Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Tougher drunk-driving law set to come into force
No soju before driving, not even a sip. GETTYIMAGESBANK
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
Drinking just one glass of soju before driving could soon land you in legal trouble.
A tougher law against drunk driving will come into force on June 25, the National Police Agency said Tuesday.
Under the law, drivers whose blood-alcohol concentration is 0.03 percent or higher could end up behind bars ― a stricter standard than the current 0.05 percent.
Drivers whose blood-alcohol concentration is between 0.03 and 0.08 percent could face up to a year in prison or a maximum fine of 5 million won ($4,400). Those whose blood-alcohol level is between 0.08 and 0.2 percent could receive a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine of up to 10 million won. Anyone with a higher reading could face up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won.
If a person refuses to comply with a police request for a blood-alcohol test, he or she could face up to five years in prison or a maximum fine of 20 million won.
According to police, the number of drunk-driving cases between January and March this year was 27,376, down 27.7 percent from the same period last year.
During that period, the number of traffic accidents caused by drunk driving in Korea dropped 35.3 percent from a year earlier to 3,212. Meanwhile, the death toll from the accidents and the number of people injured plummeted 37.6 percent and 37.3 percent, respectively, to 58 and 5,437.
Police said they will continue to run an awareness campaign on drunk driving and vowed to crack down on violators.