First Day Abroad

Driving in South Korea: licence, roads and tolls

Part of the South Korea arrival guide.

This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by

Driving in South Korea: the three basics

Drives on the
right

The driver sits on the left and overtakes on the left. Roundabouts turn anticlockwise.

Your licence
Licence plus an IDP

Your own licence works with an International Driving Permit beside it. Get the permit at home before you fly - no country issues one for another country's licence.

Motorways
Tolls by distance

Motorways charge for the distance driven, at barriers or by camera. Budget for it on a long drive; it is rarely trivial.

Expressways are tolled and hire cars carry a Hi-Pass transponder.

Korean expressways are tolled through Hi-pass, cameras are everywhere, and the alcohol rules are among the strictest anywhere.

Hi-pass tolling on the expressways, speed cameras on everything else, and near-zero tolerance for alcohol.

  • Hire cars carry a Hi-pass transponder and the tolls are billed back; cash lanes still exist at most plazas.
  • The alcohol limit is 0.03 % and a licence is suspended at that level. Enforcement includes checkpoints, and the social norm is absolute abstinence when driving.
  • Speed cameras are fixed, signposted and everywhere. Navigation apps announce them; the traffic slows for each one and speeds up after.
  • Navigation in English is limited. Google Maps does not do turn-by-turn driving directions in Korea for legal reasons; Naver Map and KakaoNavi do.
  • Seoul is a poor place for a car and the KTX plus a car hired on arrival at the other end is the usual local pattern.
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Sources (1)

What this guide was checked against. Rules and prices change — follow the official link before you rely on a detail.