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Driving in South Korea
The rules of the road as our desk recorded them, native unit first.
Driving side
Right
Speed limits
50 / 80 / 100 km/h · 31 / 50 / 62 mph
urban / rural / motorway
International permit (IDP)
Required · Both accepted
An IDP plus your home licence and passport is required at every rental desk; Korea accepts both conventions.
Blood alcohol limit
0.03% - licence suspension from that level and criminal penalties above it
Tolls
Tolled expressways nationwide with electronic Hi-Pass lanes; rentals carry a transponder.
Headlights
Not required by day.
Child seats
Mandatory under age six; rentals stock them on request.
Driving is well signposted and orderly, but city traffic and parking make it pointless in Seoul. Jeju is the one place where a car genuinely improves the trip.