An increasing number of Chinese are flocking to Jeju Island in South Korea to get an easy pass and affordable driving licence, Beijing News reported.
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In 2014, 991 Chinese attained a driving license on the island, a sharp increase from 68 in 2010. By May this year, about 90 percent of the 1,093 foreigners who got driving license there were from China.
For decades, South Korea has been simplifying its driving test in contrast to an increasingly rigorous scheme in China. All it takes to get a driving license in South Korea is to complete a 13-hour course and pass a test. The course includes five hours of theoretical education, two hours of skills training and six hours of on-road driving.
Driving courses in South Korea also offer Mandarin translation to make it easier for Chinese trainees.
Some have declared South Korea's driving test to be so simple it is "passable even with your eyes closed".
A South Korean driving license is transferable back in China, says a woman surnamed Liu, who visited Jeju primarily to take the test.
It costs approximately half that of China to get a driving license in Jeju. In the former, it typically costs 3,000 to 4,000 yuan (about $483 to $644). In metropolitan areas like Beijing, the price tag could exceed 5,000 yuan.
Taking advantage of the difference, several travel agencies promote "diving license plus travel" tourist plans.
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