Road signs in South Korea

Road signs in South Korea are regulated by the Korean Road Traffic Authority (Korean: 도로교통안전공단).

Signs indicating dangers are triangular with a red border, yellow background and black pictograms, similar to Road signs in Poland. Mandatory instructions are white on a blue background, prohibitions are black on a white background with a red border, and supplementary information signs are rectangular with black text on a white background. Like other countries, the signs use pictograms to display their meaning. Any text included in signs will normally be in Korean and English. Signs are normally placed 1 to 2.1 meters high.

South Korean signs depict classical silhouetted persons.

South Korea signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals but have yet to ratify the Convention.

Warning signs

Warning signs are triangular with yellow backgrounds, red borders and black pictograms.

• South Korea road sign 101.svg

  Crossroad

• South Korea road sign 102.svg

  T-shaped intersection

• South Korea road sign 103.svg

  Y-shaped intersection

• South Korea road sign 104.svg

  ㅏ-shaped intersection

• South Korea road sign 105.svg

  ㅓ-shaped intersection

• South Korea road sign 106.svg

  Through street

• South Korea road sign 107.svg

  Traffic merge from right

• South Korea road sign 108.svg

  Traffic merge from left

• South Korea road sign 109.svg

  Traffic circle / Roundabout

• South Korea road sign 110.svg

  Railway crossing

• South Korea road sign 111.svg

  Right curve

• South Korea road sign 112.svg

  Left curve

• South Korea road sign 113.svg

  Double bend, the first to the right

• South Korea road sign 114.svg

  Double bend, the first to the left

• South Korea road sign 115.svg

  Two-way traffic

• South Korea road sign 116.svg

  Ascending hill

• South Korea road sign 117.svg

  Descending hill

• South Korea road sign 118.svg

  Narrow carriageway

• South Korea road sign 119.svg

  Right lane decrease / End of right crawler lane

• South Korea road sign 120.svg

  Left lane decrease / End of left crawler lane

• South Korea road sign 121.svg

  Keep right

• South Korea road sign 122.svg

  Pass left or right

• South Korea road sign 123.svg

  Start of dual carriageway

• South Korea road sign 124.svg

  End of dual carriageway

• South Korea road sign 125.svg

  Traffic lights

• South Korea road sign 126.svg

  Slippery road

• South Korea road sign 127.svg

  Riverside road (quayside or river bank)

• South Korea road sign 128.svg

  Bumpy road

• South Korea road sign 129.svg

  Speed humps

• South Korea road sign 130.svg

  Falling rocks

• Korean Traffic sign (Loose chippings).svg

  Loose chippings (retired on September 28, 2007)

• South Korea road sign 132.svg

  Crosswalk (pedestrian crossing)

• South Korea road sign 133.svg

  Children crossing ahead

• South Korea road sign 134.svg

  Bicycles

• South Korea road sign 135.svg

  Roadworks

• South Korea road sign 136.svg

  Airplanes

• South Korea road sign 137.svg

  Crosswind

• 

  Tunnel

• South Korea road sign 139.svg

  Wild animals crossing

• South Korea road sign 140.svg

  Danger

Prohibition signs

Prohibition signs are round with white backgrounds, red borders and black pictograms.

• South Korea road sign 201.svg

  Road closed

• South Korea road sign 202.svg

  No motor vehicles

• South Korea road sign 203.svg

  No trucks

• South Korea road sign 204.svg

  No buses

• South Korea road sign 205.svg

  No motorcycles and mopeds

• South Korea road sign 206.svg

  No motor vehicles, motorcycles and mopeds

• South Korea road sign 207.svg

  No rotary tillers, tractors or handcarts

• Korean Traffic sign (No Thoroughfare for Tractors and Rotary tillers).svg

  No tractors or rotary tillers (retired on September 28, 2007)

• Korean Traffic sign (No Thoroughfare for Oxcarts and Horse drawn carts).svg

  No oxcarts or horse-drawn carts (retired on September 28, 2007)

• Korean Traffic sign (No Thoroughfare for Handcarts).svg

  No handcarts (retired on September 28, 2007)

• South Korea road sign 210.svg

  No bicycles

• South Korea road sign 211.svg

  No entry

• South Korea road sign 212.svg

  No straight ahead

• South Korea road sign 213.svg

  No right turn

• South Korea road sign 214.svg

  No left turn

• South Korea road sign 215.svg

  No crossing traffic (retired on September 28, 2007)

• South Korea road sign 216.svg

  No U-turn

• 

  No overtaking

• South Korea road sign 218.svg

  No stopping or parking

• South Korea road sign 218 (old).svg

  No stopping or parking (retired)

• South Korea road sign 219.svg

  No parking

• South Korea road sign 219 (old).svg

  No parking (retired)

• South Korea road sign 220.svg

  Maximum weight limit

• South Korea road sign 222.svg

  Maximum width limit

• South Korea road sign 223.svg

  Minimum safe distance between vehicles

• South Korea road sign 224.svg

  Maximum speed limit

• 

  Minimum speed limit

• Korean Traffic sign (No horn).svg

  No horn (retired)

• South Korea road sign 226.svg

  Slow

• 

  Stop

• 

  Give Way / Yield

• Korean Traffic sign (No Crossing).svg

  No pedestrian crossing (retired on September 28, 2007)

• Korean Traffic sign (No Thoroughfare for Pedestrian 1).svg

  No pedestrians (retired on September 28, 2007)

• South Korea road sign 230.svg

  No pedestrians

• South Korea road sign 231.svg

  No vehicles carrying dangerous substances / explosives

Mandatory instruction signs

Mandatory instruction signs are round with blue backgrounds and white pictograms.

