Intersections and Right of Way

✖️Priority at uncontrolled intersections

At intersections with no traffic control, Korea's Road Traffic Act sets an order of yielding. Intersections with dark signals or only flashing yellow work on essentially the same principles.

• A vehicle already in the intersection goes first; vehicles about to enter wait.
• If your road is narrower than the crossing road, yield to vehicles on the wider road.
• If the roads are the same width, yield to vehicles coming from the road on your right. When arriving at the same time, the vehicle on the right goes first.
• A vehicle turning left yields to vehicles going straight or turning right.
• Where there is a stop or yield sign, stop or yield as the sign says.

↩️How to turn left and right

• Right turn: move to the right edge of the road in advance and turn slowly. A wide swing leaves room for bicycles or motorcycles to slip in on your right.
• Left turn: move toward the center line (the left-turn lane) in advance and turn slowly, passing inside the center of the intersection. Where police have designated turning outside the center, follow the guide lines on the road.
• Switch on your turn signal at least 30 m before the point where you turn or change lanes (at least 100 m on expressways).
• While turning, watch for pedestrians in the crosswalk, cyclists alongside, and the path cut by the inner rear wheels of large vehicles.
• If there are two or more left-turn lanes, finish in the matching lane. Do not change lanes mid-turn.

🔄Roundabouts

In Korea, roundabouts circulate counterclockwise around a central island. The key rule is that entering vehicles yield. Slow down or stop when entering, and go in after vehicles already circulating have passed.

Vehicles circulating inside have priority over those entering. When exiting, signal right so following and waiting drivers know. Stopping suddenly or going the wrong way inside is dangerous.

🚑Yielding to emergency vehicles and pedestrians

• If an ambulance, fire engine or police car with sirens approaches at or near an intersection, avoid the intersection and stop at the right edge of the road.
• Elsewhere, give way so the emergency vehicle can pass. Usually move right; on a one-way road where moving right would get in the way, move left.
• If pedestrians are crossing or about to cross a crosswalk, stop at the stop line before it.
• In school zones, at crosswalks without signals you must stop whether or not anyone is there.
• In alleys and narrow streets without crosswalks, slow down and leave a safe gap when passing pedestrians.

↔️Lane changes and cutting in

To change lanes, signal first, check your rear-view and side mirrors, then turn your head to check the blind spot. If the car behind in the target lane would have to brake hard, do not change.

Do not change lanes where markings such as solid white lines restrict it. Intersections, tunnels and bridges are also places where overtaking is prohibited. Cutting across several lanes at once is dangerous too.

Cutting in front of a vehicle that is stopped or slowing because of a lawful order or to avoid danger is prohibited. Pushing in at the front of a queue in congestion also causes crashes and disputes.

💬FAQ