Countries
Driving in South Korea with a US license: IDP required
South Korea's rule fits in one line of the State Department's page, and it leaves no room for a US license on its own.
Do you need an International Driving Permit there?
Driving in South Korea on a US license
IDP required with your US license
| US license counts | no limit stated for visitors |
| IDP | Get the IDP in the United States before you leave: it cannot be issued abroad by local offices. |
| Conventions | Party to the 1949 Geneva convention, like the United States (1949: 1971) |
| Rule | State Department An international driving permit, or a Korean license, is required for all drivers. |
Source: U.S. Department of State, South Korea country information (updated August 11, 2025). Not legal advice; the country's own authorities decide.
Driving in South Korea: the full rulesAn international driving permit, or a Korean license, is required for all drivers in South Korea, according to the State Department's page on the Republic of Korea. A US license alone does not meet that rule, so a visitor who wants to drive must obtain a permit from AAA or AATA before leaving the United States. South Korea became a party to the 1949 Geneva convention in 1971, which is why the US-issued permit is accepted. The page describes road habits that differ from American ones: motorcyclists may ride on sidewalks, drivers do not always yield at marked crosswalks, and a car driver is presumed to share some fault in any accident with a pedestrian. Left turns are prohibited except on a green arrow. Police run frequent DUI checkpoints, a blood alcohol content of 0.03 percent counts as intoxicated, and refusing a breath test can cost you your license.
Which road traffic convention has this country joined?
South Korea
1949 only
| 1949 Geneva | party since 1971 |
| 1968 Vienna | not a party |
| Our reading of the rule | IDP required with your US license |
Party to the 1949 Geneva convention, like the United States. The United States is a party to the 1949 convention only; a country's own law can still ask for more, or less.
Rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Planning around the permit
Because the permit is the only way a visitor can drive legally, the deadline to apply is the one that matters. The application guide gives the latest day for each method. The permit lasts one year from its start date, so travelers who visit Korea more than once a year can reuse it within that window.
Fault and pedestrians
The presumption of driver fault in accidents with pedestrians changes how insurers settle claims. Rental contracts in Korea usually require the permit on file for the insurance to apply; a driver without one may find the cover void, a risk the State Department also describes for other countries such as Czechia.
South Korea at a glance
| What a US license holder needs | IDP required with your US license |
| How long the US license counts | no limit stated for visitors |
| Side of the road | right, as in the United States |
| 1949 Geneva convention | party since June 14, 1971 |
| 1968 Vienna convention | not a party |
| Rule read in | U.S. Department of State, South Korea country information (updated August 11, 2025) |
What the State Department page says
| Passage on driver's licenses, as published |
|---|
| International driving permit (or ROK license) is required for all drivers. |