Police are conducting an intensive crackdown on drivers who change lanes or make left or right turns without using turn signals. Drivers should note that failing to activate a turn signal while waiting in a left-turn-only lane can also result in a fine.
The National Police Agency said on the 15th that it is running the crackdown on basic traffic law violations, including failure to use turn signals, from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. Police carried out public awareness and warning campaigns in August and September before stepping up enforcement in October.
The rules on turn signals are set out in Article 38 of the Road Traffic Act. Drivers intending to turn left or right, make a U-turn or change lanes must activate their turn signals to indicate their direction to other vehicles. On ordinary roads, the signal must be switched on at least 30 meters before the point of the turn or lane change, and at least 100 meters before on expressways. The signal must stay on until the turn or lane change is complete.
Switching off a turn signal simply because the vehicle is stopped in a left-turn-only lane can also constitute a violation. Drivers must not skip the signal on the grounds that no other vehicles are nearby or that the lane allows only one direction of travel. Briefly flashing the signal just before turning left may also fail to meet the timing required by law.
Drivers caught on the spot by an officer for not using a turn signal face a 30,000 won ($21) penalty for passenger cars and vans, and 20,000 won for motorcycles. When a violation is confirmed through a public-interest report using dashcam footage or similar evidence, the fine is 40,000 won for passenger cars and vans and 30,000 won for motorcycles.
New Penalties From October? No
Claims circulating online that penalties for failing to use turn signals took effect for the first time in October are inaccurate. The obligation to signal when turning has been in the Road Traffic Act since the law was enacted in 1961. Penalties for failing to use turn signals have been imposed since 1973.
On actual roads, about one in four vehicles turning left does not use a turn signal, surveys show. According to the 2025 Traffic Culture Index survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, 75.7% of vehicles used turn signals when turning left at intersections.
Reports of drivers failing to use turn signals have also been numerous. The National Police Agency said 1,497,280 public-interest reports on the issue were filed over the three years from 2023 to 2025. Over the same period, police caught 104,131 cases on the spot and imposed penalties, with about 2.92 billion won ($2.05 million) actually collected.
Police are also pushing a plan to assign 10 demerit points to drivers who fail to use turn signals. A proposed amendment to the relevant enforcement rules has completed public notice, and it is expected to take effect as early as mid-2027.