(1) Any of the following persons shall be exempted from part of a driver's license test, as prescribed by Presidential Decree: <Amended on Feb. 10, 2012; Dec. 2, 2016; Jun. 9, 2020; Jan. 12, 2021>
1. Any person who has graduated from the mechanic engineering department or the department of automotive mechanics of any university, any specialized college, or any technical engineering high school after completing subjects on motor vehicles;
2. Any person who has passed a technical qualifying examination for the repair and inspection of motor vehicles provided for in Article 10 of the National Technical Qualifications Act;
3. Any of the following persons who hold a driver's license that has been issued by an authorized foreign institution (hereinafter referred to as "foreign driver's license"):(a) Any person who completes the registration for residency pursuant to Article 6 of the Resident Registration Act;(b) Any person registered as a foreigner pursuant to Article 31 of the Immigration Act (hereinafter referred to as "registered foreigner") or any person exempted from being registered as a foreigner;(c) Any person recognized as a refugee pursuant to the Refugee Act;(d) Any person who reports his or her residency in the Republic of Korea pursuant to Article 6 of the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans (hereinafter referred to as "foreign nationality Korean");
4. Any person who has driven a military motor vehicle that corresponds to a motor vehicle, etc. while serving in the military for at least six months;
5. Any person who intends to receive a driver's license again after his or her driver's license has been revoked due to a failure to undergo an aptitude test pursuant to Article 87 (2) or 88;
6. Any person who intends to include the type of motor vehicle that he or she can drive according to the classification provided for in Article 80 (2) after receiving a driver's license;
7. Any person who intends to receive a driver's license again after his or her driver's license has been revoked pursuant to Article 93 (1) 15 through 18;
8. Any person who holds a completion certificate or graduation certificate issued by a specialized driving school pursuant to Article 108 (5);
9. Any person recognized as having received a driver's license in the northern area of the demilitarized zone.
(2) With respect to persons who hold foreign drivers' licenses referred to in paragraph (1) 3 (referring to drivers' licenses obtained while residing in foreign countries for at least 90 days, which deliver their drivers' licenses and their drivers' licenses are neither temporary drivers' licenses nor drivers' licenses for driving practice), an exception from a driver's license test may be prescribed otherwise as prescribed by Presidential Decree, depending on whether the relevant foreign countries exempt persons who hold drivers' licenses of the Republic of Korea from the driver's license test, with the exception of the aptitude test (hereafter in this Article, referred to as "countries that recognize Korean drivers' licenses"); provided, foreign drivers' licenses held by foreigners residing in the Republic of Korea for purposes prescribed by Presidential Decree, such as diplomacy, official business, or research, shall be deemed drivers' licenses issued by authorized foreign institutions that recognize Korean drivers' licenses and with respect to any foreign country that has concluded an agreement with the Republic of Korea on the mutual recognition of the drivers' licenses among foreign countries that recognize Korean drivers' licenses, the driver may be exempted partially from the license test according to the terms of such agreement.
(3) When issuing a Korean driver's license to any foreigner who holds a foreign driver's license after exempting him or her from part of the driver's license test pursuant to paragraphs (1) 3 and (2), the Korea Road Traffic Authority shall retrieve the foreign driver's license if the State that has issued the relevant foreign driver's license makes a request or if any other ground prescribed by Presidential Decree exists. In such cases, upon receiving the request of the relevant institution of the State that has issued said foreign driver's license, the Korea Road Traffic Authority may send the foreign driver's license to the relevant State. <Amended on Oct. 19, 2021; Jan. 30, 2024>[This Article Wholly Amended on Jun. 8, 2011]