Unlicensed Driver Turns Out to Be Deceased? Police Station in Uproar Over Bizarre Incident

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[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] An absurd incident drew attention when a driver caught driving without a license was found to be a deceased person on official documents.

On March 21 at around 11:15 a.m., on a six-lane road in Sachang-dong, Seowon-gu, Cheongju, Chungbuk, an uninsured motorbike was caught by the police. Upon dispatch, the police checked and found that the driver, Mr. A (52), did not have a license.

However, during the investigation of Mr. A by the traffic investigation division of the Cheongwon Police Station, the investigator noticed something strange. According to the computerized system, Mr. A’s identity information was registered as deceased. Suspecting identity theft, the investigator asked again, but Mr. A denied it, reportedly saying, "I am alive, so I don’t understand why I am listed as deceased."

Further investigation revealed that Mr. A’s identity information had indeed been processed as deceased. After separating from his family in 2008, he moved from Haenam, Jeonnam to Cheongju and worked as a day laborer. Three years later, his resident registration was canceled.

The police suggested that after he left, his family filed a missing person report, and he was subsequently declared deceased. Legally, when a missing person is reported, if no signs of life are found for five years from the last known contact, a missing person declaration can be requested. This declaration means that the person is legally presumed dead by court judgment after a certain period of unknown whereabouts.

Regarding Mr. A’s unlicensed and uninsured driving, the police collected his fingerprints from all ten fingers to confirm his identity and booked him on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act and the Automobile Damage Compensation Guarantee Act. They also notified the local government of his registered address to reinstate his resident registration. Meanwhile, Mr. A stated, "I knew my resident registration was canceled, but I don’t know why I am listed as a deceased person."