As many of my loyal readers know, I've been driving in Seoul for a couple of months now technically without a license. I've been using my International Driver's Permit, which is a pretty lame excuse for a license. It' s basically a document that validates that you have a license in the States. South Korea accepts it but for only one year, and they really recommend that you get a Korean license. Prior to January 2013, getting a Korean license was pretty easy. Many people at my school told me stories about how they went to the DMV, showed them their American license, did a few deep knee bends, blinked a few times, opened and close their hands and lo and behold they got a license. Things aren't so easy now.
To begin, I needed an apostille letter from the Secretary of State of Maine verifying that my license was valid. This rule is new to Korea. Prior to the new rule, an American could go to the embassy in Seoul and they would stamp a form saying that one has a valid license. Getting a certified letter from the Secretary of State is a cumbersome process in most states, but in Maine I found a wonderful woman who contacted the DMV for me, got the right forms, had the Secretary of State sign it, and then mailed it to me in Korea! How amazing is that for a state government? I owe her some roses when I get home next June.
So, I finally had all the necessary ingredients - my passport, my alien registration card, my certified letter, three passport photos, and my current license. I took the subway to the DMV and found the building without any problems. Inside, everything was clearly labeled. A big green signed said Foreign Driver's License Exchange. There was no one in line, so I walked up to the counter and handed the woman all my documents. She was actually quite efficient and I thought to myself that this process would be painless. Thats when she handed me three forms and said to go fill them out and to attach the pictures to them. I left thinking how was I supposed to attach the pictures. I didn't have any tape.
The three forms had exactly the same information on them. There was one that asked the funniest questions. Are you schizophrenic, an alcoholic, suffering from a mental disability, hearing impaired, blind? I'm serious. It asked if I were blind. I think they meant visually impaired. So after writing exactly the same information down (on both sides), I had to attach the three pictures. I looked around for tape, then saw that one station had glue sticks on strings. The pictures I brought were too big for the space on the forms, so I had to use scissors to cut them down to size then used the glue stick to attach them.
With the forms complete I went back to the counter and expected to get my license. Instead she said I had to go downstairs and get my eyes examined. What?! I didn't think about that part. Since my LASIK surgery, my eyes haven't been 100%. The doctor is hoping that after a year my vision will be 20/20, but for now it's about 20/40. I have trouble seeing small print with fluorescent lighting. I have prescription sunglasses for when I drive, as well as a prescription glasses for fine details, but I forgot to bring them. I was nervous.
Downstairs I gave my form to another woman and she charged me 14,000 won for the exam (13 bucks). The line for the exam was huge. They lined us up along this long corridor and we shuffled forward like workers on a prison gang. I couldn't see what was going on until I turned the corner into the room. There I saw the eye chart. It used letters and numbers. You walk up to the line, pick up a paddle, cover one eye, then another and read what the letters were that the woman pointed out. I tried to memorize what letters I could see before it was my turn. I got more and more nervous, which didn't help because it dried my eyes even worse than before. When I got up there I covered my right eye. I could see the first couple of letters but when she got to the lower letters I couldn't tell the difference between the O and the C or the 2 and the 3. I had my prescription sunglasses with me and I asked through gestures if I could wear them. She reluctantly nodded, thinking I was Ray Charles or something. The glasses helped, but it was hard to see until my eyes adjusted to the dimmer levels. She told me to take them off. At this point, I was growing desperate, so when she turned around, I lowered the paddle and cheated. I saw the letters much better with both eyes. At one point she turned around too quickly and caught me. I had already stood there twice as long as everyone else. I could tell she was growing frustrated with me, so I pretended not to understand. I just smiled. She made this huffing noise, took the stamp and just stamped the hell out of my form and tossed it to the next lady. I obviously didn't pass but she couldn't explain that to me nor did she care. God bless DMV offices. They're the same around the world!
So, back upstairs I went again and when I arrive back to the counter the phone rang. I felt sure it was the woman from downstairs telling the girl not to give me my license, that I was blind. It didn't help when she looked up at me and kept talking. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. She took my forms and asked for another 10,000 won. She also took my license. I knew that they took my Maine driver's license. You can get it back if you present your airline tickets home, but it's just easier to get a new license when I return. She said to come back in 45 minutes and the license would be ready. So, since there is a coffee shop on every corner in Seoul, I went and had a cup of coffee. Forty-five minutes later I had my license. Overall, it was easier than expected. I didn't have do any knee bends or blink my eyes, though I did have to cheat on the eye exam.