Driving in Korea with a rental car
What you need before you fly, how to book, and how driving here works. Most visitors only need a car on Jeju or in the countryside; in Seoul and Busan the subway is faster.
Do you need a car?
- Jeju
- Yes, it helps a lot: buses are slow and far apart outside Jeju City and Seogwipo. Most visitors rent at Jeju Airport.
- Seoul, Busan and other big cities
- Usually no: traffic is heavy, parking is hard and expensive, and the subway goes almost everywhere.
- Countryside and the east coast
- A car makes temples, beaches and small towns much easier (Gangneung, Gyeongju outskirts, Namhae).
What you need (bring these)
- International Driving Permit (IDP)
- The paper booklet issued in your country under the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna convention, valid for your whole rental. Plastic cards, digital permits and "IDA" permits sold online are not accepted.
- Your own driving licence
- The original card from your country, held for at least one year (some companies ask for two). Bring it with the IDP.
- Your passport
- The name must match the licence, the IDP and the card you pay with.
- A credit card in your name
- For the payment and the deposit. Cash and most debit cards are not accepted.
- Age
- Usually 21 or older, sometimes 26 or older for large cars.
- Check your country first
- Some countries issue permits under another convention (for example the 1943 Inter-American one) that Korea may not accept. Ask the rental company before you book, with a photo of your permit.
How to book
- Big Korean companies (English sites)
- Lotte Rent-a-Car and SK Rent-a-Car have the most branches, including Jeju Airport and KTX stations.
- International brands
- Hertz and Enterprise have counters at Jeju Airport and a few cities.
- Comparison sites
- Discover Cars, Klook and Trip.com compare prices in English; read what the insurance covers before you pay.
- Book early
- Jeju gets busy in summer, on long weekends and around holidays; book 2 to 4 weeks ahead.
- One way
- Returning in another city costs extra. On Jeju you pick up and return on the island (no ferries with rental cars).
Insurance
- Basic cover is included
- Third-party liability is required by law and included in every rental.
- Take the full cover
- Choose the "full" or "super" cover (zero or low excess). Narrow streets and parking scrapes are common, and repairs are charged quickly.
- At pick-up
- Walk around the car and take photos or a video of every scratch before you leave.
Driving rules that surprise visitors
- Speed cameras everywhere
- Fixed and section cameras are very common (Jeju too). Fines reach the rental company and then your card. Navigation apps warn you before each one.
- Right turn on red
- Allowed only after a full stop, giving way to people crossing. Some crossings have their own right-turn light: wait for it.
- School zones
- Speed limit 30 km/h near schools (signs with a child), with cameras. Fines are doubled.
- Drinking
- The limit is very low (0.03%): do not drink at all if you drive.
- Buses first
- Blue bus lanes on big roads are for buses only at the times shown.
Tolls and Hi-pass (expressways)
- How tolls work
- Expressways (the roads with blue signs and a number) charge by distance. Most are closed: you pass a toll gate when you get on and pay at the gate where you get off. A few city expressways charge a fixed amount at one gate. Jeju has no toll roads.
- Hi-pass: the simplest option
- Most rental cars have a Hi-pass unit on the windscreen with a card in it. Ask at pick-up: "Hi-pass card in the car?". With it you drive through the blue Hi-pass lanes without stopping; the tolls are added to your rental bill or your card later.
- Driving through a Hi-pass lane
- Lanes are marked in blue on the road and on the sign above. Slow down to 30 km/h or less and keep your distance from the car ahead. A beep means it was paid. Do not stop or reverse in the lane.
- No Hi-pass card
- Use the other lanes (marked TCS or with a person or card symbol). At the entry gate take the ticket from the machine; at the exit gate give the ticket and pay by credit card, T-money or cash. Keep the ticket safe: losing it means paying the longest distance.
- Drove into a Hi-pass lane by mistake?
- Keep driving slowly, never stop or back up. The camera reads the plate and the unpaid toll is sent to the rental company, which charges you later (sometimes with a small fee). Tell the rental company when you return the car.
- Smart tolling
- Some new expressways have no gates at all: cameras and the Hi-pass unit charge you as you drive. Without Hi-pass, the rental company receives the bill and passes it on.
- What it costs
- Seoul to Busan is about 20,000 won for a car, Seoul to Gangneung about 10,000 won. Navigation apps (Kakao Navi, T map) show the toll before you start.
- Rest areas
- Expressway rest areas (휴게소, hyu-ge-so) every 20 to 40 km have toilets, food courts, coffee and fuel. A favourite stop for snacks like hodugwaja (walnut cakes).
Navigation and parking
- Navigation apps
- Kakao Navi and T map are the most accurate in Korea; search a place by its phone number or Korean address (copy it from this app). Google Maps does not give driving directions in Korea.
- Parking
- Look for public car parks (공영주차장, gong-yeong ju-cha-jang): cheaper and near most sights. Hotels and big sights usually have parking; old town streets often do not.
- Fuel
- Most stations are full service: say "gadeuk" (full) and the fuel type: 휘발유 (petrol, hwi-bal-yu) or 경유 (diesel, gyeong-yu). Check which one your car takes.
- Electric cars
- Many rental cars on Jeju are electric; ask for the charging card and how to use it at pick-up.
If something happens
- Accident
- Stop safely, turn on the hazard lights, call the rental company first (the number is on the key or contract), then 112 police if needed. Take photos.
- Emergency
- 119 for an ambulance or fire. 1330 for the tourist hotline in English or Spanish, 24 hours.