Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Investigation underway into deadly car crash in central Seoul
Police officers check a car that crashed into pedestrians and killed nine people at an intersection near Seoul City Hall, Monday. Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
Driver claims sudden acceleration, while police, experts are skeptical
Police are investigating a car crash that killed nine pedestrians and injured six others near a busy intersection in central Seoul on Monday night.
The intersection, located near a bustling restaurant district near Seoul City Hall, witnessed a tragic accident that resulted in a higher number of casualties. The incident also shocked many citizens who regularly commute through or dine in the area.
The police plan to investigate claims made by the 68-year-old driver that the sedan suddenly accelerated even though he stepped on the brake pedal.
According to police and witnesses, the accident occurred at 9:27 p.m. when the Genesis G80 vehicle careened onto a sidewalk. The car exited the Westin Josun Seoul near City Hall, drove against traffic on a one-way, four-lane road for approximately 200 meters, and onto the sidewalk. It finally came to a stop after hitting pedestrians and two oncoming vehicles.
Police lines are set up around broken fences after a car crashed into pedestrians and killed nine people at an intersection near Seoul City Hall, Monday. Yonhap
CCTV footage showed the car breaking through fences, knocking down pedestrians and parked motorcycles, while citizens nearby panicked and sought help.
The accident resulted in nine deaths and six injuries, including the driver. Among the injured, one person suffered serious wounds, while the others sustained relatively minor injuries.
Witnesses and media reports allege that the man behind the wheel is a bus driver who caused the accident after attending a gathering at the hotel. However, police have declined to confirm his identity, citing the ongoing investigation.
Jeong Yong-woo, head of Seoul Namdaemun Police Station's traffic department, speaks during a press briefing at the police station in Seoul, Tuesday, about a deadly automobile crash that killed nine people at an intersection near Seoul City Hall the previous night. Yonhap
Jeong Yong-woo, head of Seoul Namdaemun Police Station's traffic department, said during a press briefing that police are investigating the driver for potential violations of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents, specifically regarding accidental homicides.
The driver’s wife, who was in the vehicle during the accident, told reporters that her husband stepped on the brake pedal but lost control of the car, which suddenly accelerated. Jeong said the driver has not made such a statement yet, but added, “The only evidence suggesting sudden unintended acceleration is the testimony of the wife, and even if there was sudden unintended acceleration, it would not affect the charges.”
He said the vehicle will be sent to the National Forensic Service to confirm the exact cause of the accident including the claim of sudden acceleration.
Police said the driver did not attempt to flee the accident scene. Results from a breathalyzer test and a preliminary drug test indicated no traces of alcohol or drug use.
A citizen lays flowers at the site of a deadly car crash at an intersection near Seoul City Hall, Tuesday, a day after the accident killed nine pedestrians. Yonhap
Among the deceased, four were coworkers at a nearby bank who had attended a dinner party to celebrate a job promotion. Additionally, two others were officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
President Yoon Suk Yeol offered condolences to the victims of the accident during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, while Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min pledged to develop and implement comprehensive measures to prevent such unfortunate accidents.
Although the driver claims there was a sudden unintended acceleration, witnesses reported that the vehicle decelerated before coming to a stop. Experts also consider it unlikely that there was a vehicle malfunction.
“Based on the available data, it appears highly likely that the accident was due to the driver's mistake. Proving that there was a sudden unintended acceleration will be very difficult,” said Kim Pil-soo, a professor at the Daelim University Automotive Engineering Department.
“Researchers are refraining from making interpretations regarding situations where vehicles cover such distances in just five to six seconds. There is a lack of conclusive evidence, and many drivers claim sudden acceleration due to uncertainty about what they actually pressed.” He added that CCTV footage showed that the car’s brake lamps were on when it nearly stopped, meaning the vehicle could have been functioning properly.
This dash cam image provided by a citizen to Yonhap News Agency shows a vehicle in red circle driving into an intersection near Seoul City Hall after crashing into pedestrians, Monday. Yonhap
If the investigation finds that the accident was caused by driver negligence rather than a vehicle defect, heated debate is expected over the qualifications of elderly drivers.
However, Kim said the driver is too young to be considered as suffering from a degradation of physical ability, and various other reasons could have contributed to the accident.
“The rate of car accidents rises quickly among those aged over 75, but not among those in their 60s … Korea has one of the highest elderly employment rates among OECD members, thus a hasty debate on limiting elderly drivers’ qualifications will only end up causing backlash for infringing on elderly citizens’ rights of movement.”
Currently, the government requires drivers aged 75 and older to renew their driver's licenses every three years, with mandatory cognitive ability tests and traffic safety education as part of the renewal process. The government also recommends drivers aged 65 and older to receive traffic safety education.