A man in his 30s sentenced to 1 year in prison for a third DUI offense and driving while heavily intoxicated again

Drunk driving checkpoint. The photo is not directly related to the article content. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jumi Lee] A man in his 30s, who had already been punished three times for drunk driving, was sentenced to prison after driving again in a severely intoxicated state.

The Ulsan District Court Criminal Division 8 (Judge Hyunsoo Jung) announced on the 5th that it sentenced Mr. A, who was charged with violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving), to one year in prison.

The court explained the sentencing reason, stating, "The defendant has a history of being punished three times for drunk driving but drove under the influence again, which is a serious offense, and considering the very high blood alcohol concentration level."

Mr. A was brought to trial on charges of causing an accident while driving approximately 1.5 km in a severely intoxicated state on a road in Yangsan City, Gyeongnam, in August last year.

At that time, Mr. A's blood alcohol concentration was measured at 0.290%, far exceeding the license cancellation threshold.

Previously, Mr. A received summary fines of 700,000 won and 4 million won for drunk driving in August 2011 and September 2014, respectively, and in August 2016, he was sentenced to six months in prison with a two-year probation for the same offense.