Korean Law in English
Laws › Road Traffic Act › CHAPTER IX INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS' LICENSES

Road Traffic Act — Article 97 (Prohibition against motor vehicles)

도로교통법 제97조

This English translation is based on the Korean text effective 2025-07-22. The Korean law has since been amended (current version effective 2026-07-01) — check the Korean original.

(1) Where a person who drives any motor vehicle, etc. with an international driver's license or a mutually recognized foreign driver's license in the Republic of Korea pursuant to Article 96 falls under any of the following cases, the commissioner of a City/Do police agency having jurisdiction over such person's domicile may prohibit him or her from driving any motor vehicle, etc. with that international driver's license or mutually recognized foreign driver's license by up to one year according to the standards prescribed by Decree of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety: <Amended on Mar. 23, 2013; Nov. 19, 2014; Jul. 26, 2017; Jun. 9, 2020; Dec. 22, 2020; Jan. 12, 2021; Oct. 19, 2021>

1. Where a person fails to undergo or pass an aptitude test provided for in Article 88 (1);

2. Where a person causes any traffic accident by intention or negligence while driving a motor vehicle;

3. Where a person holds Korean citizenship and for whom the period provided for in any subparagraph of Article 82 (2) has yet to elapse since his or her driver's license has been revoked or his or her driver's license has been suspended pursuant to Article 93 (1) or (2);

4. Where a person violates this Act, or any order issued or disposition taken pursuant to this Act with respect to the driving of a motor vehicle, etc.

(2) A person prohibited from driving a motor vehicle, etc. pursuant to paragraph (1) shall surrender without delay his or her international driver's license or mutually recognized foreign driver's license to the commissioner of a City/Do police agency who prohibits him or her from driving a motor vehicle using such international driver's license or mutually recognized foreign driver's license. <Amended on Dec. 22, 2020; Oct. 19, 2021>

(3) Where the prohibition period referred to in paragraph (1) elapses or the person subject to the disposition of the prohibition leaves the Republic of Korea during the prohibition period, the commissioner of a City/Do police agency shall return without delay such person's international driver's license or mutually recognized foreign driver's license that he or she has retained in custody at the relevant person's request. <Amended on Dec. 22, 2020; Oct. 19, 2021>[This Article Wholly Amended on Jun. 8, 2011]

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