Increased Alcohol-Related Violence and Drunk Driving Following the Lifting of Social Distancing Measures

Over 1,300 Violence Cases Occur Daily in April-May... 40% Increase Compared to 943 Cases in Jan-Mar
Drunk Driving Also Surges... 973 Cases Daily

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] Since the lifting of social distancing restrictions, crimes related to alcohol, such as violence and drunk driving, have been increasing. Although complete eradication is difficult due to the addictive nature of alcohol, there are calls for strict punishment.

According to data obtained by Asia Economy from the National Police Agency on the 3rd, there were 73,687 reported violence cases nationwide from April to May 26. This means about 1,315 violence cases occurred daily over two months. This is a significant increase in violence cases after COVID-19 quarantine restrictions were lifted. From January to March this year, a total of 84,892 violence cases were reported to the police, averaging about 943 cases per day. Since April, the number of daily violence cases has increased by approximately 40%.

The police explained that most of the violence cases are related to alcohol. Excessive drinking causes people to lose control of their emotions and throw punches. A police official said, "Nine out of ten violence cases occur after drinking," adding, "Violence incidents continue to happen late into the night, which has recently increased the tension among police officers." Frontline police officers also explained that patrols have been strengthened mainly in entertainment districts where bars are concentrated.

Drunk driving has also increased significantly. From April to May this year, 54,474 drunk driving cases were reported nationwide, averaging 973 cases per day. In the January to March period, when quarantine restrictions limited drinking time, there were 59,251 cases, averaging 658 drunk driving incidents per day.

Although drunk driving-related accidents had been decreasing over the past decade, there are concerns that this trend may reverse. According to the Korea Road Traffic Authority, the number of deaths from drunk driving accidents was 733 in 2011 but decreased to 206 last year. This significant reduction over ten years is attributed to improved public traffic safety awareness and social distancing measures.

Experts explain that alcohol-related crimes are difficult to completely eradicate due to the high likelihood of recidivism. Professor Park Moo-hyuk of the Korea Road Traffic Authority said, "The addictive nature of alcohol causes repeated related crimes," and "People who have committed alcohol-related crimes in the past are more likely to commit the same crimes again." Nevertheless, he emphasized, "If the 'certainty of punishment,' meaning that offenders are definitely caught, and the 'severity of punishment,' meaning offenders are strongly penalized when caught, are ensured, alcohol-related crimes will decrease."