The Tragedy of Bereaved Families Forced to Say "We Welcome Drunk Driving Accidents"

Victims' Families' Post on Drunk Driving Accident Gains Attention
Low Punishment Level Forces Reliance on 'Public Outrage'
"A Reality Where We Must Have Unrealistic Expectations"

A bereaved family member who lost their father in a drunk driving accident posted a paradoxically titled article, "I'm glad a drunk driving accident happened," which has evoked sympathy and sorrow among netizens.

On the 11th, a post titled "I'm... glad a drunk driving accident happened" was uploaded on an online community. It appears that A posted this article around the time when the drunk driving accident in a Daejeon school zone on the 8th, which took the life of 9-year-old elementary student Bae Seung-ah, sparked widespread social outrage.

The author, A, who revealed that they lost their father in a drunk driving accident, began the post by saying, "I am sorry to the victims, but for me, this is desperate."

According to A, A's father lost his life to a drunk driving vehicle while on his way home by car. The blood alcohol concentration of the driver, a local resident who caused the accident, was at the level warranting license cancellation.

However, the investigation is currently proceeding without detention on the grounds that there is no flight risk.

A expressed frustration, saying, "The perpetrator is probably eating warm meals at home, laughing with family, and watching the news about someone else drinking and hitting a person," and added, "When it went to the prosecution, it was sent back saying the police investigation needed supplementation."

[Photo by Online Community Capture]

According to A, the prosecution initially intended to indict the perpetrator on charges of negligent injury. This was because A's father was partly at fault for not wearing a seatbelt, and the black box footage showed the perpetrator seemingly trying to rescue the victim.

A's family became even more despairing after meeting a well-known traffic accident lawyer whose consultation fee alone was several hundred thousand won. They were told, "This kind of case won't result in a prison sentence. Being told to supplement the investigation means they are also considering the victim's fault."

The lawyer advised, "Before it goes back to the prosecution, wait for another drunk driving accident to become a hot topic and for a heavier sentence to be requested. That could influence this ruling as well."

After this consultation, A said they have come to feel glad about news of drunk driving accidents. The more tragic and painful the accident, the more glad they feel.

He said, "Because if the judge imposes a harsher sentence than before, we can at least hope that the perpetrator who killed my father will serve even just one month in prison," and shared that he reads drunk driving accident news with tear-filled eyes, thinking, "The chance of a suspended sentence was 99%, but now maybe it's down to 96%, or maybe around 80%."

He continued, "I know it's not normal to live with such hopes," and appealed, "But this is the world that victim families face, forced to live with these absurd hopes. Please, do not issue rulings that kill victim families twice."

Netizens also express 'outrage'... Calls for tougher drunk driving penalties arise again

Netizens who saw this expressed shared anger and sympathy, commenting, "I don't expect the death penalty like in other countries, but please impose heavy sentences," "We need to eliminate drunk driving, drugs, and mental illness-related diminished responsibility. The law needs to be stricter," "The prosecution's attitude of blaming the victim is wrong," and "I came to downvote after reading the title but ended up recommending it."

Meanwhile, the level of punishment for drunk driving in South Korea is significantly lower than in other countries. Although perpetrators of fatal drunk driving accidents can be sentenced to life imprisonment, the highest sentence actually handed down in domestic drunk driving fatality cases is 8 years.

In Japan, the number of deaths caused by drunk driving accidents has drastically decreased since 2003. After penalties for drunk driving were strengthened, actual sentences given to perpetrators reached up to 20 years, resulting in a reduction of drunk driving fatalities to about one-fifth over ten years.