The road is where all sorts of people come and go using various means of transportation. It would be very dangerous if people who drive vehicles had not acquired the necessary facts and skills. For this reason, a driver's license card is issued only to people whose driving competency and the knowledge and skills for driving meet a certain level.
1. The Driver Licensing System
1.1 Prohibition against Driving without a Valid License
① When driving an automobile or a general motorized bicycle on the road, a driver must hold a license corresponding to the vehicle type and special circumstances such as towing.
② A driver who has been issued a license but has had it suspended must not drive for its duration.
③ Automobiles and general motorized bicycles must not be lent to people who may drive without a valid license.
④ A person who knows that the driver does not hold a valid license must not require or ask the driver for a ride or get into his/her automobile.
⑤ For driving a specified light motorized bicycle, no driver's license is required, but it is prohibited for people under 16 years of age to drive.
Examples of "driving without a valid license"
- Driving without being issued a driver's license.
- Driving with an expired license card.
- Driving after having a license revoked.
- Driving during a suspension or a temporary suspension of a license.
- Driving after passing a test but before being issued the license card.
- Driving a vehicle which is not permitted under the issued license (Driving with a wrong class license).
1.2 Carrying and Presenting a Driver's License Card
① When driving an automobile or a general motorized bicycle, a driver must always carry a license card for driving that vehicle.
② Driving an automobile, etc. while having a lost license card reissued or without having a lost license card reissued is a traffic violation of not carrying a license card.
③ When a police officer requires the presentation of a license card such as when a violation has been committed or a traffic accident has been caused, a license card must be presented.
1.3 Types of Licenses and the Automobiles Permitted
Classifications of driver's licenses
| License Type | Description |
|---|---|
| First-class driver's license | Licenses for driving automobiles and general motorized bicycles. (Those requiring second-class driver's licenses are excluded.) |
| Second-class driver's license | Licenses for driving buses, taxis, and other automobiles used for passenger services or for driving automobiles driven by a professional designated driver. |
| Learner's driving permit | Permits for those wishing to obtain a first-class or second-class license to drive large, medium-sized, semi-medium-sized or regular automobiles on the road for practice or for a test. |
Types of first-class driver's licenses
| Vehicle Type | Min Age | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Large automobile | 21 | Gross weight 11,000 kg or more, or seating capacity 30+ people |
| Medium-sized automobile | 20 | Gross weight 7,500 kg - 11,000 kg, or seating capacity 11-29 people |
| Semi-medium-sized automobile | 18 | Gross weight 3,500 kg - 7,500 kg, seating capacity 10 or less |
| Regular automobile | 18 | Gross weight less than 3,500 kg, seating capacity 10 or less |
| Large motorcycle | 18 | Engine displacement exceeding 400 cc or rated output exceeding 20.00 kW |
| Regular motorcycle | 16 | Engine displacement 50 cc - 400 cc or rated output 0.60 kW - 20.00 kW |
| General motorized bicycle | 16 | Engine displacement 50 cc or less, or rated output 0.60 kW or less |
1.4 Towing License
When towing another vehicle with a towing automobile, the driver is required to hold a towing license in addition to a license corresponding to the type of automobile being used for towing.
However, a towing license is not required when:
- Towing a vehicle with a gross weight of 750 kg or less
- Towing a broken-down vehicle with a rope, crane, etc.
1.5 Driving with a Learner's Permit
When a person holding a learner's permit drives for practice, the learner must drive with one of the following people sitting next to the driver's seat while following that person's instructions:
① An instructor of a designated driving school
② A person who has held a first-class license which permits driving that vehicle for 3 years or more
③ A person who holds a second-class license which permits driving that vehicle
Displaying a student driver sign
When driving for practice with a learner's permit, a student driver sign must be affixed on the front and rear of the vehicle at a height of 0.4 m or more and 1.2 m or less above the ground.
Validity period of a learner's permit
The validity period of a learner's permit is 6 months, counting from the date on which the person takes the license test.
