Home / Korean Vehicle Title Translation
Certified Korean Vehicle Title Translation
Certified translation of the documents that record the ownership and registration of a vehicle in South Korea, including the registry annotations and endorsements that carry the legal effect and that a reader unfamiliar with the system will otherwise skip.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
The registration certificate, and the register
Korea issues a vehicle registration certificate (자동차등록증) carried in the car, backed by a vehicle register (자동차등록원부) held by the local government, which is the fuller record.
The register extract, not the certificate, shows the ownership history and the encumbrances. A US file usually holds only the certificate, and we say what each covers.
Mortgages on vehicles
Korean vehicles carry registered mortgages (저당권) noted on the register, and a vehicle with an unreleased mortgage cannot be transferred.
A certificate alone does not show one, which is exactly why the register extract matters. We translate both where the file holds them.
The vehicle number, and its changes
Korean plates were reformatted more than once — adding a region prefix, then removing it, then adding a third digit in 2019 — so an older document carries a plate in a format that no longer matches the current one.
That is history rather than a transcription error. We reproduce the plate as issued and note the format.
Export, and the identifiers
Exporting requires export deregistration (수출말소), producing a certificate that a foreign registry needs, and Korea also runs a mandatory scrappage and deregistration process.
Owners are identified by resident registration number, usually partly masked on an issued copy. See our Korean page.
Ordering, and what the certification covers
Upload the document, choose certified translation at $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and it comes back typically within 24 hours as a PDF formatted to mirror the original, with a signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead. Marginal annotations are translated in place, in the margin, and every seal, stamp and registry endorsement is translated with the text. See how we translate and certified versus standard.
Frequently asked questions
Certificate or register?
The certificate is carried in the car. The register extract shows the ownership history and encumbrances.
Can a Korean vehicle be mortgaged?
Yes, and it cannot be transferred until the mortgage is released. Only the register shows it.
The plate format looks wrong.
Korean plates were reformatted several times. Older documents carry the older format.
What do I need to export?
Export deregistration, which produces the certificate a foreign registry needs.
Ready to get started?
Upload the document and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.