License plate (North Korea)

The license plate of North Korea usually use Korean letters and Arabic numerals. The registration system is similar to the South Korean system until 2006 and the Japanese one . Buses and trucks must repeat the number plate inscription in enlarged characters on the rear of the vehicle.

License plate types

Private vehicles

License plates for private vehicles of foreigners (외)

State License plate from Pyongyang (평양)

State License plate on a Proton taxi

Repetition of the number plate on the rear of a truck

The few private vehicles registered in North Korea have orange license plates with black lettering. First the name of the approval region appears, possibly shortened to two syllables . Older approvals are followed by three or four digits, newer approvals show two and, after a hyphen, another three digits. If the vehicle is registered to a foreigner living in North Korea, the letters 외 (for foreigners) appear instead of the provincial abbreviation .

Sample of a license plate issued in Pyongyang (평양) before 1992 :

평양 1450

Sample of a license plate issued after 1992 in the province of P'yŏngan-namdo (평남):

평남 68-366

State vehicles

State vehicles have white license plates with black inscription. They start with the letters for the corresponding city or province. This is followed by a two-digit number by means of which the vehicle can be assigned to a state institution. A hyphen is followed by a maximum of five further digits, the first of which provides information about the type of vehicle.

List of vehicle types:

Digit	Vehicle type
1	bus
2xx	taxi
2xxx (x)	Car
3	truck
5	Ambulance / fire brigade
6th	Police / authorities
7th	Two-wheelers

Example of a license plate number for buses (1) issued in Pyongyang (평양):

평양 88-123

Example of a truck registration number (3) issued in the province of Hamgyŏng-pukto (함북):

함북 20-368

Identification for foreign companies

Diplomatic vehicles

Military license plate

Trolleybus with number 131 in Pyongyang

Vehicles from foreign companies and joint ventures have a red background and white text. The signs begin with the letters 외 (for foreigners) and otherwise follow the same structure as the license plates of state vehicles.

Special Purpose Marks

License plates with a red star and a three-digit number are given to special vehicles that are used, for example, to transport tourists and high-ranking personalities.

Diplomatic plates

Diplomatic license plates show white signs on a blue background. They start with the letter 외 . This is followed by a two-digit number that encrypts the country of origin of the relevant mission. A hyphen is followed by a serial number with a maximum of three digits.

Sample of a diplomatic license plate issued to the Hungarian embassy (07):

외 07-151

military

Korean People's Army vehicles have black license plates and white letters. The signs usually consist of Arabic numerals, which are divided into two groups by a hyphen. Some signs also begin with the letter ㄱ . For tanks and other heavy military equipment, the combination is painted directly on the vehicle or sprayed using stencils.

5581-4218

Trolleybuses

Trolleybuses have white license plates with three black digits. Since the vehicles do not leave the operational areas, the same signs are issued in different cities.

903

Special case of Kŭmgang-san

Special license plates are issued in the Kŭmgang-san tourist region on the border with South Korea. They show white letters on a green background. The word Kŭmgang-san appears first in Korean letters (금강산) followed by four digits.

금강산 2-426

Abbreviation

Abbreviation	province
자강	Chagang-do
함북	Hamgyŏng-pukto
함남	Hamgyŏng-namdo
황북	Hwanghae-pukto
황남	Hwanghae-namdo
개성	City of Kaesŏng
강원	Kangwon-do
남포	City of Namp'o
평북	P'yŏngan-pukto
평남	P'yŏngan-namdo
평양	Pyongyang city
량강	Ryanggang-do
라선	City of Rason (until 2000 Rajin-Sŏnbong)

Individual evidence

Web links

[1] License Plates of North Korea

[2] Photo by Raymond Cunningham, September 19, 2011

[3] Photo by Roman Harak of September 6, 2010