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Thousands of Chinese flock to South Korea for easier and quicker driving licences
- Number of licences issued to short-stay Chinese is on the rise, but lawmakers are being urged to crack down on the trend and change the test process amid fears of unskilled drivers
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Thousands of Chinese are flocking to South Korea to take advantage of the country’s easy driving tests before returning home with law-abiding licences. But experts say the South’s simple process sets a dangerous standard on the roads, and needs to the fixed.
Police data shows the number of driving licences issued to Chinese travelling on tourist visas or visa-free 30-day permits peaked at 7,822 in 2015. The figure halved in 2017 amid a diplomatic row between Seoul and Beijing over a US-made missile system, which prompted China to ban tour groups to the South. But it was only a temporary dip.
The number of licences for short-stay Chinese again rose in 2018 to 4,675, and is on track to continue increasing in 2019 – reaching 2,341 by May this year, twice what it was at the same time last year.
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“About 70-80 per cent of Chinese applicants pass the tests on their first try,” said an instructor in charge of Chinese applicants at Samda Driving School in Jeju, which charges 665,700 won (US$561) for a five-day driver education programme. “They are as good as South Koreans.”
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Chinese demand for South Korean driving licences has become such a trend that tourist agencies offer week-long packages that include driving lessons, as well as some sightseeing, for up to 13,000 yuan (US$1,878). Driving academies have started to deploy Chinese-speaking instructors and have instructional material in Chinese language.
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