South Korea to waive highway tolls for mistaken exits

South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will implement a new policy starting October 1 to waive basic highway tolls for drivers who mistakenly exit a highway. To qualify for the exemption, drivers must re-enter through the same tollgate within 15 minutes using electronic payment methods such as Hi-pass.

The policy applies specifically to state-managed expressways managed by the Korea Expressway Corporation and is limited to three instances per vehicle per year. This measure aims to reduce the financial burden on drivers and prevent traffic accidents caused by sudden lane changes when drivers realize they have taken the wrong exit. The government expects this to result in approximately 7.5 million exemptions annually, totaling about 6.8 billion won.

Additionally, the ministry highlighted existing discounts for multi-child households on weekends and public holidays. Families with three or more minor children receive a 20% discount, while those with two children receive a 10% discount. This program is currently active and scheduled to run until August 21, 2029.