The drunk driver’s vehicle crashed into a transformer and overturned. (Provided by Busan Metropolitan Police Agency)
SEOUL, Nov. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is facing renewed public outrage over its drunk-driving laws after a series of fatal crashes — including the recent death of a Japanese tourist in Seoul — reignited anger over what many view as lenient punishments for offenders.
The debate intensified after a Japanese user on the social platform Threads, identifying himself as the son of the victim, wrote that his mother had been killed and his sister seriously injured when a drunk driver struck them at a Dongdaemun crosswalk on Nov. 2. His posts, viewed more than 2 million times as of Sunday, questioned why the driver appeared likely to receive only minimal punishment and no compensation.
The case followed a series of similar tragedies involving foreign visitors. In late October, a Korean Canadian man was killed and a Korean woman injured when a drunk driver sped through a pedestrian signal in southern Seoul. In 2020, the death of a Taiwanese student in a similar crash sparked widespread grief and international scrutiny.
Despite the passage of the so-called Yoon Chang-ho Act in 2018 — which strengthened penalties for fatal drunk-driving crashes — such incidents continue at a steady pace. Last year alone, South Korea recorded more than 11,000 alcohol-related traffic accidents, resulting in 138 deaths and over 17,000 injuries, according to traffic authorities.
A vehicle driven by a man in his 20s crashed into a street tree while under the influence, leaving it heavily damaged. Public calls for stronger penalties for drunk driving continue to grow. (Provided by Jeonju Deokjin Fire Station)
Data also show persistently high recidivism. Between 2019 and 2023, more than 40 percent of those caught driving under the influence had prior offenses, raising concerns that current sentencing practices fail to deter repeat violations.
Many South Koreans are now demanding far tougher measures, including lifetime license revocation, imprisonment comparable to homicide cases, and greater civil liability for drivers and even drinking companions. Online commenters described drunk drivers as “potential murderers,” while others worried the recent deaths of foreign tourists could damage the country’s reputation for safety.
Although the legal maximum for causing death while driving drunk is life imprisonment, experts note that sentences rarely exceed eight years — far below those handed down in countries such as the United States and Japan.
Criminologists and legal scholars argue that South Korea must overhaul both its sentencing guidelines and its cultural approach to drunk driving. Some urged the introduction of technological safeguards, such as in-car alcohol detection systems that prevent ignition.
Others warned that harsher penalties alone are insufficient and called for systematic re-education and long-term legislative reform to reduce repeat offenses.
“Drunk driving is treated as a grave social crime in many advanced countries,” one policing expert said. “Korea, too, needs a shift in perception — and a major strengthening of both punishment and prevention.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
