TOPEKA — South Korean residents who move to Kansas are able to exchange their driver’s licenses for state credentials under an agreement solidified Monday, and Kansans can do the same in South Korea.

The agreement established a mutual recognition of licensing standards, and the Kansas Department of Commerce said in a Monday press release that it strengthens trade, investment and education ties between South Korea and Kansas.

Gov. Laura Kelly and Mark Burghart, Kansas Department of Revenue secretary, signed on behalf of Kansas, and Director General Ho Seung Kim of the South Korean National Police Agency signed for the Republic of Korea in the governor’s office during a visit to Kansas. The state revenue department and South Korea’s police agency oversee licensing in their respective domains.

“I hope that this agreement will further expand economic and cultural exchanges between the Republic of Korea and the State of Kansas, and create more opportunities for people from both sides to connect with each other,” Kim said.

David Toland, Kansas secretary of commerce, said the agreement is rooted in partnership, which has been built between the state and nation through “collaboration, cultural exchange, shared values and mutual economic prosperity.”

“Through this memorandum, we’re able to enhance mobility, livability and convenience for our residents, students and professionals who live and work in both Kansas and Korea,” Toland said.

More than 20 states have similar agreements with South Korea.

About 4,000 Koreans lived in Kansas in 2023, according to the most recent data from the University of Kansas’ Institute for Policy and Social Research.