Police seek separate licensing for motorcycle use

Drivers may need a separate license to get behind the handlebars of a motorcycle, police officials said Sunday.

The National Police Agency is looking to create a separate license for motorcycles with engines bigger than 50 cc.

Car drivers can ride motorcycles with engine displacements smaller than 125 cc without any additional education or testing.

Police officials have begun revising traffic laws and hope to pass the revision through the National Assembly by September, taking effect next year.

The NPA argues that it doesn’t make sense for a license for a four-wheeled vehicle to be valid for a motorcycle, considering that it requires very different skills.

Police officials estimate that of the some 1.8 million registered motorcycles and scooters in the country, most are 125 cc or smaller.

Officials are also considering the impact such a revision would have on the income of those who depend on motorcycles and are developing countermeasures to prevent a negative impact on the working class.

South Korea has one of the highest rates of traffic-related deaths in the OECD. In 2008, about 740 motorcyclists died in accidents in Korea. Korea is the only country of the 34 OECD member states that allows the operation of two-wheeled vehicles without a separate license.

“Specific policies for revision will be made depending on the findings of current research,” said one police official.

“We will address the irrationality behind the license regulations for two-wheeled vehicles without affecting the populace,” added the official, who was not named.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)