2. Renewal of a Driver's License Card
2.1 Notification of Changes
When the legal domicile, address, name, etc., has been changed due to marriage, relocation, etc., the license holder must promptly notify the Public Safety Commission of his/her residential location.
2.2 Validity Period of a Driver's License Card
| Classification | Age on renewal date | Validity Period |
|---|---|---|
| Driver with an exemplary or satisfactory record | Under 70 years | 5 years |
| 70 years old | 4 years | |
| 71 years or older | 3 years | |
| Driver with a violation / First-time renewal | Any age | 3 years |
Driver Categories
- Driver with an exemplary record: Held license 5+ years, no accidents or violations in preceding 5 years.
- Driver with a satisfactory record: Held license 5+ years, no accidents resulting in injury/death, committed only 1 minor violation (3 points or less).
- Driver with a violation: Held license 5+ years, caused an accident, committed a major violation, or committed 2+ minor violations.
- Driver renewing for the first time: Held license less than 5 years.
2.3 Training at Renewal
| Driver Type | Training Duration |
|---|---|
| Driver with an exemplary record | 30 minutes |
| Driver with a satisfactory record | 60 minutes |
| Driver with a violation | 120 minutes |
| Driver renewing for the first time | 120 minutes |
2.4 Training for Senior Drivers
① People who are 70 years of age or older and under 75 years of age must attend a training for senior drivers within 6 months preceding the expiry date.
② People who are 75 years of age or older must undergo a cognitive assessment and attend training or undergo a special aptitude test assigned as a result.
People with certain violations in the past 3 years must take and pass a driving skill test before the cognitive assessment.
3. Outline of the Point System
The purpose of this system is to remove highly dangerous drivers from areas of road traffic. The system assigns a prescribed number of points for traffic violations and traffic accidents of a driver in the preceding 3 years and administers punishments such as denial or withholding of a license or suspension or revocation once the total of points reaches certain criteria.
3.1 Violations and Points
There are two types of points:
① Basic points
- General violations: 1 to 3 points for relatively minor violations, 6 to 25 points for malicious violations (driving under the influence of alcohol, driving without a valid license, etc.)
- Specified violations: 35 to 62 points for especially malicious and dangerous violations (intoxicated driving, hit-and-run, dangerous driving causing death or injury, etc.)
② Additional points
When a traffic accident is caused due to a violation, additional points are added based on severity:
| Type of Accident | High Responsibility | Low Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal accidents | 20 points | 13 points |
| Treatment 3 months+ / Permanent disability | 13 points | 9 points |
| Treatment 30 days to 3 months | 9 points | 6 points |
| Treatment 15-30 days | 6 points | 4 points |
| Treatment less than 15 days | 3 points | 2 points |
Hit-and-run accidents:
- Resulting in injury or death: 35 points
- Resulting in property damage: 5 points
3.2 Special Rules for Drivers with No Accidents or Violations
① When no accidents or violations have been committed for 1 year or more, points for violations or accidents for that period and earlier are not included.
② When someone who has no accidents or violations for 2 years or more commits a minor violation (3 points or less) and continues to have no accidents or violations for 3 months from that date, points for that violation are not included.
③ When there is a prior record of suspension, then the following 1 year or more has passed with no accidents or violations and the license was not suspended, the number of prior records will be considered 0.
4. Revocation, Suspension, etc. of a Driver's License
4.1 Denial or Withholding of a License
Even when passing a driver's license test, persons to whom any of the following applies may have his/her license denied or withheld for 6 months or less:
- A person with an illness prescribed by Cabinet Order or dementia
- A person addicted to alcohol, narcotics, marijuana, opium, or stimulants
- A person who did not undergo an aptitude test ordered by the Public Safety Commission
- A person who committed a traffic violation or caused a traffic accident
4.2 Revocation or Suspension of a License
If any of the following becomes applicable, the license may be revoked or its validity may be suspended for 6 months or less:
- When it becomes clear that a person has an illness prescribed by Cabinet Order or dementia
- When it becomes clear that a person cannot see or has developed a physical disability prescribed by Cabinet Order
- When it becomes clear that a person is addicted to alcohol, narcotics, etc.
