Oh, so many things have changed over the years! 2023 I started to work in Korea again after leaving in 2011. My Korean Drivers license was still in the system, after I made it in 2004. My ARC has now in 2023 the same number as back then, so there was only a fee, I had to pay (around 35.000 Won, for not updating the license for a few years). But HOW I got my Drivers license in the first place, was even funnier! In 2004 you did not have to exchange your national DL to a korean one. You only needed to have your License (German, in my case) ready and it got translated at the Drivers License Test site (World Cup Stadium was mine). Since I only wanted to ride a 125ccm machine, I only needed my cars drivers license translated and that would have been fine. All around the License site there was advertising for doing the Motorcycle test and it was only 5000 Won. Well, once there, I decided to sign up for a test date and was allowed to check and test drive the course. It was mirrored to your course in the video, so it startet with the 90°-90°. I was applauded after I finished and asked myself why. The reason: I would have passed, had that been the real test. There where teenagers in school uniforms all around, 35 at the track, more in the ranks. They applauded all the riders, who passed the test. I would have been one of them! I went back there a week later and spoke with a guy, who let me practice, at least sitting on the way to small bike. He told me to not start in first, but second gear, so it wouldn't be so jumpy. I did not follow the guys advioce and then failed my actual test twice on one day (I was probably getting a second chance). 100% of the failers failed at the 90°-90°! Went back a few days later, started in 2nd gear and passed. Like 4 others out auf 35 (that is the actual average number for passers!), 2 Koreans, me and an Italian, who had arrived at the site on his Ducati already! That is how I got my Korean Drivers Licens for motorbike. Costs: 5000 Won Eye exam at the site, 5000 Won for the stamp (you stamp it on a sheet of paper, I had 2 stamps at the end for 2 tries, other people had 2-3 or more SHEETS! 5000 Won for something else, so I ended up paying up to 20.000 Won for the whole thing! It cost more money in Germany to have it accepted for German License. It worked. Unfortunatly this whole practice stopped later in, I think 2005 and the exchange thing started. Btw.: Naver has now an option for "two wheelers" or "exclude Cars only", and it is mostly in English.
What i go thru for my motorcycle practical test (Not inclusive of theory lessons/self theory test practise/theory test): No.1: 200cc and below (Circuit) - S-course, Crank course, Slope stopping and moving off from stationary, Plank, Pylons, E-brake, Actual road riding test (No expressway). No.2: Between 201-400cc (Circuit) - Same as above for no.1 includes Half standing posture riding thru multiple humps. Actual road riding test (No expressway) No.3: 401cc and above (No limit) - Same as above for no.2 but no actual road test required. All test passing must have 1 year allowance required before you are allow to take the next one. Concept are almost the same like Japan system. No slippers, short sleeve, short, helmet with tinted visor or without d.o.t approve are allowed and gloves are a must have. But it was worth it. ❤❤❤❤❤
I would say the best is to use the 10 hours of driving practice. Without the permit you can't rent a bike to practice beforehand. 10 hours practice is more than enough to be ready to do the test, no worries
@@gregswiatek515 thanks for yiur reply where can practice could you suggest me. Because in seoul and Suwon area i couldn't find id. Could tell me where you did it i will do practice there..
@@gauravkorea sorry I lived at the opposite side of korea all the way down near Jinju, so I don't know the places to go around Suwon or Seoul. I'd suggest asking locals there and get some help to try to find places and call. Good luck !
lol...and i had to pay 400DM ( Deutsche Mark, ca. 200€) for my motorbike license.....took 4hrs driving in real traffic and Autobahn with high speed ( 150km/h)...i drove in a few countries...Netherlands, Belgium, England, Scotland and New Zealand...i plan to go 2019 for Korea and drive a motorbike, but i learned as a foreigner you cant rent one in Korea
Hi ! No worries you can rent them =) there is just not a lot of rental places but those we found did rent to is without a problem. Don't forget to get an international driving licence in your country before you go ! =) Good luck !
i must have one somewhere at home....i took it with me to New Zealand....in Europe its so much easyer...but i prefer my type of motorbike....nothing is better then my beloved Suzuki....lol.....650ccm are a little more powerfull as the rentals you used...
