Driving with Paper License Plates 120 Times
A public official in his 50s was sentenced to prison after having his car license plate confiscated due to unpaid fines and then driving around with a paper-printed license plate attached to his vehicle.
According to the legal community on the 27th, Judge Choi Lee-ji of the Daejeon District Court Criminal Division 8 sentenced Mr. A (59), who was indicted on charges of violating the Automobile Management Act and forging official documents, to six months in prison.
According to the current Automobile Management Act, it is illegal to operate a vehicle without a license plate except in very limited cases. Although it has been known that driving is allowed for about one day on the day the plate is seized if the seizure certificate is carried, recent amendments to the related law prohibit vehicle operation within 24 hours after the license plate is seized. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Mr. A was prosecuted for printing the vehicle number on A4 paper at home with a printer and attaching it to the car from April 9 for five months, totaling 120 times, after the license plate of his husband's passenger car was confiscated on February 15 due to unpaid fines.
Mr. A claimed that his actions were a legitimate response to unlawful fine imposition and therefore not a crime, but the court rejected this, stating there was no evidence to consider the confiscation unlawful.
Last July, a story was posted on the online community 'BobaeDream' about a foreign car driving around with a paper license plate, which sparked controversy. [Photo source=online community 'BobaeDream']
Judge Choi explained the reason for the prison sentence, saying, "Mr. A insists on his independent claim that his actions were not illegal, refuses to admit wrongdoing, shows uncooperative behavior during the investigation, and exhibits extremely poor attitude by using harsh language."
It was confirmed that Mr. A paid all the overdue fines after this incident. However, he appealed the first trial verdict.
Despite Being a Serious Crime, Actual Punishment Level for Forging Car License Plates Is 'Minimal'
Hiding a car license plate is an administrative measure that can be imposed on defaulters who have not paid automobile tax or automobile-related fines for a certain period. [Photo by Yonhap News]
License plate confiscation is an administrative measure that can be imposed on defaulters who fail to pay automobile taxes or related fines for a certain period.
According to the current Automobile Management Act, driving a vehicle without a license plate is illegal except in very limited cases. It was known that driving was allowed for about one day on the day of confiscation if carrying the confiscation certificate, but recent legal amendments prohibit driving the vehicle even within 24 hours after license plate confiscation.
Forgery of car license plates carries the heaviest penalties among illegal automobile-related acts because it can be exploited for crimes and cause significant harm. The Automobile Management Act stipulates imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of up to 100 million won.
However, actual punishment levels are minimal. In December last year in Daegu, a man in his 60s who drove with a paper license plate after his plate was confiscated for unpaid vehicle fines was tried. The punishment was limited to six months in prison with a one-year probation. The reason was that all overdue fines were paid once the fake plate was discovered.
Previously, in Ulsan, a man in his 40s who attached a paper license plate again during his probation period was sentenced to eight months in prison. Despite committing the same crime twice during the probation, the punishment was lenient.
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