How to get a driver's license in Korea

 Cars are a really convenient transportation. However, in order to drive a car, you must have a license. So this time I will post 'How can get a driver's license in Korea'. There is a way to go to a private institute, but in this article, I want to let you know about the process of acquisition at the driving license examination center.

 First, you must be 18 years old to get a driver's license in Korea. A motorcycle license can be acquired if you are 16 years old or older, but you can only drive a motorcycle. In this posting I will only deal with the car driver's license.

 There are two main types of car license. It is 'One species normal' or 'Two species normal'. There are differences in the types of cars that can drive. For reference, today 'Two species normal' means 'two species - Auto' in general. In the case of Korea, because of the high penetration rate of automatic transmission, it is possible to drive many vehicles even if only have 'Two species normal'.

 

 The procedure for obtaining a driver's license is largely composed of 'Preparation of test sheet - Traffic safety education - Physical examination - Department test - Functional test - Road driving test'. Although the order looks complicated, it is very easy to look at the process. Let's look at each one.

 

1.Preparation of test sheet

 Prepare of test sheet to take the driver's license test at the nearest license test center. At this time, a proof photograph is necessary. If you don't have a proof photograph, you do not have to worry about it because there is an instant proof camera so you can take a proof photograph in the license test center. It is recommended that you take a good look at the test sheet because the content of the test sheet is slightly different depending on whether you are going to apply for 'One species or Two species'. For reference, the test sheet is valid for one year.

 

2.Traffic safety education

 You can get 1 hour traffic safety education (license test center training, free of charge) at the license test center. The most important thing to note is, there is an education only during the daytime, so it may be difficult to get the time. Weekend training is about once a month so let's plan ahead. Education way is turns on an educational video for one hour. It is good to listen to things that are mentioned in the safety education are also given in the examination of the department.

 

3.Physical examination

 You can have a physical examination at a hospital or a licensing examination center. The price is around 5,000 won (5 dollar). You can take a vision test and pass it if you meet the standard. You can pass if the visual acuity of one eye is over 0.5 and the visual acuity of both eyes is over 0.8.

 

4.Department test

 It is often called a written test, and the examination fee is 7,500 won. All 40 questions have a multiple choice and the time limit is 50 minutes. The number of options varies from 4 to 5 depending on the problem. The problem is that there is a problem that is just a sentence, a problem of seeing and solving a picture or a picture, and a problem of solving the problem by watching a video. The test is done on a computer. You can use your mouse or touch the touch screen depending on the test site. You can take the test without waiting time, because the test doing on the computer. It is convenient to check the result on the monitor immediately after the test is finished without waiting. If you pass, you can go to the supervisor and get a passing stamp. The passing score is 70 points for 'One species normal' and 60 points for 'Two species normal'. Most of the problems are in the level of asking for coping in the common sense line.

 

5. Functional test

 From December 22, 2016, You will take the changed functional test. Existing functional testing was only possible if the operation of the operating device, the car compliance, and the emergency were able to do. And if You could go straight for 50 meters, You could pass. The degree of difficulty was so easy that the passing rate exceeded 90%. This easy test led to an analysis that traffic accidents were increased, and it was again the level of examinations by adjusting the intentions again.

 Now functional tests evaluate driving equipment operation, vehicle compliance, emergency stop, ramp, signal intersection, left / right turn, right angle parking. The moving distance was 300 meters. The passing rate was about 50%.

 After passing the functional test, you will get a practice license. It is a temporary license issued for driving practice before taking the Road driving test. However, the driving license must be operated only for driving practice. You must drive with one or more persons who have passed the license test for more than two years from the date of official license for driving the vehicle.

 If you are practicing with a practice license, and you have an interpersonal accident, your practice license will be immediately revoked and you will have a limited time limit for one year. So let's keep insurance during the exercise period.

 

6. Road driving test

 It is a test to evaluate the driving ability and the traffic regulation compliance ability by driving a course over 5km on the actual road. The passing rate is about 50%. This is the most difficult process in obtaining a driver's license. For the first time in your life, you will drive yourself and go out on the road. However, the license test vehicle have a brake pedal on passenger seat, and a supervisor can help you to brake pedaling, so do not need to overload. The test is viewed as a real-time automatic scoring using a tablet PC. Until the driver's license test was changed in November 2012, it was hand-scored under the supervision of the driver. Even if the car is not auto-scored by the tablet, such as a violation of the car lane or a car malfunction in driving, the supervisor checks the application for the test and deducts it. Scoring is awarded 100 points to the candidate at the start of the test and is scored whenever there is a reason for the runaway. If you keep 70 points or more at the end of the driving test, you will pass. You can finally get your license in your hand.

 

 This process will make you a great driver. Now, You will be able to drive in Korea. If you just take the license and go out on the road, you will probably be scared. In particular, Seoul may be more difficult because it has a lot of cars and a lot of traffic. But if you practice a little, you will be able to adapt quickly.