Driving in South Korea

On our first trip here, Bill and I purchased a 'junk' car from one of Bill's coworkers who would be going home in several months.  The car is called Galloper and is made by Hyundai.  It has been rode hard and put up wet, i.e. it is full of rust and squeaks and odd ways, but it works.  We paid $1000, and it has faithfully (for the most part) performed its duties for these past several months.  I am driving this car almost every day now, and I am pleased that I took back up driving a standard transmission fairly quickly.

Naturally the laws regarding driving are a little different in Korea.  Green is still go and red is still stop and we drive on the same side of the road as back home.  Koreans are just a bit less likely to feel the need to obey the traffic laws as well as we do in the states, at least most of the time. 

Parking can occur anywhere and at most any time.  Four lane roads are typically only two lane roads since the outside lanes become parking.  Double parking may occur here as well.  Of course, side walks and entrances to bike lanes serve as quick 'in and out' parking spots. 

Suffice to say if your vehicle will fit there, you can park there provided you aren't blocking traffic or other cars.  If you do block others, well, just don't park there too long.

Traffic lights are very different.  Like I said, green is go, red is stop, but just where do you stop?  Some of the lights are a good distance ahead of the stopping spot.  Some lights aren't at intersections at all.  Those are to allow pedestrians to cross.  Problem with that is there are no pressure plates.  The lights cycle through regardless of whether or not there are cars or people waiting to go, so you will sit at a red light forever when there is no traffic any where near you.  Koreans get around this by running red lights.  They stop, look, and go UNLESS there is a traffic camera at the intersection, just like the ones we have at home.  Those intersections are marked, thankfully.  If for some reason you decide to sit at one of these red lights, Koreans will just go around you.  They go around from the right if they can, and if they can't, they'll go around your left.  Koreans don't care if they scare the fool out of you.

Left turns can only be made when you have a green arrow, so if the light just turns green, you have to sit there.  Some left lanes are both turn and go straight and yet you might just get either an arrow OR a green light which means if you get a green light but want to turn left, you are supposed to sit there.  Guess what happens next?  The people behind you who want to go straight GO AROUND YOU from either side, whatever is available.  If you get an arrow and want to go straight, well, ummm, I haven't been in that particular situation yet, but I can only imagine I will cautiously go straight.

Because of all this, intersections are rife with danger.  Whether you are stopping or going, you just never know what the other car is going to do.  Even though you have a green light, you have to watch for folks running the red light just like you would be doing if you were in that lane.  I pray at intersections.

What about the police, you say?  Aren't they out there writing tickets?  That would be a solid no.  I have seen police, but they are usually directing traffic or handing out tickets to large trucks or heavy equipment.  The police tend to leave the average driver alone as long as they don't hurt themselves or property.  So far from what I've seen it all seems to work.  I suppose I need to give it more time.  And time I seem to have plenty of!