A 20-Year-Old Returning Home After Work Dies in Drunk Driving Hit-and-Run... Calls for Stricter Punishment of the Perpetrator Increase

A national petition posted regarding a traffic accident.
[Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] Amid the tragic accident in which a woman in her 20s, returning home after finishing a part-time job early in the morning, was fatally struck by a hit-and-run drunk driving vehicle, calls for strict punishment of the perpetrator are growing louder.

At around 1:30 a.m. on the 7th, on a road in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, a driver in his 30s, Mr. A, ran a red light and hit a woman in her 20s, Ms. B, and another man in his 30s with a van. Mr. A was caught by the police after crashing into a roadside flower bed about 4 km away from the accident scene. Ms. B was taken to the hospital but ultimately passed away.

Ms. B was a job seeker about to graduate from university and was walking home to save taxi fare when she was involved in the hit-and-run accident. According to her bereaved family, she lived alone and earned living expenses through part-time jobs.

Police investigations revealed that Mr. A was working as a taxi driver in Asan, Chungnam. At the time of the accident, his blood alcohol concentration was 0.203%, well above the license cancellation threshold, indicating a state of severe intoxication. The police applied the so-called "Yoon Chang-ho Act" to Mr. A and requested an arrest warrant on charges of dangerous driving causing death and hit-and-run causing death.

In response, the YouTube channel "Han Moon-cheol TV" released footage of the drunk driving hit-and-run accident and demanded definite punishment. Attorney Han Moon-cheol emphasized, "It has not even been three full years since the Yoon Chang-ho Act was enacted in December 2018," adding, "Still, most drunk driving fatality cases result in about four years of imprisonment, sometimes six years if slightly higher, and at most eight years."

Attorney Han stated, "This accident is not a simple drunk driving fatality. The perpetrator was severely intoxicated and committed a hit-and-run," adding, "Ten years in prison is not enough for the offender," and questioned, "I am curious about the final sentence the court will impose. Shouldn't it be at least 15 to 20 years in prison?" He continued, "It is so heartbreaking and painful to wonder when we will no longer hear news of drunk driving fatal accidents in this country," sharing a link to the Blue House national petition posted by the victim’s family.

Earlier, Ms. B’s family had posted a national petition on the Blue House website on the same day. The petitioner stated, "Today, my beloved niece passed away," and expressed, "It is very upsetting that drunk driving is taken lightly." They continued, "I hope the punishment will be strengthened so that such incidents never happen again," and appealed, "I ask for strict punishment for the perpetrator so that my beloved niece’s death will not be in vain." As of 2 p.m. today (the 9th), this petition has gathered over 13,000 supporters.