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 Greece. 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.[1]
South Korean road signs depict people with realistic (as opposed to stylized) silhouettes.
Road signs in South Korea closely followed Japanese and European rules on road signs until 1970s.
South Korea signed the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals but has yet to ratify the Convention.
Warning signs[]
Warning signs are triangular with yellow backgrounds, red borders and black pictograms.
Crossroad
T-shaped intersection
Y-shaped intersection
Intersection to right
Intersection to left
Through street
Traffic merge from right
Traffic merge from left
Traffic circle / Roundabout
Railway crossing
Right curve
Left curve
Double bend, the first to the right
Double bend, the first to the left
Two-way traffic
Ascending hill (10%)
Descending hill (10%)
Narrow carriageway
Right lane decrease / End of right crawler lane
Left lane decrease / End of left crawler lane
Keep right
Pass left or right
Start of dual carriageway
End of dual carriageway
Traffic lights
Slippery road
Riverside road (quayside or river bank)
Bumpy road
Speed humps
Falling rocks
Loose chippings (retired on September 28, 2007)
Crosswalk (pedestrian crossing)
Children crossing ahead
Bicycles
Roadworks
Airplanes
Crosswind
Tunnel
Wild animals crossing
Other dangers
Junction with minor road
Junction with minor road (from the right)
Junction with minor road (from the left)
Prohibition signs[]
Prohibition signs are round with white backgrounds, red borders and black pictograms.
Road closed
No motor vehicles
No trucks
No buses
No motorcycles and mopeds
No motor vehicles, motorcycles and mopeds
No rotary tillers, tractors or handcarts
No tractors or rotary tillers (retired on September 28, 2007)
No oxcarts or horse-drawn carts (retired on September 28, 2007)
No handcarts (retired on September 28, 2007)
No bicycles
No entry
No straight ahead
No right turn
No left turn
No crossing traffic (retired on September 28, 2007)
No U-turn
No overtaking
No stopping or parking
No stopping or parking (retired)
No parking
No parking (retired)
Maximum weight limit (5.5t)
Height limit (3.5m)
Maximum width limit (2.2m)
Minimum safe distance between vehicles (50m)
Maximum speed limit (50km/h)
Minimum speed limit (30km/h)
No horn (retired)
Slow
Stop
Stop (retired)
Yield
No pedestrian crossing (retired on September 28, 2007)
No pedestrians (retired on September 28, 2007)
No pedestrians
No vehicles carrying dangerous substances / explosives
Mandatory instruction signs[]
Mandatory instruction signs are round with blue backgrounds and white pictograms.
Motor Vehicles Only
Motor Vehicles Only (retired)
Bicycles Only
Bicycles and Pedestrians Only
Tram Only
Traffic circle / Roundabout
Straight
Right Turn
Left Turn
Straight and Right Turn
Straight and Left Turn
Left Turn and Right Turn
U-Turn
Pass Left or Right
Pass Right
Pass Left
Follow Directions
Diversion / Detour
Honk horn (retired)
Mandatory use of snow tires or chains (retired)
Safety zone (retired)
Parking Lot
Bicycle Parking Lot
Pedestrians Only
Crosswalk (Pedestrian crossing)
Senior citizens crossing (In the Silver zone)
Children crossing (In the School zone)
Bicycles Crossing
One Way
One Way
One Way
Bus only Lane
Tram only Lane
HOV Lane
The traffic moving in the direction of the white arrow is given priority
Allow bicycle side-by-side
Supplementary signs[]
Supplementary signs are rectangular with white backgrounds and black text. Most of signs are only written in Korean.
District (Whole Downtown)
Date (Except for Sunday and Holidays)
Time
Time (You can park here within 1 hour)
Traffic light status (When the red light turned on)
Front through road
Safe speed (30 km/h)
Weather condition (foggy area)
Road condition (when snow or rain falls)
Traffic control (get in lane)
Traffic regulation (do not cross)
Vehicles limitation (only for sedans)
Sign explanation (tunnel length is 258m)
End (retired)
End (retired)
End
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.[2] 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). It also includes motorways.
motorways
motorways release
motorways end point announcement sign
Distance sign
Direction sign (with name of junction)
New expressway direction sign (introduced in early 2010)
Other signs[]
Asian Highway route shield
Expressway route shield
National Highway route shield
Local highway route shield
Urban Road route shield
Urban expressway route shield
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Photographs[]
Traffic signal
Slippery road
Quay or riverbank
Speed bump
Speed bump
Crosswalk
Road works
No trucks over 15 tonnes permitted
Buses prohibited
Do Not Enter
No Parking
Maximum Speed Limit (30km/h)
Maximum Speed Limit (40km/h)
Maximum Speed Limit (60km/h)
Maximum Speed Limit (80km/h)
Do Not Use Horn
Slow down
Motor vehicles only
Crosswalk
Crosswalk
Crosswalk
Bicycle Crossing
Bicycle Crossing
Bicycle Crossing
One Way
One Way
No trucks over 40 tonnes permitted
Do Not use horn
No Parking, Tow Away Zone
Motor vehicles only sign with a no motorcycles sign below.
Motor vehicles only with a no motorcycles sign below.
Motor vehicles only with no a motorcycles sign
School crosswalk
100 metre advance warning of a school crosswalk
Slow electric vehicles (NEVs) prohibited
Traffic Safety Enlightenment Sign (Speed Risk)
High Expressway 100 Sign with a Motorway ends sign below
Various Traffic Signs in front of an elementary School
Traffic Signs display in front of an elementary school
Characteristics[]
Traffic signs in Korea shall be designated as traffic signs on the traffic sign schedule,[3][4] the actual design of traffic signs installed is often different.
References[]
- ^ Road Traffic Authority Guide
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2010-11-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ (Traffic Safety Sign) Korea Expressway Traffic Authority 2009.
- ^ (Traffic Safety Sign Schedule) Road Traffic Authority 2008.
External links[]
- Road signs by country