Last Updated on May 22, 2025
Highlights
Useful information if you plan on driving in South Korea. This blog talks about car rentals, toll roads, traffic nuisances, speed cameras and more.
We did the research so you do not have to.
Time of Visit: April-May 2025
Duration of Visit: 14 Days
Description
South Korea is a wonderful country to visit. Though the country boasts extensive public transportation, there are places that can conveniently be reached by driving yourself there. Hence, you may find yourself in need of a rental car to get where you need to go.
Car rentals are dominated by local companies. Also, an international drivers license is required by rental companies. South Korea is a camera happy country. So you need to pay attention to what you are doing to make sure you do not get any surprises later. We also noticed that a number of South Korean drivers have a tendency to use the horn if the situation presents itself.
Car Rental Company
Well-known international car companies did not show up during our searches. Instead, we had to pick from a handful of Korean car rental car companies. After doing some online research, we settled on Lotte Rent A Car which had nice reviews. Their rates were higher than others because the car insurance was built-in (included) into the price. We really did not want to pay for the insurance but they were the only car rental company that had a cancellable reservation (pay at the counter instead of paying during reservation).
Just because Lotte’s rates included insurance, it did not mean that we could walk away free and clear if we damaged the car. There were exclusions such as windshield damage, tire slash, damage exceeding 50% of the car’s value, bad driving habits and putting the wrong fuel.
We rented from Lotte’s Seoul Station and Jeju Airport and had a satisfactory experience. We would rent from them again.
International Driver’s License
Korea requires an international driver’s license along with a valid passport. Lotte did not even ask for my US driver’s license.
As a side note, more likely an international driver’s license would be required if the country’s written language is not Roman alphabet.
Navigation
Google Maps navigation does not work in South Korea.
Our rental cars came with GPS navigation. The one we rented in Seoul had an English Version while the one in Jeju Island was only in Korean. We had to rely on Naver Maps while driving in Jeju Island.
Having a car GPS or Naver Map is a must. Besides the fact that some of the road signs are only in Hangul, there is a proliferation of traffic cameras, especially in Jeju Island. Naver Maps and the car’s GPS always warned us if we were approaching a traffic camera.
Speed Limits And Traffic LIghts
Speed limits in Korea are on the slow side. The highest we saw was 110 kmh (68 mph) on their toll roads. Typical speed limits on rural roads is 60 kph (37 mph) and 30 kph (18 mph) at busy areas like school zones or high traffic intersections. And there is a good chance there is a traffic camera to monitor driver’s behaviors.
Besides the low speed limits, you can expect to encounter traffic lights. One after another, it is quite annoying especially in the city. Do not even think of avoiding toll roads to save money as you will be frustrated in taking local or city streets.
So, pack your patience as it may take longer than you think to get from one place to another.
Toll Roads
Korea has toll roads. Fortunately, for foreign drivers, entrance to the toll roads (called toll gates or TG) come in two forms. One is the Hi-Pass lane which has blue markings and the other is a regular gate.
Hi-Pass lanes require a transponder. Lotte offered Hi-Pass transponders for 35K KRW (5K for the transponder and 30K for tolls) . It is a use it or lose it deal – meaning they will not refund the unused fund. We decided not to because the cost did not justify the use for driving on the toll road between Seoul and Chungju which was only 2,600 KRW.
If you mistakenly go through a Hi-Pass lane without a transponder, you will have to find a Hi-Pass Service Station (normally located before the toll gates) and pay the toll fee there. If you don’t, the rental car company will back charge you along with their hefty processing fee.
The regular entry gate has a ticket dispensing machine. Take the ticket and hang on to it as you will use it at the exit gate. Exit gates can either be manned or unmanned. Choose the manned gate wherever possible. Paying the toll to a person is a lot easier than trying to pay through a machine. Make sure you have cash as it is the easiest form of payment at a manned exit gate.
Unmanned gates are monitored and there would be someone that would come if you press the call or help button. At unmanned exit gates, you insert the ticket and pay the toll with either a credit card or T-Money (transportation money) card. Cash can also be paid at some gates but we do not know if it needs to be exact change. We tried to pay with our US credit card but the machine at the gate would not process it. We had to go inside the office which had a credit card reader to pay the toll.
Traffic Controls
Speed Cameras
There are a lot of cameras on Korean roads. It doesn’t matter if its the highway or a small town. You will encounter one. Fortunately for us, our GPS warned us if we were approaching one. Please pay attention to the speed limit signs.
Traffic Signs
Some traffic signs in Korea have Roman alphabet translation and some do not. However, the translation is small and hard to read from a distance. Unless you can read Hangul, it would feel as though you are driving blind without GPS guidance.
Left Turn on Green.
In general, it is better to assume that you CANNOT make a left turn on a green light even if there is no oncoming traffic. If there is a left turn lane, more than likely there is a left turn arrow. Unlike in the US where the left turn arrow is illuminated whether it is green, red or yellow, in Korea, the left turn arrow is only illuminated when it is green. So if you are sitting at a traffic light and the green light is on, you do not know if the traffic light has a left turn arrow until it is your turn.
Right Turn on Red
We got honked at once when we had our right turn signal turned on while the light in front of us was red. There was no right green arrow in front of us unlike in the photo above. With this, it is presumed that right turn on red is allowed. To avoid getting honked at, we turn off our right turn signal when it is red and turn it on when the arrow light turns green.
We did see cars making right turns on red.
Road Striping
There are two road stripings that we do not recall seeing on US roads. One was a single yellow line on two way roads and the other was red stripings (or solid red) at intersections.
In South Korea, two way roads would either have a solid yellow center line or a dashed yellow center line. A solid line means passing is not allowed. Passing is allowed on dashed yellow center lines.
A red painted or striped street area means caution. This can typically be found in high traffic intersections or pedestrian areas. A speed reduction is typically associated with red painted or striped streets so look for the corresponding speed limit sign when approaching one.
Parking
Parking spaces would normally have white lines for parking areas.
Bus Lanes
Bus lanes are delineated by a blue line on the road. Only buses are allowed in bus lanes. There may be cameras that monitor these lanes.
Summary
Driving in South Korea can be stressful as the traffic signs may not always have Roman alphabet translation. Even if it does, the letters are small such that it would have been too late to read.
We used Lotte Rent A Car. Their rates are higher than others but did not require a pre-payment. The higher rate is due to the added insurance, though not comprehensive.
GPS navigation is a must to drive in South Korea. Google Maps does not work, instead use Naver Maps or Kakao Maps which are local map applications. They may prevent you from getting a speeding ticket also.
Obey the speed limit signs. Speed cameras are everywhere.
Tolls roads have Hi-Pass and regular lanes. Naver Maps show the toll cost so you can determine if renting a Hi-Pass transponder is cost effective. If you do decide to not get a Hi-pass transponder, just avoid the blue lanes at the toll gate.
Assume that you cannot make a left turn on a green light especially if there is a left turn lane. The left turn light is only illuminated when it is green and not illuminated when red. Right turn on red is allowed.
A solid yellow line on a two lane road means no passing while a red painted or striped area means to slow down which typically has a lower speed limit. Park only at designated areas and avoid bus lanes. Finally, just be aware that locals can be impatient so just maintain your speed and let them get around you.