Gimpo Driver's License Center Surpasses 80,000 Visitors in 18 Months, Emerging as a Regional Hub

Gimpo City Sees Surge in Users at Nation's First Urban Driver's License Center
Written Tests and Renewals Now Possible Without Traveling to Seoul, Greatly Enhancing Citizen Convenience
Reduced Long-Distance Travel for Residents Provides Major Boost to Local Economy

It has been reported that the number of visitors to the Gimpo Driver's License Center has surpassed approximately 79,000 in the year and a half since its opening in 2024, playing a significant role in enhancing convenience in the daily lives of citizens.

Driver's License Center. Provided by Gimpo City

According to the city on January 12, the number of users steadily increased from 1,885 in May 2024, when the center opened, to 3,389 in August and 6,737 in December, with about 27,000 people using the center during this period. In 2025, approximately 52,000 people used the center.

Before the opening of the Driver's License Center, tens of thousands of Gimpo residents each year needed to obtain new licenses or renew existing ones. However, the written test centers were located in Seoul and Incheon, causing significant inconvenience due to long-distance travel, which had been a persistent issue for citizens.

With the opening of the Gimpo Driver's License Center, citizens have expressed that convenience has greatly improved.

One citizen said, "It was very difficult and inconvenient to take a day off from work and travel back and forth to Seoul, but now I can comfortably take the traffic safety course." A student living in Gimpo shared, "I used to hesitate because it took a long time and cost money to go to Seoul by public transportation for the written test, but now I am very relieved that I can take the test right here in Gimpo," expressing satisfaction.

The Gimpo Driver's License Center is the nation's first urban-type driver's license center, befitting the status of a city that has rapidly grown to a population of 500,000. The center, located in the heart of the city, offers services for obtaining, renewing, and issuing driver's licenses. It is situated at the transfer center (242 Gimpo Hangang 1-ro, Gimpo City), just a one-minute walk from Exit 3 of Unyang Station on the Gimpo Gold Line, and operates on weekdays (Monday to Friday) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Anyone can take the test regardless of their region, and the center provides a one-stop service from registration to checking test results, attracting license applicants from other regions as well.

Kim Byungsoo, Mayor of Gimpo, visiting the Driver's License Center. Photo by Gimpo City

The Gimpo Driver's License Center consists of a written test room and a traffic safety education room, which can accommodate 20 test-takers, as well as service counters for aptitude tests, renewals, and reissuance, all located in the public parking lot of the Unyang Station transfer center.

A Gimpo City official stated, "The opening of the Gimpo Driver's License Center has not only contributed to balanced service provision for Gimpo City but also for neighboring districts and cities (Seo-gu, Bupyeong-gu, Gyeyang-gu, Ganghwa-gun in Incheon, and Goyang-si, Paju-si), and has greatly boosted the local economy by continuously attracting floating populations. We will continue to work hard to implement necessary and effective transportation policies for our citizens."