🇰🇷 South Korea · 도로교통법

Korea driving basics

The rules every foreign driver in Korea needs to know on day one — right-hand traffic, km/h speeds, a 0.03% BAC limit, school-zone Min-sik Law, and which International Driving Permits actually work here. Each fact links to the Korean authority that publishes it.

The six day-one rules

  1. Right-hand traffic. Korea drives on the right; steering wheel on the left. Same as the US, Canada, continental Europe.
  2. Speeds in km/h. 50 km/h built-up areas; 80 km/h ordinary roads; 100–110 km/h expressways. School zones: 30 km/h, enforced 24/7. KoROAD
  3. BAC 0.03%. One of the strictest legal limits in the OECD. Criminal drunk-driving begins at 0.08%. Roadside breath-checks are common, especially Friday and Saturday nights. KoROAD
  4. Hands-free only. Handheld phone use while driving is prohibited. Camera enforcement is common in urban areas.
  5. Universal seatbelt + helmet. All seats, all riders. Korea standardised in 2018 (rear seatbelts were previously expressway-only).
  6. School zones (어린이보호구역) under Min-sik Law. 30 km/h, 24/7, camera-enforced. Serious accidents in school zones can carry imprisonment. KoROAD Safe Driving

Documents you need at the wheel

Speed-camera enforcement

Korean speed enforcement is among the most aggressive in the OECD. Three types of camera are common:

Roadside emergencies

Related on this site

Frequently asked

Which side of the road does Korea drive on?
Korea drives on the right, with the steering wheel on the left — same as the United States, Canada, and continental Europe. This is uniform nationwide.
Do I need an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive in Korea?
Yes, in most cases. Korea recognises IDPs issued under both the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1968 Vienna Convention. Drivers from countries with reciprocal bilateral agreements (Japan, France, Germany, Italy, others) may use an Apostille-translated home licence — check the embassy site before travel.
What's the legal blood-alcohol limit for driving in Korea?
Korea's per-se BAC limit is 0.03% (lowered from 0.05% in June 2019 under the Yoon Chang-ho Law). Criminal drunk-driving (음주운전) begins at 0.08%. Repeat offences can carry licence revocation and imprisonment.
What is the Min-sik Law (민식이법)?
A 2020 Korean law sharply increasing penalties for traffic violations in school zones (어린이보호구역). Speeding in a school zone with resulting injury can carry imprisonment. The law applies 24/7; the 30 km/h school-zone limit is camera-enforced around the clock.
Can I turn right on a red light in Korea?
Yes, after a complete stop, unless a sign expressly prohibits — similar to the US default. Note that Korean signal logic has been changing in recent years; some intersections now have arrow-only right turns. Read the signal carefully.
Is handheld phone use illegal while driving?
Yes. Korean traffic law bans handheld phone use while driving. Hands-free is allowed. Enforcement is camera-heavy in urban areas.
Are speed cameras common in Korea?
Extremely. Korean expressways have widespread fixed and average-speed enforcement cameras. Slowing only at the camera does not help — the average-speed section measures across two cameras and tickets the average. Tickets are routed to the rental company and billed to the renter.

Sources

  1. [1]KoROAD — Road Traffic Authority — KoROAD · accessed 2026-04-23
  2. [2]MOLIT — Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport — MOLIT · accessed 2026-04-23
  3. [3]KoROAD — Safe Driving — KoROAD · accessed 2026-04-23
  4. [4]Korea Expressway Corporation — Korea Expressway Corp. · accessed 2026-04-23
Korea driving basics for foreign visitors — KoROAD-sourced rules — Drive This World