Stronger DUI laws pushed in South Korea after fatal accidents
Calls are increasing in South Korea for tougher drunk-driving laws after a series of serious accidents involving foreign visitors sparked public concern about whether current penalties are strong enough.
One case on November 2 involved a 58-year-old Japanese woman and her 38-year-old daughter.
They were hit by a car while crossing a junction near Seoul’s Dongdaemun district. The mother died, and the daughter suffered major injuries.
The two had just started a three-day “mother-daughter trip” in South Korea.
Police arrested the driver, a man in his 30s who told officers, “I don’t know how I was driving,” after being apprehended.
Investigators said he had consumed several bottles of shochu, a traditional Japanese hard liquor, and could not recall his actions at the time of the crash.
A similar incident took place on October 25 in Seoul’s Gangnam district, where a Canadian man was fatally struck by a drunk driver.
In both cases, the drivers’ blood alcohol levels exceeded the limit at which a licence would be cancelled.
Official data shows more than 11,000 drunk-driving accidents occurred in the country in 2024.
Analysts say lighter sentencing practices may be one reason why such incidents remain high.
South Korean law allows for heavy penalties, including long prison terms, for deadly drunk-driving cases. However, sentencing guidelines are far lower in practice, and suspended sentences are common. The rate of repeat offences is also high.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