• South Korea road sign 301.svg

  Motor Vehicles Only

• 

  Motor Vehicles Only (retired)

• South Korea road sign 302.svg

  Bicycles Only

• South Korea road sign 303.svg

  Bicycles and Pedestrians Only

• South Korea road sign 304.svg

  Traffic circle / Roundabout

• South Korea road sign 305.svg

  Straight

• South Korea road sign 306.svg

  Right Turn

• South Korea road sign 307.svg

  Left Turn

• South Korea road sign 308.svg

  Straight and Right Turn

• South Korea road sign 309.svg

  Straight and Left Turn

• South Korea road sign 310.svg

  Left Turn and Right Turn

• South Korea road sign 311.svg

  U-Turn

• South Korea road sign 312.svg

  Pass Left or Right

• South Korea road sign 313.svg

  Pass Right

• South Korea road sign 314.svg

  Pass Left

• South Korea road sign 315.svg

  Follow Directions

• South Korea road sign 316.svg

  Diversion / Detour

• Korean Traffic sign (Honk horn).svg

  Honk horn (retired)

• Korean Traffic sign (Use of Snow tires or Tire chains).svg

  Mandatory use of snow tires or chains (retired)

• Korean Traffic sign (Safety zone).svg

  Safety zone (retired)

• South Korea road sign 319.svg

  Parking Lot

• South Korea road sign 320.svg

  Bicycle Parking Lot

• South Korea road sign 321.svg

  Pedestrians Only

• South Korea road sign 322.svg

  Crosswalk (Pedestrian crossing)

• South Korea road sign 323.svg

  Senior citizens crossing (In the Silver zone)

• South Korea road sign 324.svg

  Children crossing (In the School zone)

• South Korea road sign 325.svg

  Bicycles Crossing

• South Korea road sign 326.svg

  One Way

• South Korea road sign 327.svg

  One Way

• South Korea road sign 328.svg

  One Way

• South Korea road sign 330.svg

  Bus only Lane

• South Korea road sign 331.svg

  HOV Lane

Supplementary signs

Supplementary signs are rectangular with white backgrounds and black text. Most of signs are only written in Korean.

• Korean Traffic sign (District 1).svg

  District (Whole Downtown)

• Korean Traffic sign (Date 1).svg

  Date (Except for Sunday and Holidays)

• Korean Traffic sign (Time 1).svg

  Time

• Korean Traffic sign (Time 2).svg

  Time (You can park here within 1 hour)

• Korean Traffic sign (Traffic light status 1).svg

  Traffic light status (When the red light turned on)

• Korean Traffic sign (Front through road).svg

  Front through road

• Korean Traffic sign (Safe Speed 30kph).svg

  Safe speed (30 km/h)

• Korean Traffic sign (Weather condition 1).svg

  Weather condition (foggy area)

• Korean Traffic sign (Road condition).svg

  Road condition (when snow or rain falls)

• Korean Traffic sign (Traffic control 1).svg

  Traffic control (get in lane)

• Korean Traffic sign (Traffic regulation 1).svg

  Traffic regulation (do not cross)

• Korean Traffic sign (Vehicles limitation 1).svg

  Vehicles limitation (only for sedans)

• Korean Traffic sign (Sign explanation 1).svg

  Sign explanation (tunnel length is 258m)

• South Korea road sign - End 1.svg

  End (retired)

• Korean Traffic sign (End 2).svg

  End (retired)

• Korean Traffic sign (End 3).svg

  End

• Korean Traffic sign (Tow Away zone).svg

  Tow-away zone

Direction and distance signs

Direction and distance signs are rectangular with dark green backgrounds and white text. In urban areas, direction signs have dark blue backgrounds. The signs are normally written in Korean and English. In March 2010, Korea Expressway Corporation introduced a new type of direction sign for expressways. Currently, Korea Expressway Corporation changes old direction signs to new ones on their expressways. This new type of direction sign is exit guide based sign and its typeface has changed from Sandol Doropyojipanche (Sandol traffic sign typeface, which can be seen on the distance sign and direction sign below) to Hangilche (Hangil typeface).

• Road Sign Distance Info South Korea.jpg

  Distance sign

• Road Sign Direction Info South Korea.jpg

  Direction sign (with name of junction)

• New directional south korea.png

  New expressway direction sign (introduced in early 2010)

Other signs

• 

  Asian Highway route shield

References

• Korean Road Traffic Authority