What happened in the Seoul drunk driving case involving a Japanese mother and daughter near Dongdaemun Station?

A court of appeals upheld a five-year prison sentence for Seo after he struck the two women in downtown Seoul while driving under the influence. The mother later died, and the daughter suffered minor injuries.

Why did the Seoul court refuse to reduce Seo’s five-year drunk driving sentence?

The appellate division said there were no grounds to grant leniency or reduce the sentence. It also said the defendant appeared to have been driving while unable to control himself, causing an outcome it described as tantamount to murder.

What evidence and penalties were cited in the Seoul drunk driving fatality case?

Seo’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.212 percent after he drank three bottles of soju. The district court in early May sentenced him to five years in prison and ordered the confiscation of the Tesla he was driving.

5-year term upheld for drunk driver who killed Japanese woman

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Summary

A court of appeals on Thursday upheld a five-year prison sentence for Seo, who was convicted of drunk driving in downtown Seoul and fatally hitting a Japanese woman last year. The appellate division of the Seoul Central District Court rejected his appeal, saying there were no grounds to reduce the sentence or grant leniency. The crash happened near Dongdaemun Station in Jongno Ward as the Japanese mother and daughter crossed a pedestrian crosswalk, and the mother later died after being taken to hospital. Seo’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.212 percent, and the district court also ordered the confiscation of the Tesla he was driving.

Key Facts

Seo had consumed three bottles of soju before driving on the night of Nov. 2 last year.
His blood alcohol concentration was 0.212 percent, far above the 0.08 percent legal threshold for license revocation.
The Seoul Central District Court sentenced him to five years in prison in early May and ordered the confiscation of the Tesla he was driving.
The victim was a Japanese woman in her 50s, while her daughter in her 30s suffered minor injuries.
The appellate court said Seo appeared to have been driving while unable to control himself, resulting in an outcome tantamount to murder.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 17, 2026 12:30 pm KST

A man in his 30s arrives at a Seoul court, Nov. 5, 2025, to attend his arrest warrant hearing on charges of drunk driving in downtown Seoul and hitting a Japanese woman and her daughter, killing the mother. Korea Times photo by Ha Sang-yoon

A court of appeals on Thursday upheld a five-year prison sentence for a man in his 30s who was indicted for drunk driving in downtown Seoul and hitting a Japanese woman and her daughter last year, killing the mother.

The appellate division of the Seoul Central District Court issued the ruling after dismissing the appeal filed by the man identified only by his surname Seo, saying there were no grounds to reduce his sentence or grant him leniency.

Seo is accused of drunk driving after consuming three bottles of soju on the night of Nov. 2 last year and hitting the two Japanese women as they crossed a pedestrian crosswalk near Dongdaemun Station in Seoul's Jongno Ward. The mother in her 50s was taken to a nearby hospital in cardiac arrest and later died, while her daughter in her 30s sustained minor injuries.

Seo's blood alcohol concentration was 0.212 percent, well above the 0.08 percent legal threshold for license revocation. The accident reportedly occurred on the first day of the two women's three-day trip to Korea.

In early May, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Seo to five years in prison and ordered the confiscation of the Tesla he was driving at the time of the DUI incident.

Siding with the district court's ruling, the appellate court said the defendant appeared to have been driving while unable to control himself, resulting in an outcome tantamount to murder.

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