Seems like yes because one colleague did the same as me and then returned to France and got his licence. You can double check with the entity that delivers driving licences in france (prefecture maybe?) to confirm. Good luck !
Hi, I am planning a cross country motor bike ride (Seoul- Busan - Gwangju - Seoul) , but I see you mention there are no motorcycles allowed on highways, im a bit disappointed as going on a motorway with a motorcycle is prohibited so is there any other way to reach these cities with motorcycle or should I just forget my plans as its not possible, I would be glad for that info, thanx in advance.
You'll always find some alternate routes and roads avoiding the highway, no worries. Also, I'd say it's not such a bad thing, you'll see more of the country and highway motorcycle riding is not always comfortable or fun. Just be careful and safe on all the other roads, gotta be ready for someone to pop out of nowhere..! Take care and safe riding
@@gregswiatek515 thank you so much for the info, I am glad I can make the ride, can you give me links to the rentals for motorcycles (not scooters) as the link you provided below does not work anymore :/ it would help me a lot.
I am thinking of taking motorcycle license here in south korea .can i get a license from a driving school or we can just practice over there and later on we need to go to license office ?? I am quite confused can u please tell me about it
I think the best option is to do everything with the driving school, meaning practice + exam. I'd suggest you contact the nearest to you and they'll give you all the different options and details. Good luck !
Hi and thank you very much for your video ! I already have a french motorbike driving licence. Do you know if I cant use my international driving licence to rent a motorbike in South Korea ? Have a great day !
Hi Celine, you're welcome ! It should be fine, my colleague Fabrice had his French motorcycle licence and he could rent a bike in Seoul. I did rent at the same place than him with my Korean licence. If you get the chance, have someone call the shop for you to ask prior just to be sure. Enjoy and safe driving !
Hi again Greg and thank you for your answer and the good advice :) I'll try to find someone who speaks korean then :) have a good day and fun rides over there !
I'd ask local people around to check on internet to help you ... I moved out of Korea long time ago and lived in Germany since then and now China... ! =) Good luck Roy
Good afternoon. In what city did you study in a driving school? I live in Cheonju. I can not find a driving school here. only cars ... This is not encouraging.
Leganze Ugay I lived in Sacheon and the closest one for me was in Geoje. Do you mean Cheongju near Cheonan? If it's the case.. it is quite far ! But it's possible to go there on weekends for the lessons and test - if you don't find closer to your place. Good luck !
I'd love to help you More, but now I love live in China and don't have so many contacts in Korea anymore. Maybe you could try to contact the Geoje driving institute and ask them for help, perhaps they know other institutes where the driving lessons are possible on bikes, closer to your area. I'm sorry not to be able to assist you more !
I just got a reply from one guy in Korea and is telling me this: "I have checked there is some conditions to rent a bike. You need to have a help your friend or colleague to rent. Also you need drivers license issued in Korea. You can get it from your driver’s license and international license. You need to visit a license center in Korea. Another one you have a Korean friend to guarantee you in case of trouble. Yeah it is not easy." So I now have two different answers...
I guess they need some kind of reassurance at that place :-/. What a shame, but I can understand, if I had a business Iike this I might also be cautious
LMAO your bike passport photo made me laugh out loud. Thank you for the informative video. I am from Canada too! Greetings.
hahaha shit, same here!
Oh, so many things have changed over the years! 2023 I started to work in Korea again after leaving in 2011. My Korean Drivers license was still in the system, after I made it in 2004. My ARC has now in 2023 the same number as back then, so there was only a fee, I had to pay (around 35.000 Won, for not updating the license for a few years).
But HOW I got my Drivers license in the first place, was even funnier!
In 2004 you did not have to exchange your national DL to a korean one. You only needed to have your License (German, in my case) ready and it got translated at the Drivers License Test site (World Cup Stadium was mine). Since I only wanted to ride a 125ccm machine, I only needed my cars drivers license translated and that would have been fine.
