Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the roads taking their pick of passengers who shout destinations into open taxi windows in
the hopes they'll appeal to a suddenly awfully picky bunch of drivers. Some entrepreneur-
ial drivers will even stuff their vehicles with a bunch of strangers going to the same area
(or in the same direction), a lucrative practice, since by some distortion of justice everyone
usually ends up having to pay the full fare. Unfortunately there's not a lot anyone can do in
these situations except battle it out with the rest of the crowds, or wait out the rush.
South Korea has one of the world's largest automotive industries and the infrastructure to
match, so driving is certainly a possibility for any foreign resident determined to have their
own set of wheels. Whether it's worth investing in a car or not depends to a large extent on
where you'll be located and your tolerance for South Korea's sometimes difficult road con-
ditions, which have less to do with the streets themselves than the occasionally hair-raising
local style of driving.
In larger cities with good transport networks, such as Seoul or Busan, a car is certainly
not a necessity, and in fact it may be more trouble than it's worth, since traffic and finding
parking are near-constant headaches. Vehicles are very handy, though, in places where
public transportation is more limited, and for residents determined to explore the coun-
try—some of South Korea's more interesting nooks and crannies are difficult to reach by
train or bus. Many expats with large families, even in Seoul, also find having their own car
makes it a lot easier to ferry young children around and do large grocery runs.
Cars are relatively inexpensive in South Korea, especially by Asian standards, making
buying the most sensible option for residents considering anything but a short-term stay.
However, this applies only to domestic models—imported cars are prohibitively expensive
and sell for far more than they do in their country of origin, partly because of the tariffs the
government maintains to protect local automakers. Popular sedans like the Hyundai Avante
or Renault Samsung SM3 with the standard range of options go for around 16 million won
including taxes; add 1 million won or so for goodies like leather seats, parking sensors, or
GPS navigation. Gas-sipping minicars like the Kia Morning cost about half as much and
receive special discounts on parking and road tolls. Expatriates are also free to buy used
cars, provided the original owner issues them the vehicle registration and a transfer con-
