"Unlicensed Hit-and-Run High School Student, Heavy Punishment Seems Difficult"

Cheong, on Unlicensed Rental Car Petition: "Fine for Rental Violations to Increase 10-Fold"

On the 1st of last month, a woman in her 20s was hit and killed by a vehicle driven by a teenager at the Samgeori intersection in Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do. The photo shows the CCTV footage of the accident scene. Photo by Channel A

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] In response to a national petition requesting harsher punishment for a teenage driver who caused a fatal accident while driving a rental car without a license, the Blue House has announced plans to raise the fine standards. Experts predict that enhanced punishment will be difficult to implement.

Jeong Gyeong-il, a traffic accident specialist lawyer, stated on the 25th on YTN Radio's "Wise Radio Life," "According to government measures, starting January 20 next year, acts such as lending, borrowing, or mediating the use of vehicle rental-related registrations will be punishable by law, with penalties including imprisonment of up to one year or fines up to 10 million won. Currently, rental car companies are obligated to verify the identity of drivers, and if violated, the fine will be increased tenfold from the current 500,000 won to 5 million won. Additionally, intensive crackdowns will begin at the end of November."

Regarding the possibility of enhanced punishment, Lawyer Jeong said, "The law does not provide for separate enhanced penalties." He explained, "Hit-and-run is separately established under the Special Act. Enhanced penalties apply to combined offenses such as special hit-and-run causing death or injury. However, there is no separate special law that adds extra penalties simply because of unlicensed driving."

He added, "If the youth is under 14 years old, they lack criminal responsibility and cannot be prosecuted, but if they are older, they are generally subject to criminal punishment. For minors, there are some special provisions in criminal procedures or penalties, but this does not mean they are exempt from punishment," he concluded.

A petition titled "Requesting severe punishment for the teenage driver and passengers involved in the unlicensed hit-and-run accident that killed my 22-year-old nephew on Chuseok" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 4th of last month. Photo by Blue House National Petition Board capture.

Earlier, on the 4th of last month, a petition titled "Requesting severe punishment for the teenage driver and passengers who killed my 22-year-old nephew in a hit-and-run accident on Chuseok" was posted on the Blue House's national petition board.

The petitioner identified themselves as a bereaved family member of A (21), who was struck and killed by a rental car driven by an unlicensed high school student while visiting their hometown in Hwasun, Jeollanam-do on Chuseok day last month.

The petitioner appealed, "The perpetrators are a teenage high school student unlicensed driver and four passengers. They sped through a 30 km/h speed limit zone in a rental car and hit my nephew crossing the crosswalk, then fled the scene. At a time when we should have been happily celebrating Chuseok with family, our entire family had to spend the holiday in tears at the funeral due to my nephew's hit-and-run death."

They continued, "Unlicensed teenage driving is as dangerous as drunk driving and should be punished severely as a 'weapon on the road.' Those who rented the car to the high school student should also face stronger punishment. If there is no law, please establish one; if the punishment is insufficient, please strengthen sentencing guidelines so that such murderers do not escape appropriate punishment. We earnestly ask for this," urging strong punishment for the perpetrators.

In response, Son Myeong-su, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated on the 24th, "We will require rental car companies to verify drivers' qualifications and strengthen punishment standards for violations."

Vice Minister Son explained, "To prevent accidents caused by unlicensed rental car driving, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport mandates rental car companies to verify driving qualifications when renting vehicles and prohibits rental if the driver lacks a license. We plan to strengthen penalties by increasing the fine for rental companies violating the driver qualification verification obligation from the current 500,000 won to 5 million won, a tenfold increase," he said.