"Does Korea Not Strictly Punish Drunk Driving?"... A Question Raised by a Japanese Mother and Daughter's Family

[Financial News]"Is it true that Korea does not punish drunk driving as severely as Japan?"This question was posted on social media by someone believed to be a family member of the Japanese woman who was killed in a drunk driving accident while on a trip with her daughter.
On the night of November 2, a Japanese mother and daughter visiting Korea were struck by a heavily intoxicated driver on the sidewalk near Dongdaemun Station in Jongno District, Seoul. The mother, in her 50s, was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest but did not survive. Her daughter, in her 30s, sustained injuries to her forehead, knees, and ribs and is receiving treatment.
The man in his 30s who hit the mother and daughter, identified as Mr. A, is being investigated for drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act and for causing death or injury by dangerous driving under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes. He admitted to drinking three bottles of Soju at a nearby restaurant before driving and has confessed to all related charges. Police confirmed his Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was at the license revocation level (0.08%).

On November 3, the day after the incident, a user posted on Threads, "Yesterday, my mother died and my sister was seriously injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver who ignored a traffic signal in Korea." Presumed to be the son of the deceased, he wrote, "Now that I have calmed down a bit, I am looking into various matters, but there is one thing that concerns me."
He continued, "It seems the perpetrator will only receive a light punishment, and I have heard that we may not even receive compensation. Is it true that Korea does not punish as severely as Japan?" In Japan, even a simple case of drunk driving can result in up to five years in prison or a fine of over one million yen (about 870,000 KRW). If drunk driving results in injury or death, the sentence can be up to 30 years in prison.
The focus is not just on the maximum statutory sentence, but on actual court rulings. A notable case occurred in 2006 on the Uminonakamichi Bridge in Fukuoka, when a heavily intoxicated civil servant in his 20s crashed into an SUV carrying a family, causing it to fall and resulting in the deaths of three children. The perpetrator received a 20-year prison sentence.
TV Asahi, reporting on this incident, stated, "Drunk driving is frequent in Korea, with rates six times higher than in Japan. Over the past five years, there have been more than 70,000 drunk driving accidents and around 1,000 deaths, making it a serious social issue. Although Korea's population is about half that of Japan, the number of traffic accidents caused by drunk driving is more than six times higher."


The mother and daughter, who were visiting from Osaka, Japan, were on a three-day trip to Korea. After arriving that day, they finished shopping at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) and were heading to see Naksanseonggwak-gil when the accident occurred. This trip was especially poignant as the daughter in her 30s, who often visited Korea, had planned it as a special gift for her mother.
A user identifying as a family member wrote, "My mother, who was involved in the accident, had always wanted to visit Naksan Park, a filming location for the drama 'Eye Love You.' She liked it so much that she set a photo of the intersection near Naksan Park as her background on the LINE messenger app and always wanted to go back."
'Eye Love You' is an original drama planned by TBS Television (TBS), featuring Korean actor Chae Jong-hyeop. The show, which tells the love story of a Korean man and a Japanese woman, gained significant popularity.
He added, "The accident happened at the intersection right before reaching the park, so my mother never made it there. I promise to take her there someday." He emphasized again, "Drunk driving is something that should never be lightly forgiven."
Meanwhile, the body of the Japanese mother who died after being struck by the drunk driver was handed over to her family on November 4. The victim's family is scheduled to arrive in Korea today (November 5) to meet with the suspect's lawyer. The perpetrator's side has reportedly offered to cover the costs of transporting the body to Japan (about 15 million KRW) and funeral expenses.
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter