Kentucky and South Korean leaders have signed a driver’s license reciprocity agreement between the two governments that aims to support job growth.
According to a press release, the agreement was formalized Monday by Governor Andy Beshear, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray and South Korea’s National Police Agency Commissioner General Hee-keun Yoon at a signing ceremony in the South Korea’s capitol city, Seoul.
The Memorandum of Understanding between South Korea’s National Police Agency and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Driver Licensing allows individuals ages 18 and older, lawfully residing in Kentucky, to exchange a valid Korean driver’s license for a Kentucky Class D Operator’s License upon meeting all first-time statutory license requirements – except road and written testing – at Driver Licensing Regional Offices and paying requisite fees.
Similarly, the National Police Agency will permit eligible Kentucky residents in Korea to exchange their Class D Operator’s License for a Korean Class 2 Ordinary Driver’s License.
Both sides maintain the right to require additional documentation or tests if there are concerns about an applicant’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.
The Memorandum of Understanding is a collaboration between the South Korean government and multiple Team Kentucky state agencies, including the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Cabinet for Economic Development, to recognize and respect each other’s driver’s license standards without requiring additional driving tests. Under the agreement, a Korean driver’s license will be valid for up to one year and can be exchanged for a Kentucky license during that time.
Governor Beshear said the Memorandum of Understanding will help boost economic growth by simplifying the process of maintaining a non-commercial driver’s license for Koreans living in Kentucky and Kentuckians residing in Korea.
Seven Korean-owned facilities currently operate in the Commonwealth, with six others announced during this administration, which will push employment by Korean operations to 6,700 people statewide.
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