{
  "id": 17751050,
  "title": "Overseas Koreans can renew Class 1 driver's licenses at diplomatic missions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/overseas-koreans-can-renew-class-1-drivers-licenses-at-diplomatic-17751050",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-02T05:42:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20261102/overseas-koreans-can-renew-class-1-drivers-licenses-at-diplomatic-missions"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Korea's government announced on Monday that overseas Koreans can now renew their Class 1 driver's licenses at diplomatic missions, eliminating the need to travel back to Korea for the update. This new service will commence at 188 diplomatic missions starting Monday, as confirmed by the Overseas Koreans Agency, the Korean National Police Agency, and KoROAD. Korea's licensing system consists of two categories: Class 1 for larger vehicles, such as trucks up to 12 tons, and Class 2 for passenger cars. Diplomatic missions have been processing driver's license paperwork since 2013, but previously, they could only renew Class 2 licenses and replace lost or damaged ones due to the requirement of a driving aptitude test, which includes an eye exam for Class 1 renewals. Under the revised system, applicants with a domestic health checkup or physical exam in the past two years can have their Class 1 licenses renewed in Korea and then collected at the mission. Those without such records will still be able to obtain a license.",
  "summary": "Koreans living abroad will no longer need to fly back to Korea to update their driving credentials, as overseas embassies and consulates begin processing Class 1 driver’s license renewals and issuing international driving permits, the government said Monday. The service begins Monday at 188 diplomatic missions, according to the Overseas Koreans Agency, the Korean National Police Agency and the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}