Q: I am a foreign exchange student living in Daegu and I am planning on visiting Busan next weekend to see the beautiful cherry blossoms. I am interested in renting a scooter during my visit, but was wondering if I needed a driver’s license to drive one.

A: Welcome to Busan. In about 10 days, the beautiful cherry blossoms will bloom here in Busan and I believe that you will have a fabulous time here. To answer your question, yes, you do need a driver’s license to ride a scooter.

That rule applies everywhere in South Korea.

When I was in Jeju, I remembered seeing people who wanted to rent a scooter but were denied access to one since they did not carry the proper license.

Also, when you say a “scooter”, I wonder if you are refering to a standard scooter or an E-scooter.

A standard scooter looks like a motorcycle while an E-scooter looks like a pogo-stick.

Anyways, in order to drive either a scooter or an e-scooter, you will need a valid driver’s license, and you must always wear a helmet.

If you don’t follow these regulations, you will have to pay a fine up to 100,000 won.