Alright, let’s talk about gettin’ yourself a driver’s license, but not just any license, mind you. We’re talkin’ about a North Korean driver’s license. Now, I ain’t been to North Korea, and I sure as heck don’t know nobody who has, but from what I hear, it ain’t like gettin’ a license here. Not one bit.
First off, it ain’t easy. Them folks over there, they don’t just hand out licenses like candy. You gotta go through some hoops, and I mean big hoops. They got this thing called the Ministry of Public Security, and they’re the ones watchin’ over the whole shebang.
- You gotta take a test, a real test, not one of them easy-peasy ones.
- They ask you all sorts of questions about drivin’ rules and such.
- And it ain’t just book learnin’ neither. You gotta show ‘em you can actually handle a car.
Now, I heard tell that some kids, yeah, kids, get to mess around with cars in school. Fancy schools, they call ‘em Palaces or somethin’. They learn a bit about drivin’ and fixin’ cars, but that don’t mean they get a license just like that. Everybody gotta go through the official process, or so they say.

From what I gather, they got different types of licenses over there, four of ‘em, I think. But mostly, folks get what they call a two-class ordinary license. That lets you drive a regular car, nothin’ too fancy. If you wanna drive somethin’ bigger, like a bus, you need a different kind of license. Makes sense, I guess. Big ol’ bus needs a steady hand.
The test itself, well, it’s got a few parts. You gotta take a physical exam, make sure you ain’t fallin’ apart at the seams. Then there’s a written test, gotta know your rules of the road. And finally, the road test. That’s where you show ‘em you can actually drive without crashin’ into everything. They say it’s got 40 questions, all multiple choice. Sounds tough, don’t it?
Now, if you’re thinkin’ about goin’ to North Korea and drivin’ around, you might be wonderin’ if your license from here is good enough. Well, if you’re just visitin’ for a short spell, seems like you can use what they call an International Driving Permit, an IDP. But that IDP gotta be from a country that’s in somethin’ called the Geneva Convention. Don’t ask me what that is, sounds fancy though. And it gotta be from your home country, makes sense.
But if you’re plannin’ on stayin’ longer, well, that’s a different story. Seems like you gotta get a Korean license, and I ain’t talkin’ about South Korean, mind you. North Korean. And from what I hear, even if you used to drive back home, you still gotta take most of the tests. They might let you skip the skill test, but that’s about it. So you’ll be back to studyin’ them rules and regulations, just like everybody else.
So, to sum it all up, gettin’ a North Korean driver’s license ain’t no walk in the park. It’s a serious business over there. You gotta prove you know what you’re doin’ and that you can handle yourself on the road. And even if you got a license from somewhere else, it ain’t gonna do you much good if you’re plannin’ on stayin’ for a while. You’ll be jumpin’ through them hoops just like everybody else. That’s the way they do things over there, or so I hear.
Now, I don’t know why anyone would want a North Korean driver’s license, but hey, to each their own, I always say. Just be prepared for a long and difficult process if you decide to go for it. And don’t come cryin’ to me if you fail the test, I warned ya!
Tags:North Korea, driver’s license, driving test, regulations, Ministry of Public Security, IDP, Korean license, Geneva Convention, ordinary license, vehicle classes