When a speeding notice arrives, the first thing you look at is “how far over was I?” Korea’s road traffic decree splits excess speed into four bands (20 km/h or less, 20–40, 40–60, over 60). Caught by police on the spot, you get a penalty charge and points; proved by camera, a fine. The limits themselves are in article 19 of the Enforcement Rule. We read the Act, Decree Annexes 8 and 6 and Rule Annex 28 as written.
1. For a car, penalty charges are 30,000, 60,000, 90,000 and 120,000 won. That is 30,000 won for 20 km/h or less, 60,000 for 20–40, 90,000 for 40–60 and 120,000 over 60, with points starting at 15, 30 and 60.
2. Proved by camera, the fine is 10,000 won more in each band. For a car it is 40,000, 70,000, 100,000 and 130,000 won; at 20 km/h or less the fine is 40,000 won against a 30,000 won penalty charge.
3. More than 100 km/h over leaves the penalty-charge table. Exceeding the limit by more than 100 km/h carries a fine of up to 1 million won or detention, and doing so 3 or more times up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won.
Speed limits — Rule article 19
| Road | Maximum | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary roads in residential, commercial and industrial areas | 50 km/h (60 on designated sections) | — |
| Other ordinary roads | 60 km/h (80 with two or more lanes each way) | — |
| Motorways for cars only | 90 km/h | 30 km/h |
| Expressways, one lane each way | 80 km/h | 50 km/h |
| Expressways, two or more lanes each way | 100 km/h (120 on designated sections) | 50 km/h |
On expressways with two or more lanes each way, trucks with a load capacity over 1.5 tonnes, special vehicles, hazardous-goods vehicles and construction machinery are limited to 80 km/h (90 on designated sections). Where signs set a different limit (Act art. 17(2)), that limit applies.
In bad weather paragraph 2 lowers the limit further. On wet roads or with less than 20 mm of snow you must cut 20% of the maximum; with visibility of 100 m or less, ice, or 20 mm of snow or more, 50%. Variable speed signs take precedence.
Amounts and points — cars
| Excess speed | Penalty charge · points (police) | Fine (camera) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 km/h or less | 30,000 won · no points | 40,000 won |
| Over 20 up to 40 km/h | 60,000 won · 15 points | 70,000 won |
| Over 40 up to 60 km/h | 90,000 won · 30 points | 100,000 won |
| Over 60 up to 80 km/h | 120,000 won · 60 points | 130,000 won |
| Over 80 up to 100 km/h | 120,000 won · 80 points | 130,000 won |
| Over 100 km/h | Fine up to 1 million won or detention · 100 points | 130,000 won band (over 60) |
Penalty charges are Annex 8 items 1 (over 60), 2 (40–60), 6 (20–40) and 46 (20 or less); fines are Annex 6 item 4(a) to (d); points are Annex 28, part 3 (individual suspension standards), items 1 (over 100, 100 points), 3 (80–100, 80), 3-2 (60–80, 60), 9 (40–60, 30) and 15 (20–40, 15). The points table lists speeding from over 20 km/h; within 20 km/h only school zones (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) appear, as item 15-2 in the 15-point cell. The fine for over 100 km/h carries over Annex 6’s single “over 60 km/h” band.
Vans and motorcycles — same four bands, different amounts
| Excess speed | Vans and similar (charge / fine) | Motorcycles and similar (charge / fine) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 km/h or less | 30,000 / 40,000 won | 20,000 / 30,000 won |
| 20–40 | 70,000 / 80,000 won | 40,000 / 50,000 won |
| 40–60 | 100,000 / 110,000 won | 60,000 / 70,000 won |
| Over 60 | 130,000 / 140,000 won | 80,000 / 90,000 won |
The notes to Annex 6 put trucks over 4 tonnes, special vehicles and construction machinery with “vans and similar,” and trucks of 4 tonnes or less with “cars and similar.” School zones have their own annex — see school-zone fines.
More than 100 km/h over — criminal penalties
Article 153(2)2 punishes driving more than 100 km/h over the limit with a fine of up to 1 million won or detention, and article 151-2 item 2 punishes doing so 3 or more times with up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to 5 million won. Article 93(1)5-3 also lists 3 or more times as grounds for revoking or suspending a licence.
Checklist
- ☐ Ordinary roads in towns (residential, commercial, industrial areas) default to 50 km/h
- ☐ Rain means 20% slower; ice or thick fog 50% slower
- ☐ Is the notice a fine (camera) or a penalty charge (police)? — points come only with the charge
- ☐ School zones have their own table — school-zone fines
Questions that remain
If I pay the fine, are there no points?
Points are Annex 28’s standard for drivers. A camera fine on the employer or keeper (Act art. 160(3)) is a route that does not name the driver, so it is separate from the points table. If the driver receives a penalty-charge notice for the same breach, the fine cannot be imposed (art. 160(4)).
Why is the camera fine higher than the charge at 20 km/h or less?
It is: Annex 8 item 46 is 30,000 won for a car, and Annex 6 item 4(d) is 40,000 won. The other bands are also 10,000 won higher as fines.
Sources
- Road Traffic Act [in force 1 Jul 2026] [Act No. 21246] — original text (checked 30 September 2026). Source for article 17 (speed), article 93(1)5-3, article 151-2 item 2 (3 or more times, 1 year, 5 million won), article 153(2)2 (over 100 km/h, 1 million won) and article 160(3) and (4).
- Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act [in force 1 Aug 2026] [Presidential Decree No. 36114] — Annex 8, penalty charges items 1, 2, 6 and 46, and Annex 6, fines item 4 and notes.
- Enforcement Rule of the Road Traffic Act [in force 24 Aug 2026] [Ministry of the Interior and Safety Ordinance No. 636] — original text. Source for article 19 (limits and bad-weather reductions) and Annex 28 (points).
Where to check further
- Your points and fines — the National Police Agency’s traffic portal (eFINE).
- Phones while driving — phones while driving.
Written on 30 September 2026. Articles and annexes are from the National Law Information Center; the tables are ours.
