IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENSES BETWEEN VIETNAM AND SOUTH KOREA

On February 6, 2024, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 163/QD-TTg approving the Plan to implement the Agreement between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the Republic of Korea on the mutual recognition of international driving licenses.

Accordingly, the organization of the implementation of the mutual recognition agreement of international driving licenses between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is as follows:

Task 1: Recognition of South Korean driving licenses, handling violations, and establishment of coordination channels to implement the Agreement

Recognize South Korean Driving Licenses and handle violations according to the provisions of the Agreement and the national laws of each party. Establish coordination channels with competent State agencies in South Korea.

Designate and notify the focal points and contact information between Vietnam and South Korea regarding all issues related to the Agreement; ensure technical conditions to facilitate connectivity, exchange, and sharing of information between the two parties.

- Proposed implementing agency:

+ Ministry of Transport to lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to implement the Agreement according to their functions, tasks, and authorities; compile information and provide it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the official liaison and for any relevant information regarding the implementation of the Agreement to be formally communicated to South Korea.

+ Ministry of Public Security to organize the implementation of the Agreement according to its functions, tasks, and authorities; provide the Ministry of Transport with relevant contact points regarding inspection, verification, and handling of violations for the implementation of the Agreement.

Relevant ministries, sectors, and localities are responsible for coordinating and providing the Ministry of Public Security with relevant contact points related to inspection, verification, and handling of violations according to their functions, tasks, and authorities.

+ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, based on the information provided by the Ministry of Transport, will inform South Korea: the focal points implementing the Agreement on the Vietnamese side; international driving license templates, national driving licenses; relevant legal regulations.

- Implementation period: Annually, until the Agreement terminates.

Task 2: Construction of a Handbook for implementing the Agreement

- Proposed implementing agency: Ministry of Transport as the lead agency and Ministry of Public Security as the coordinating agency, specifically:

+ Ministry of Transport as the coordinating agency with competent state agencies in South Korea to develop a Handbook for using international driving licenses in both paper and electronic forms to provide timely and comprehensive information about the mutual recognition of international driving licenses between the two countries; the use and issuance of driving licenses in both countries; information on:

International driving license templates; validity period, types of vehicles allowed to be driven; traffic law documents; procedures for issuing driving licenses to citizens of both countries; hotline information, addresses of functional agencies, specialized agencies for handling emerging issues, violations of the law by drivers; regulations on compulsory insurance for drivers, national highways, expressways, etc.

+ Ministry of Public Security to coordinate: develop content on administrative violation laws; hotline information, addresses of functional agencies, specialized agencies for handling emerging issues, violations of the law by drivers.

+ Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate and direct the Vietnamese Representative Office in South Korea to compile suggestions from the Vietnamese community in South Korea during the implementation of the Agreement.

- Implementation period: In 2024, discuss with the competent state agencies in South Korea to agree on the content of the Handbook; in 2025, develop and finalize the Handbook; annually, review, update, and adjust the content of the Handbook until the Agreement terminates.

Task 3: Annual conference to coordinate the implementation of the Vietnam - South Korea bilateral Agreement on mutual recognition of international driving licenses

Coordinate with South Korea to organize a Conference to exchange, evaluate the situation, results of implementing the Agreement to timely address difficulties and propose specific measures/solutions to improve the effectiveness of implementing the Agreement; share experiences in managing the issuance of driving licenses and driver management.

- Proposed implementing agency: Ministry of Transport as the lead agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Public Security as the coordinating agencies, specifically:

+ Ministry of Transport responsible for leading the implementation, with the following responsibilities: compiling assessments of the situation, results of implementing the Agreement, and proposing specific measures/solutions to improve the effectiveness of implementing the Agreement.

+ Ministry of Public Security to coordinate: assess the situation of implementation and propose necessary measures regarding inspection, handling of administrative violations by drivers.

+ Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate and direct the Vietnamese Representative Office in South Korea to compile suggestions from the Vietnamese community in South Korea during the implementation of the Agreement.

- Implementation period: Annually, until the Agreement terminates.

For detailed content, refer to Decision No. 163/QD-TTg effective from February 6, 2024.

For any questions or comments, please contact:

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