Step 1: confirm it was towed, not stolen

A towed car in Seoul leaves a yellow sticker on the ground at the spot it was taken from. It is flat on the asphalt and easy to walk past while you scan the street for your car. It identifies the impound lot (견인차량보관소) and gives a phone number. Jongno's lot guide describes the same sequence from the crew's side: a tow notice is attached, and a movement notice records the car's condition, the lot's location and the cost of collecting it.

If there is no sticker, it may have been removed or blown away. Call 112 for the police, or 120, Seoul's Dasan call centre, and give the plate number. The city says 120 offers consultation in English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Mongolian on weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00. Korean rental cars have plates containing 하, 허 or 호; the full number is on your contract. Gangnam, Gwanak–Dongjak and Seongnam also run online towed-car lookups by plate number.

Step 2: call the rental company before you go

The lot releases a car to its user or driver. District lots ask for ID, and Gangnam's lot also asks for the vehicle registration certificate, which you do not hold in a rental car. No district lot page we checked explains the process for a foreign renter, so the rental company is the party that can tell you what the lot will accept or send the registration directly.

Step 3: how much does a Seoul tow cost?

Seoul sets tow and storage fees in the annex to its towing ordinance, so the amounts are the same at every district lot. Storage has no free period.

Vehicle Tow fee Storage
Under 1,000 cc ₩40,000 ₩700 per 30 min
1,000–1,600 cc (for example an Avante) ₩45,000 ₩700 per 30 min
1,600–2,000 cc (for example a Sonata or K5) ₩50,000 ₩700 per 30 min
Over 2,000 cc ₩60,000 ₩700 per 30 min
Van up to 15 seats (for example a Carnival) ₩60,000 ₩700 per 30 min

Storage for a single tow is capped at ₩500,000. Payment methods differ by lot: Gwanak–Dongjak takes cash, bank transfer or credit card, while Mapo and Jongno list card or bank transfer only.

Worked example: mid-size car towed in the afternoon

A 2.0-litre rental towed at 15:00 and collected at 10:00 the next day costs ₩50,000 for the tow and 38 half-hour periods of storage, ₩26,600, for ₩76,600 at the lot. The parking fine then arrives separately through the rental company. Collecting the same evening at 20:00 would have cut storage to ₩7,000. Waiting one day costs more than a taxi to the lot.

How much is the parking fine after a tow in Seoul?

The tow and the fine are separate. Gangnam's guide says the district office mails the fine notice within 30 days. It goes to the registered owner, the rental company, which charges it to you. The government's policy briefing on the six main no-parking zones lists these amounts for a passenger car:

Where you parked Fine (passenger car)
Sidewalk, bus stop, crosswalk or corner ₩40,000
Within 5 m of a fire hydrant ₩80,000
School zone ₩120,000

Vans (승합차) pay ₩10,000 more in each case.

Seoul impound lots with published details

District Lot location Phone Hours
Gangnam 78-29 Daechi-dong, about 15 minutes' walk from Samseong Station exit 2 02-558-7230 24 hours
Mapo 2 Tojeong-ro, inside Yanghwajin public car park (Hapjeong Station exit 7) 02-300-5000 (corporation main line) Not published
Gwanak–Dongjak 7 Sinsa-ro, Gwanak-gu 02-855-8611 24 hours
Nowon Madeul Stadium, 770-2 Sanggye 6-dong 02-2289-6735 24 hours
Jongno (Hongje lot) 227 Hongjenae-gil, Seodaemun-gu 02-3417-0551 24 hours

Jongno's lot is outside the district, in neighbouring Seodaemun-gu, so check the address before you set off. Other districts run their own lots; the notice on the ground tells you which one. Outside Seoul, cities set their own rates. Seongnam, for example, charges a passenger car ₩20,000 for the first 5 km towed plus ₩1,000 per extra kilometre, and caps storage at ₩180,000.

How can you avoid getting towed in Seoul?

For the traffic rules and camera fines that catch rental drivers, see driving a rental car in Korea.