All around the License site there was advertising for doing the Motorcycle test and it was only 5000 Won. Well, once there, I decided to sign up for a test date and was allowed to check and test drive the course. It was mirrored to your course in the video, so it startet with the 90°-90°. I was applauded after I finished and asked myself why. The reason: I would have passed, had that been the real test. There where teenagers in school uniforms all around, 35 at the track, more in the ranks. They applauded all the riders, who passed the test. I would have been one of them!
I went back there a week later and spoke with a guy, who let me practice, at least sitting on the way to small bike. He told me to not start in first, but second gear, so it wouldn't be so jumpy. I did not follow the guys advioce and then failed my actual test twice on one day (I was probably getting a second chance). 100% of the failers failed at the 90°-90°!
Went back a few days later, started in 2nd gear and passed. Like 4 others out auf 35 (that is the actual average number for passers!), 2 Koreans, me and an Italian, who had arrived at the site on his Ducati already!
That is how I got my Korean Drivers Licens for motorbike. Costs: 5000 Won Eye exam at the site, 5000 Won for the stamp (you stamp it on a sheet of paper, I had 2 stamps at the end for 2 tries, other people had 2-3 or more SHEETS! 5000 Won for something else, so I ended up paying up to 20.000 Won for the whole thing! It cost more money in Germany to have it accepted for German License. It worked.
Unfortunatly this whole practice stopped later in, I think 2005 and the exchange thing started.
Btw.: Naver has now an option for "two wheelers" or "exclude Cars only", and it is mostly in English.
Very good educational video. Thank you very much.
What i go thru for my motorcycle practical test (Not inclusive of theory lessons/self theory test practise/theory test):
No.1: 200cc and below (Circuit) -
S-course,
Crank course,
Slope stopping and moving off from stationary,
Plank,
Pylons,
E-brake,
Actual road riding test (No expressway).
No.2: Between 201-400cc (Circuit) -
Same as above for no.1 includes
Half standing posture riding thru multiple humps.
Actual road riding test (No expressway)
No.3: 401cc and above (No limit) -
Same as above for no.2 but no actual road test required.
All test passing must have 1 year allowance required before you are allow to take the next one.
Concept are almost the same like Japan system. No slippers, short sleeve, short, helmet with tinted visor or without d.o.t approve are allowed and gloves are a must have. But it was worth it.
❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks a lot for this video. It's very helpful :)
Thanks a lot for your video ! moving to korea next week, i know what i'll have to do !
Good luck for your licence and enjoy your time in Korea !
The best cruizer 250cc of Brazil is its motorcycle of Yousung
I need your help may i know there area where i can practice for driving license.
I would say the best is to use the 10 hours of driving practice. Without the permit you can't rent a bike to practice beforehand. 10 hours practice is more than enough to be ready to do the test, no worries
@@gregswiatek515 thanks for yiur reply where can practice could you suggest me. Because in seoul and Suwon area i couldn't find id. Could tell me where you did it i will do practice there..
@@gauravkorea sorry I lived at the opposite side of korea all the way down near Jinju, so I don't know the places to go around Suwon or Seoul. I'd suggest asking locals there and get some help to try to find places and call. Good luck !
Do they really allow you to do some practice before taking the exam ?
Back then yes, it's been a while now so best would be to ask then ahead of time, good luck !
What if you already have international license for motorcycles? :) Do you still have to pass the exam?
Vasily Zorin my colleague had a French motorbike licence and international licence and he could rent without any issues
lol...and i had to pay 400DM ( Deutsche Mark, ca. 200€) for my motorbike license.....took 4hrs driving in real traffic and Autobahn with high speed ( 150km/h)...i drove in a few countries...Netherlands, Belgium, England, Scotland and New Zealand...i plan to go 2019 for Korea and drive a motorbike, but i learned as a foreigner you cant rent one in Korea
Hi ! No worries you can rent them =) there is just not a lot of rental places but those we found did rent to is without a problem. Don't forget to get an international driving licence in your country before you go ! =) Good luck !
i must have one somewhere at home....i took it with me to New Zealand....in Europe its so much easyer...but i prefer my type of motorbike....nothing is better then my beloved Suzuki....lol.....650ccm are a little more powerfull as the rentals you used...
Can you transform the korean moto licence to french moto permis ?
