Driving in South Korea (2) - Intersections

Unprotected intersections:

I remember the first time I drove in Korea, several years ago. My main problem was to know who had the right of way at an unprotected intersection with no signs or traffic lights. And now that I drive regularly in Busan, I still have that problem. Even though there is fortunately less traffic at these places, which is why there are no traffic lights, I'm having an impossible time figuring out who has to go first. I have asked several people, and got various answers, none of which sounded really convincing (the first one to arrive has the right of way, the biggest road has the priority, the biggest car goes first, etc.). Basically, everyone seems to agree that you have to play it by ear. Usually, I simply let other drivers go first.

Let's say I want to go straight and some vehicles are coming from my left and/or right,  and a car is coming the other way, intending to go to my right, who should go first?  (To me, road markings tend to make things even more confusing).

 

Sometimes, there are flashing lights to help.  Flashing amber lights tell drivers to slow down , look, and go. Flashing red lights mean you must stop and look carefully before going.


 Protected intersections:

Even when there are traffic  lights, it can be taxing to find your way around when you get to an intersection. For instance, the Yeonsan intersection in Busan is known to be the most dangerous in the city.

 Source: https://www.hapskorea.com/where-are-the-most-dangerous-intersections-in-busan/

It is important to know that in Korea, the traffic lights are located after the intersection, like in the USA (not before the intersection, like in France). Overall, driving in Korea is probably easier if you have experienced driving in the United States.

 
Turning left

Most of the time, there are different traffic lights for drivers going straight ahead and those turning left. This can be a bit confusing when you are used to driving in Europe. When the light turns green, it doesn't mean drivers who want to turn left can go. They'll have to wait for a green arrow to appear before they can turn. I personally would like a red arrow to remind me that I can't turn when the light turns green, but that's just me.

Green light for cars going straight ahead, those turning left have to wait.

 

 

You may now turn left. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Signal_korea_3red_and_left_Turn.JPG

However, you may  sometimes turn left when the light turns green and there's no green arrow to wait for. There will then be a  비보호 sign indicating that you may turn very cautiously because oncoming vehicles have priority.

 

Turn left , but be very careful

Sometimes you can even see a combination of these two rules: you may turn when the arrow is green, but also when the arrow is off and the light is green for those going straight ahead, only if there are no oncoming vehicles. 

You may turn left if the arrow is green (which is not the case here) OR when the light is green, but be very careful because the light is also green for oncoming vehicles.

To complicate matters, it is sometimes impossible to turn left. In this case, for example, you have to turn right and then turn left twice, as explained in this sign.

Here's another way to go left when left turns aren't allowed (this one includes a U-tun):

An alternative to the left turn is the P-Turn, which reminds me of driving in Los Angeles, where it is notoriously difficult to make a left turn (but I don't think they use the term "P-turn" there). It means you have to go to the next intersection, turn right three times, then get to the street where you want to go.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Korean_Traffic_sign_(Detour_P-Turn).svg

 

The P-turn can also be used when U-turns are not allowed:

 

U-turns

Like in the U.S., U-turns are part and parcel of city driving in Korea. The left lane at an intersection is often reserved for vehicles that are turning left or making a U-turn. While the "U-turn" sign is fairly easy to understand, it is often accompanied by messages in Korean that specify the conditions under which you can make the U-turn. Here are the different signs I have seen so far:

Update : I've seen a sign that combines 좌신호시 and 보행신호시, meaning you may make a U-turn both when the left-turn signal turns  green and when the nearest crosswalk signal turns green.

How do you make a U-turn ? The theory is that if several cars want to make a U-turn, they have to do it one after the other. In practice, even if it's forbidden, you will often see several cars turn around together as shown in this picture. So you have to be even more cautious.

Of course, driving in Korea is not just about turning left or turning around. You  also want to go straight ahead sometimes, but I don't have much to say about that. Except that sometimes your light turns green, but there's also  a "yield" sign, which means that there may be vehicles coming in from your left, and you have to let them go first, even if the light is green for you.

The light is green, but expect to see vehicles coming from your left.

 

Turning right

Like in some US states, it is often allowed to make a right turn on a red light. Of course, you can only do this when there are no vehicles coming from the left and no pedestrians are crossing. But if you're the one coming from the left, be prepared to see cars forcing their way in from your right even if the light is red for them and you have priority.
  

However, making a right turn on a red light is not always allowed. This sign indicates that you must wait for the light to turn green.

 

If you are in the right lane at a red light and intending to go straight ahead, be prepared to be honked at by the drivers who want to turn right. They expect you to move forward on the crosswalk to give them enough room to turn. You don't have to do that, though. To avoid this situation, I try to stay in the middle lane as often as possible. When that's not possible and I end up in the right lane, I try to keep to the left  as much as possible to let the impatient people who want to turn pass me.

 
TLDR

 1) The light is green for vehicles going straight ahead and turning right. You can't turn left, you would have to wait for a green arrow to the left (or you would need a 비보호 sign)

 

2) Green left arrow: you can turn left, but you can't go straight ahead. It is also possible to turn right, paying attention to pedestrians.

These illustrations are taken from this very good book, which I would find even better if it weren't written entirely in Korean. 😞

Long story short, intersections remain the most difficult point for me when I drive in Korea, even if I'm getting better. That and changing lanes, which will be discussed in my next post.