Foreign students can also obtain a Korean driver's license by taking the driver's license test conducted in Korea. You can take the driver's license test directly at the driver's license test center or through an automobile driving school, so you can choose the method that suits you.

First of all, in order for foreigners to obtain a driver's license in Korea, they must have an alien registration card residing in Korea. In addition, you can take the driver's license test after staying in Korea for more than 3 months from the date of issuance of the alien registration card.

Since the driver's license test is conducted in Korean, Korean comprehension and reading and writing skills are required. The departmental test is conducted on-site, and in the case of foreigners, if you speak the language you want among English, Chinese, and Vietnamese, you can take the test in that language. In addition, the test tests driving skills and understanding of traffic laws, signals and signs, so you need to acquire knowledge related to these.

In order to get a driver's license in Korea, you must first take traffic safety education.

Traffic safety education is education that identifies risk factors that may occur in real road conditions and learns appropriate ways to deal with them. Through this training, you can increase your awareness as a driver and your awareness of traffic safety.

In order to receive traffic safety education, if you are a Korean national, you must first make a reservation online and then take the course at the educational institution of your choice. Foreigners cannot make reservations online or by phone, so they must apply directly at the test center. You can apply on the same day and start taking classes right away. Classes generally last less than an hour and are free of charge.

After taking the traffic safety education, you can qualify to take the driver's license test. Therefore, traffic safety education is one of the very important steps in obtaining a driver's license.

Test centers where you can take the driver's license test in Korea are located in various regions across the country. You can search for the test center by searching for a list of driver's license test centers in your area or through a driver's license test center location application.

On the official website of the Korea Road Traffic Authority (Korea Transportation Safety Authority), you can check the location information of driver's license test centers nationwide. You can also see the class schedule. Below is the address of the website.

https://www.koroad.or.kr/main/local/local_sub_main2.do#none

In addition, using the mobile application 'Traffic Safety Test Center Location Guide', you can find a nearby test center based on your current location. This application can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

When searching for a test center location, you can easily search by entering "driver's license test center" or "driver's license test center location" as the search terms.

If you are a foreigner living in Busan, where can you take the course?

There are two test sites in the whole of Busan.

• Southern

Busan Nambu Driver's License Test Center

• northern

Busan Northern Driver's License Test Center

I will guide you through the necessary documents or precautions through my experience.

• Alien registration card required

You must bring your alien registration card with you to attend classes. If you don't have it, you can't even apply for classes. Also, the alien registration card must have a period of stay. Since I extended my visa online, there is no expiration date on my card. So, I brought it along with my foreigner registration certificate.

• Check class timetable

Class times may vary by test center, so be sure to check before you go. In the case of Busan West Test Center, there are two classes at 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. I went and applied 10 minutes ago.

• keeping class time

You have to go early because you have to apply before class. This is because registration takes some time. It is impossible to register even a little beyond class time.

• Keep your left forefinger clean

It's a good idea to keep clean and dry as you will be fingerprinted both during registration and after taking classes. There were quite a few people who didn't like it when I went.

• sit in assigned seat

Each student has a designated seat. The seat number is indicated on the card you receive when registering, so you have to sit by looking at the number.

After taking the traffic safety education, there is an advantage that you can have a physical examination and take the department test. If you want to take the exam right away, please also bring your ID photo. If possible, you can take the department test on the same day without having to travel a lot. Also, there are useful problems when taking classes, so it is good to take them with caution.