Changing a Foreign Drivers License into a Korean (Domestic) License
There are two ways to drive in Korea. First, before coming to Korea, you can get the international driver's license from your country. Second, you can change the driver's license issued by your home country into the Korean one. If you have to do the latter, you need to bring the following items to the Driver's License Examination Office:

Required documents:
- Foreign (issued by your home country) driver's license.
- For those from non-English speaking countries, a translation and a notarized copy of the original driver's license (the translation should be dated and should clearly state the dates when you license is valid); licenses issued in English are exempt from this requirement).
- Passport or immigration office certificate, demonstrating that your stay in Korea has been longer than 90 days.I
- Your Korean ID card (national identification card or alien registration card)
- 3 passport-size pictures.
- If you're a foreigner residing in Korea, you need to show your alien registration card or a special registration card for Koreans with foreign citizenship. Korean permanent residents need to submit a registration card for those living abroad.

Fees:
Receipt stamp (5,000 won); Physical exam (5,000 won); Theory test (4,000 won). Depending on your visa type and home country, you may be exempt from this test.

Note: You must apply at the office in person; applying by proxy is not allowed.

Theory Test
This is a written test, which consists of 20 questions about Korean traffic system and law. The written test is available in English, Chinese and Korean. Those holding a driver's license issued from a country that recognizes a Korean driver's license (see the list below) are exempt from the test regardless of their visa types. If you hold a driver's license issued by a country that doesn't recognize a Korean driver's license, you may still be exempt from taking the tests depending on the type of Korean visa you hold (see the list of exempt visas below).

Exempt Visa Types: A1, A2, A3, D7, D8, D9, E1, E3, E4, E7, F4

Countries that recognize Korean driver's license:
Asia (25) Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taipei, Thailand, Tonga, Vanuatu, Vietnam
America (15) Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Guyana, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guam, Haiti, Honduras, Panama, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Uruguay
Europe (31) Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Romania, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom
Middle East (7) Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates
Africa (41) Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cape Verde, Comoros, Cote d'lvoire, Djibouti, Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra, Leone, Republic of South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zimbabwe

Directions to the Naju Jeonnam Diver's License Examination Office
Take bus number 555 from downtown Gwangju; bus 160 from the Lotte Department Store; or number 180 from the Bagwondong area to the Naju Bus Terminal. There is a shuttle bus,(180) which takes you to Drive's License Examination Office directly.