What does amber - green traffic light mean in South Korea?
I recently rented a car in Jeju, South Korea. While I managed to get used to most of the traffic rules there which are different from what I'm used to (such as right turn on a red light) I got really confused by some traffic lights. Several times I observed the following sequence:
Red > Green > Amber and Green > Green > Amber > Red
The Amber and Green part is only on for a second or so before going back to Green only.
Now the bold part has me confused for two reasons:
- I'm used to Amber and Red together (before changing to red), but I've never seen Amber and Green together. I thought it could mean that it's about to change to Red, but that's obviously not what's happening since it goes back to Green.
- I would think that Amber usually indicates a change of the signal, however here it went right back to Green.
So what does this mean?
I found animations online where the same thing happens, but with a green arrow. (See for instance this Korean wikipedia article). This is not what I saw, there was no green arrow. My best guess is that this happens when one of the other traffic lights on the intersection go through a change and this is just to indicate that change.
Best Answer
Not 100% sure, but since Road Traffic Authority website saysSorry, Korean...
Amber light on (NB: Not blinking):
- Signal changing, stop before the intersection.
- (Cars) Permitted to turn right, provided you do not hinder pedestrians.
If your signal had 3 lights (Red - Amber - Green), I am assuming it is case for the second bullet point.
Pictures about "What does amber - green traffic light mean in South Korea?"
What color are traffic lights in South Korea?
South Korea's street lights up as road safety for pedestrians that stare at their phones while crossing. An intersection's curb in Seoul lights up with green and red lights, indicating when it's safe to cross the road when you're looking down at your phone screen.What does a amber traffic light mean?
AMBER means 'Stop' at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident.What does a green traffic light symbolize?
GREEN\u2014A green light means GO, but you must first let any vehicles, bicycles, or pedestrians remaining in the intersection get through before you move ahead. You can turn left ONLY if you have enough space to complete the turn before any oncoming vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian becomes a hazard.What does a yellow amber light mean?
1A yellow or amber warning light used to instruct traffic; especially the middle of three lights in a set of traffic lights, serving as a warning that the signal is about to change to red (stop) or green (go).Korean Traffic Rules you need to know.
More answers regarding what does amber - green traffic light mean in South Korea?
Answer 2
I am guessing this may be some kind of a holdover from the old pre-1978 system where yellow didn't mean yield, or transition, but instead meant it was OK to turn left. Sort of like a left arrow.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Ono Kosuki, Charles Parker, sergio souza, Erik Mclean