What a children's protection zone is
In Korea, it is a designated stretch of road around children's facilities such as elementary schools, kindergartens, daycare centres and larger private academies. It usually covers up to 300 m from the facility's main entrance and can be extended to 500 m if needed. Children here means those under 13.
Signs mark where the zone starts and ends, and the road often has red surface paint, yellow 'children's protection zone' lettering and zigzag lines. Once you see them, change your speed and attention.
The limit is generally 30 km/h
The speed limit in a children's protection zone is generally set at 30 km/h or below. Narrow or busy streets may be lowered further to 20 km/h. Some zones raise the limit at night when few children are about, so always follow the signs on site.
A speed limit is only a maximum. On a street where a child could dart out from between parked cars, going well below it is what the duty of safe driving requires.
Crosswalks, right turns and school buses
- At an unsignalled crosswalk inside a children's protection zone, always come to a full stop whether or not anyone is there.
- At every crosswalk, stop not only when pedestrians are crossing but also when they are about to cross.
- When turning right on a red vehicle signal, stop at the stop line first and turn slowly only when no pedestrians are present. Where there is a right-turn signal, turn only on the green arrow.
- When a children's school bus is stopped with its flashing lights on, vehicles in that lane and the next lane must stop, check it is safe and then go slowly. On roads without a centre line or with one lane each way, oncoming traffic must do the same.
- You may not overtake a moving school bus that shows it is carrying children.
Stopping and parking are generally banned
Since 21 October 2021, both parking and even briefly stopping on the road inside a children's protection zone have generally been prohibited. Parked cars block children's view and keep drivers from seeing children stepping out between cars.
Violations carry penalty charges three times those on ordinary roads, and citizens can report them through the government's Safety Report app. You may stop briefly only where officials have permitted child drop-off with signs, in the manner and at the times shown.
Minsik's Law and aggravated penalties
Following a 2019 crash in a school zone, the so-called Minsik's Law took effect on 25 March 2020. One part amended the Road Traffic Act to expand cameras and traffic signals in school zones; the other amended the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes to increase penalties.
If a driver fails the duty to keep to the speed limit and take care for children's safety in a children's protection zone and injures a child under 13, the penalty can be 1 to 15 years in prison or a fine of 5 to 30 million won; if the child dies, life or at least 3 years in prison.
Separately, speeding, signal violations and similar offences in the zone between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. carry double points, and fines and penalty charges are heavier than on ordinary roads.
Elderly and disabled protection zones
Korea also designates elderly and disabled protection zones around senior welfare facilities, senior centres, parks and facilities for people with disabilities. The limit can be set at 30 km/h or below, and speeding, signal violations and similar offences between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. carry double points and heavier fines, as in children's zones.
Older and disabled people cross more slowly and may notice approaching cars later. Even if the walk signal is ending, wait until everyone has left the crosswalk.
FAQ
Do I have to keep to 30 km/h at night and on weekends?
Basically yes, regardless of time or day. Only zones designated with time-based limits use a different limit during the hours shown on the sign.
Can I stop briefly to drop off my child?
Not unless signs permit drop-off there. Even a brief stop is a violation.
Does Minsik's Law punish every crash automatically?
The law punishes injuring a child by failing the duty of safe driving in the zone. Whether you kept to the limit and watched ahead is examined strictly, so the answer is to drive slower and more carefully in the zone.
When are points doubled in a school zone?
From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Outside those hours the speed limit and stopping duties still apply.
Sources
- Road Traffic Act
- Enforcement Rule of the Road Traffic Act
- Korea Road Traffic Authority Safe Driving e-Service
- Korean National Police Agency
Laws change. This is general information. Check KoROAD or the Korean Law Information Center for the latest rules.
Related
In Korea, penalty points are added for each violation or crash. At 40 points your licence is suspended for one day per point, and if points accumulated over one, two or three years pass the threshold, it is revoked. If the driver is identified you get a fine plus points; if not, as with speed cameras, the owner gets a penalty charge.
Intersections and Right of WayThink of priority in this order: who was there first, which road is wider, who is on the right, and who is turning. Above all, people come before cars.
Traffic Lights and Safety SignsSignals tell you when to go and when to stop; signs tell you what to watch for and what not to do on that road. Once you know the color and shape rules, you can guess the meaning of signs you have never seen.
Written Test PracticeOriginal practice questions to cover every area of Korea's written test. Practice by topic, check your level with a 40-question mock exam, then collect and redo the ones you got wrong.