Fewer young South Koreans are seeking driving licences

SEOUL - “I was planning to get my driver’s licence after graduating from high school, but even if I got it right away, I couldn’t afford to buy a car,” said university student Lee Jun-mo, 23.

“Using public transportation or options like shared bikes feels much more realistic for someone like me.”

Mr Lee’s view is increasingly common among young South Koreans.

Far fewer people in their teens and 20s are obtaining driver’s licences than just a few years ago, according to data released on May 28 by the Korean National Police Agency.

The number of teenagers who earned a licence in 2023 was down 20 per cent from 2020. Among people in their 20s, the drop was even sharper, with a 30 per cent decline over the same period.

And this is not a pandemic effect. New licence issuances are down 13.5 per cent from 2019, too.

As demand has decreased, so has supply.

The number of driving schools across the country fell to 342 in the first quarter of 2025, down from 367 in early 2020.

The decline reflects a shift in perception, according to the police agency.

Many young people now see a licence as both expensive and unnecessary, especially with the growing availability of discounted public transportation programmes like the Climate Transit Card and the K-Pass.

In Seoul, the average cost of attending driving school for a Class 2 automatic licence reached 900,000 won (S$844),in the first quarter of 2025. That figure marks a 29 per cent increase from five years ago, when the average cost was 700,000 won.

Financial pressures on young adults are also evident in car ownership trends. According to a recent report by the Korea Automobile and Mobility Association, new car purchases among people in their 20s fell by 12 per