What the Korean insurance history is
Cars in South Korea must be insured, and insurance claims are collected by VIN in a central record. The insurance history of a car brings these records together, from the first registration to the latest claim.
It comes from insurance records, not from the seller, which is why it is the place to start when you check a car from Korea.
What is in the report
- Accidents: the date of each claim, the parts painted, repaired or replaced, the amount paid
- Who paid: the car's own insurer or the other party's, which tells you who was at fault
- Owners and plate numbers: each change, with dates
- Use: rental, commercial or government registration
- Total loss, flood and theft records
- Mileage readings, specification, equipment, estimated value, recalls and export
How to read the amounts
Amounts are shown in Korean won, as recorded. 1,000,000 KRW is roughly 700 to 750 US dollars. A claim of a few hundred thousand won is usually a small repair; several million won means larger damage, especially when parts of the body structure were replaced.
What the insurance history cannot show
- Repairs paid in cash, without an insurance claim
- The current condition of the car: always inspect it
- Events after the date of the report
For insurance auctions, inspections and other records outside the insurance history, add the Global Vehicle History. To start, find the VIN with the Korean VIN decoder or read how to check a car from Encar.