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Just 13 hours. That is the total mandatory education period required to get a driver’s license in Korea.
Three hours of safety lessons for the written exam, four hours of closed-circuit functional test training and six hours of actual road driving. For aspiring drivers in Korea, the path to the steering wheel is often paved with promises of extreme speed, deeply embedded in the country’s
ppali ppali
(quickly, quickly) culture.
A quick search online reveals a plethora of game plans ranging from “How to get your license in three days” to driving schools aggressively promoting shortcut classes designed to breeze through the three-level examination process.
“I got my license about a month after I registered at a driving school,” said a university student who passed her test two years ago. While her timeline sounds fast by global standards, it would be considered relatively standard, or even slow, by her peers in Korea.
The goal for many is not to become a proficient motorist but to become legally eligible to drive as quickly as possible.
However, this efficiency comes at the cost of safety. With high accident rates and many license holders unable to drive without additional private lessons, the system often produces drivers who have the legal right to drive but lack the confidence and experience to safely take to the road.
The cost of speed
In Korea, anyone over the age of 18 is eligible to test for a standard driver’s license. The legal threshold creates a seasonal rite where every winter, students who have just finished the College Scholastic Ability Test, or
suneung
, crowd driving schools to secure their permits before the university semester begins.
Driving license applicants take part in a closed-course examination at the Korea Road Traffic Authority’s Gangnam Examination Office in southern Seoul on Dec. 13, 2023. [NEWS1]
The system is also open to foreigners, who can either exchange a license from their home country or start the process from scratch. Since 2019, Korea has restricted license issuance to registered foreigners residing in the country for at least three months. The mandate was a response to a surge in “license tourism,” primarily by Chinese nationals who took advantage of Korea's quick testing to obtain a permit they could use back home. Currently, Korea maintains reciprocity agreements with some 130 countries, allowing for the mutual recognition of driving credentials.
In 2015, more than 8,200 short-term visitors acquired Korean licenses. Last year, 31,203 foreign nationals tested for and acquired a license from scratch, accounting for roughly 4.3 percent of all new drivers, according to Korea Road Traffic Authority (KoRoad) data obtained by the Korea JoongAng Daily. To accommodate this demographic, the written exam — taken over 73,000 times by foreigners last year — is offered in English, Chinese and Vietnamese.
The current laxity of the testing system is inextricably linked to a period of drastic deregulation. In 2011, under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the government simplified exams to reduce the financial burden and time commitment on residents.
A Seoul resident surnamed Woo obtained his license during this window.
“I got my license when the exam was at its easiest,” he recalled. During that era, the “T-course” and “S-course” — notoriously difficult maneuvers involving perpendicular and curved driving — were scrapped. Woo was not even required to demonstrate parking.
That skill was seen as a necessary hurdle for navigating the streets of Seoul, a city defined by relentless rush-hour congestion, steep parking ramps and a culture of aggressive lane-changing.
People wait at the Korea Road Traffic Authority’s Gangnam Examination Office in southern Seoul on Dec. 29, 2025. [YONHAP]
Over a decade later, Woo is part of a growing demographic of
jangnong
, or “closet license” holders — those who possess a
driver's permit but have not sat behind a wheel since their exam. Now, out of necessity, he is paying for private lessons just to learn the basics.
“I’m having a hard time practicing how to park,” he said.
While the government “toughened” the exams in 2016 by revamping the closed-course functional test, experts argue the correction was only a half-measure. Before 2011, mandatory training stood at 60 hours. Today’s 13-hour requirement remains less than a third of that former standard.
The lack of rigorous training may be reflected in some grim statistics.
According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Korea’s road fatality rate stood at 5.3 per 100,000 people in 2022, above the OECD average. While the total number of road fatalities has dropped from 5,229 in 2011 to 2,551 in 2023, the number of accidents remains high. In 2023, the country recorded 198,296 accidents, the fifth-highest among 32 OECD countries.
Regulatory gaps
In other countries like Japan or Australia, candidates must clock between 60 and 120 hours of supervised instruction before being granted full driving privileges.
“In Japan, candidates often undergo intensive training camps lasting one to two weeks,” said Kim Pil-soo, a professor of automotive engineering at Daelim University.
Candidates in Japan are known to register at intensive driving camps or dedicated schools where the process is split into two rigorous phases. The first phase requires 10 hours of classroom lessons and 12 hours of closed-course practice. Only after passing a written test and a functional driving exam are students granted a learner’s permit. This permit is merely a ticket to the second stage: an additional 16 hours of classroom instruction and 19 hours of actual road training.
Cars fill a parking lot at Gimpo International Airport in Gangseo District, western Seoul, on April 30. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]
The closet license phenomenon is a by-product of Korea’s accelerated licensing. National Police Agency data shows that more than 34 million people held driving permits as of 2024. However, the number of active drivers is far lower: A survey conducted in August 2024 by Hankook Research revealed that only about 67 percent of the 1,000 respondents drove on a regular basis.
For many, the fear of the road outweighs the convenience of the permit.
“Driving in Seoul is incredibly difficult, especially right after you get your license,” said Lee Seon-ah, who has not driven since passing her test in 2018. “Taking paid private training after getting your license is essentially a must because the roads are so complicated and lane changes are so aggressive.”
“Korea has a limited land area, high population density and exceptionally narrow roads. In such an environment, even basic maneuvers like parking are notoriously difficult,” Prof. Kim noted.
The road toward reform
Prof. Kim characterizes the 2011 simplification as a failed experiment. While it succeeded in reducing the upfront financial burden for applicants, it merely shifted the costs elsewhere.
Today, new drivers often spend those savings — and frequently much more — on private post-license tutoring just to be able to survive on actual roads. To reach even a baseline level of competency, Kim suggests that at least 50 hours of mandatory training is required.
Police officers conduct roadside inspections of drivers in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on April 20. [NEWS1]
Expert consensus suggests that Korea needs a fundamental shift from its current “one-and-done” testing culture to a model of supervised growth. Hwang Joon-seung, head of the Transport and People Institute and emeritus professor at KoRoad, points to Germany as a potential gold standard. In Germany, new drivers face a two-year probationary period. Any significant traffic violations during this window trigger mandatory retraining, psychological counseling or the total revocation of driving privileges.
Hwang also cited the British “Pass Plus” scheme as a practical blueprint. This voluntary system encourages beginners to complete at least six hours of specialized training — covering urban centers, inclement weather, rural roads, night driving and motorways — after they have officially secured their license.
“We must address the systemic reality that people cannot drive safely even after being certified by the state,” Hwang said.
“A driver’s license is a document that can cost other people their lives,” said Prof. Kim.
“Ultimately, tightening these regulations is a matter of saving
lives.”
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