"I have no intention of getting a license" ... Empty Driving Schools.
Annual enrollment drops by more than 20%.
Song Jinseok (Director of a specialized driving school): Enrollment has been decreasing by over 20% every year, making it very difficult to run the school. We've had to restructure and lay off instructors.
Status of Driving Schools Nationwide
-541 in 2005
-469 in 2010
-418 in 2015
-380 in 2020
-356 in 2023
Status of Driver's Licenses Issued
-1,071,701 in 2021
-968,143 in 2022
-885,171 in 2023
Ahn Juseok (Secretary General of the Specialized Driving Schools Association): The biggest reason why driving schools are closing, especially in rural areas, is population decline.
Lee Sangah: I've considered getting a driver's license, but the tuition is too expensive for me to cover, so I haven't gotten it yet.
Yeo Sangsoo: I'm already busy paying rent, and if I add a car, the maintenance costs would be too much. It's easier to just use public transportation since transfers are convenient these days.
-If you can handle the cost of the car, insurance, fines, parking, accidents, fuel, taxes, regular inspections, and even scrapping the car, then go ahead and buy one.
-You don't need a car in Seoul, but it's a different story in the countryside where there are fewer young people. With high living costs in the metropolitan area and low wages, who would spend on car maintenance unless it's for show? Plus, with more people staying single and young people entering the workforce later, you see 30-something unemployed people around, so who’s really driving?
-I live in Busan, and even though I have a car, I can get almost everywhere using public transportation, so I hardly ever drive. In places with good public transit, it makes sense to not feel the need for a car. Plus, considering the environment, it's probably the better direction.
-In the countryside, it’s impossible to live without one. Once you start working, you realize you need a car.
-You do need a car in the countryside, but the driving school fees are seriously too expensive... It costs 800,000 won, and if you fail the practical or road test, you have to pay extra for each retake (and you usually need to take them at least twice). It was so expensive that I just hurried and got my license all at once to avoid my parents' nagging.
-In Seoul, maybe not, but in the countryside, it's essential. Even public enterprises are located deep in the mountains—how else are you supposed to get there?
-I have a car and a license, but I haven't driven for over ten years because I'm too scared.
-Could it be due to the declining population?
-You really don't need a car in Seoul. It's hard to find a parking spot, I don’t take my car out on my days off.
-In Seoul, maybe not, but in the countryside, it's different. You need a car not only for daily life but also for job prospects.
-I have a license, but I don't see the need to drive. I live in the Seoul metropolitan area, and there's a subway station right in front of my house. I love how I can predict travel times without worrying about road conditions. I don't want to waste money and energy maintaining a car. If I'm tired, I can just take a taxi, and if I ever really need a car, I'll drive then.
-I got my license, but maintaining a car is too expensive and a hassle, so it’s just been sitting there unused for years...
-If I lived in Seoul, I probably wouldn't have gotten a license. But since I live in the countryside, I need to drive to go on business trips or commute.
-The cost of maintaining a car is beyond my ability to afford.
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