Seems like yes because one colleague did the same as me and then returned to France and got his licence. You can double check with the entity that delivers driving licences in france (prefecture maybe?) to confirm. Good luck !
Hi, I am planning a cross country motor bike ride (Seoul- Busan - Gwangju - Seoul) , but I see you mention there are no motorcycles allowed on highways, im a bit disappointed as going on a motorway with a motorcycle is prohibited so is there any other way to reach these cities with motorcycle or should I just forget my plans as its not possible, I would be glad for that info, thanx in advance.
You'll always find some alternate routes and roads avoiding the highway, no worries. Also, I'd say it's not such a bad thing, you'll see more of the country and highway motorcycle riding is not always comfortable or fun. Just be careful and safe on all the other roads, gotta be ready for someone to pop out of nowhere..! Take care and safe riding
@@gregswiatek515 thank you so much for the info, I am glad I can make the ride, can you give me links to the rentals for motorcycles (not scooters) as the link you provided below does not work anymore :/ it would help me a lot.
@@sahils3269 Thnq bro
Hi, I start on Sunday in Seoul, is the exam was complicated?
No, it's very simple =) good luck !
I am thinking of taking motorcycle license here in south korea .can i get a license from a driving school or we can just practice over there and later on we need to go to license office ?? I am quite confused can u please tell me about it
I think the best option is to do everything with the driving school, meaning practice + exam. I'd suggest you contact the nearest to you and they'll give you all the different options and details. Good luck !
Hi and thank you very much for your video ! I already have a french motorbike driving licence. Do you know if I cant use my international driving licence to rent a motorbike in South Korea ? Have a great day !
Hi Celine, you're welcome ! It should be fine, my colleague Fabrice had his French motorcycle licence and he could rent a bike in Seoul. I did rent at the same place than him with my Korean licence. If you get the chance, have someone call the shop for you to ask prior just to be sure. Enjoy and safe driving !
Hi again Greg and thank you for your answer and the good advice :) I'll try to find someone who speaks korean then :) have a good day and fun rides over there !
Hi ! Can I found a scooter cheap rental agencies there ? Between 10-20 usd for a day ? Or getva good price for rent for a month ?
I'd ask local people around to check on internet to help you ... I moved out of Korea long time ago and lived in Germany since then and now China... ! =) Good luck Roy
Good afternoon. In what city did you study in a driving school? I live in Cheonju. I can not find a driving school here. only cars ... This is not encouraging.
Leganze Ugay I lived in Sacheon and the closest one for me was in Geoje. Do you mean Cheongju near Cheonan? If it's the case.. it is quite far ! But it's possible to go there on weekends for the lessons and test - if you don't find closer to your place. Good luck !
청주시.
can `t you help me? how can I contact you? No one knows, I do not know what to do already ...
I'd love to help you More, but now I love live in China and don't have so many contacts in Korea anymore. Maybe you could try to contact the Geoje driving institute and ask them for help, perhaps they know other institutes where the driving lessons are possible on bikes, closer to your area. I'm sorry not to be able to assist you more !
In Geoje my contact was Sang-Wan Park 010-9637-4450, icomseoul@naver.com
Is international licence enough to just rent the bike and go on the road?
Aljaz yes, my friend has this and he could rent without a problem =)
I just got a reply from one guy in Korea and is telling me this:
"I have checked there is some conditions to rent a bike. You need to have a help your friend or colleague to rent. Also you need drivers license issued in Korea. You can get it from your driver’s license and international license. You need to visit a license center in Korea. Another one you have a Korean friend to guarantee you in case of trouble. Yeah it is not easy."
So I now have two different answers...
I guess they need some kind of reassurance at that place :-/. What a shame, but I can understand, if I had a business Iike this I might also be cautious
@@aljaz55 Hey I am planning on going to south korea for a month and was hoping to rent a bike, did you have any luck getting the bike in the end?
@@camelsplaylist4631 Hey, I didn't rent a bike. It seemd too complicated for a short touristic trip.
6:56
미세먼지 심한날은 가능하면 마스크 꼭 착용 하세요.
Isn’t cheap for Korean🙄