- When a person has committed a traffic violation or caused a traffic accident
- When a person may cause other significant dangers to traffic by driving
4.3 Temporary Suspension
When a person holding a license causes a malicious, serious accident, the validity of his/her license may be temporarily suspended by the chief of the police station for a maximum of 30 days.
4.4 Returning a Driver's License Card
A license card must be promptly returned to the Public Safety Commission in the following cases:
- When a license is revoked
- When a license ceases to be valid
- When a lost license card is found or recovered after being reissued (return the old license card)
5. The Novice Driver Period System
1 year after acquisition (excluding any period the license was suspended) is called the novice driver period for: semi-medium-sized vehicle license, regular vehicle license, large motorcycle license, regular motorcycle license, and motorized bicycle license.
① Novice driver training will be held for people who have committed violations during the novice driver period and have reached 3 points or more (excluding cases where 3 points was reached with 1 violation).
② A retesting will be administered to people who do not attend training or attend but commit another violation meeting the criteria.
③ Licenses of people who did not pass the retesting or did not undergo retesting without legitimate reason are revoked.
6. Training for People with a Revoked License
When a person who has had their driver's license denied or revoked seeks to take a driver's license test again after the ineligible period has elapsed, he/she must have attended a training for people with a revoked license held by the Public Safety Commission within the 1 year preceding the reapplication.
7. Traffic Infraction Notification System
The traffic infraction notification system processes relatively minor cases (infractions) among violations committed by drivers without judgment by a criminal or family court if a penalty of a fixed amount is paid within a certain period at a post office, bank, etc.
7.1 When an Infraction Is Committed
A person who has committed an infraction will be handed a traffic infraction notice (blue ticket) and a payment slip. If the penalty is paid at a post office, bank, etc. within 8 days, the procedure is completed and the offender will not be held criminally liable.
7.2 When the Penalty Is Not Paid
If a person does not pay the penalty within 8 days:
- Must appear at the designated notification center
- Receive a notice of findings
- Pay the penalty within 11 days including the date of receipt
- If still unpaid, will be judged by a criminal or family court
Note: Even if a person has committed an infraction, this system is not applied to highly dangerous people, such as those driving without a valid license, those driving under the influence of alcohol, or those who cause a traffic accident. Such people will be judged by a criminal or family court.
Let's Try - Course Content 13
Check your understanding with right / wrong questions.
- ✓ RIGHT: A person may tow a broken-down vehicle with a rope or a crane, even without a towing license.
- ✗ WRONG: When a driver's license has been lost, a driver may still drive a vehicle before the license card is reissued as long as he/she has notified a police officer.
→ This is a violation of not carrying a license card. - ✗ WRONG: The novice driver period is 1 year after acquisition of each of the following types of licenses: semi-medium-sized vehicle license, regular vehicle license, large motorcycle license, regular motorcycle license, and motorized bicycle license.
→ This is actually correct - all these licenses have a 1-year novice period. - ✗ WRONG: A person holding a light special equipment license may drive a general motorized bicycle in addition to light special equipment.
→ A separate license is required for general motorized bicycles. - ✓ RIGHT: Even a person holding a driver's license is driving without a valid license if he/she drives during a suspension or a temporary suspension of the license.
- ✓ RIGHT: With a regular first-class license, a driver may drive a taxi (with a seating capacity of 5 people) to a repair shop while out of service.
→ A second-class license is not required when not transporting passengers. - ✗ WRONG: A person holding a learner's driving permit must have an instructor as passenger when driving for practice, however, there are no rules as to the type of license held by the instructor or his/her years of experience.
→ The instructor must have held a first-class license for 3+ years or hold a second-class license. - ✓ RIGHT: Regular automobile refers to automobiles with a vehicle gross weight of less than 3,500 kg (3.5 tons), a maximum loading capacity of less than 2,000 kg, and a seating capacity of 10 people or less.