National police, New Jersey sign MOU on driver's licenses

Korea’s National Police Agency and the state of New Jersey signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Wednesday on reciprocity for driver’s licenses, making it much easier to exchange your Korean driver's license for a New Jersey one.

From left, Jo Ji-ho, deputy head of the National Police Agency, Ellen Park, a Korean-American New Jersey Assemblywoman, and Phil Murphy, New Jersey Governor pose for the photo after signing a memorandum of understanding on reciprocity of driver's license at Conrad Hotel in western Seoul on Wednesday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Korea’s National Police Agency and the state of New Jersey signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Wednesday on reciprocity for driver’s licenses, making it much easier to exchange your Korean driver's license for a New Jersey one.

The agreement was signed at the Conrad Hotel in western Seoul on Wednesday, with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy in attendance.

“The lack of reciprocity for driver's licenses between the Republic of Korea and New Jersey has been a real problem for the Korean community [in New Jersey],” said Murphy.

He said the agreement did two things.

“Number one, it acknowledges and respects the driver's licenses that have been obtained in Korea back home in New Jersey,” he said.

“And secondly, should you choose to pursue a New Jersey license, it makes that process a whole lot easier. On a personal level, the family taking their children to school, going to school yourself, and going to work will become dramatically easier for Korean brothers and sisters in New Jersey.”

The agreement will exempt exams from exchanging a Korean driver's license with a New Jersey one for those granted with 12-month or longer visa in the state, shortening the issuance time by as much as a month.

Murphy said the agreement will boost investment in New Jersey, which already houses the headquarters of 100 Korean companies, including Samsung and LG.

“We believe this will be an economic development tool. This will further investment by the Korean companies that are already there, and I believe that it will further encourage other companies to come to New Jersey,” he said.

Murphy attended another MOU signing ceremony between New Jersey's Rutgers University and Korea's Seoul National University on joint research projects and exchange of students and professors in the bio field.

“Seoul National University's exchange of talents with Rutgers University is expected to help in rolling out industry-academic research of American bio companies,” Seoul National University said in a release.

New Jersey has a robust infrastructure in life sciences, housing more than 3,000 bio firms.

Seoul National University has been pushing to form a bio cluster in Siheung, Gyeonggi, where its new campus is located.

Seoul National University, hospitals, government bodies and global bio firms are expected to join forces to foster talent, roll out research and build R&D centers.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]