Gangnam-gu with Most Hit-and-Run Incidents Involving Kim Ho-jung... "Left Accident Scene Fearing Drunk Driving Detection"

Analysis by Road Traffic Authority's Accident Analysis System
Hit-and-run linked to drunk driving... Concentrated in Gangnam with many entertainment districts

Over the past five years, the number of hit-and-run traffic accidents in Seoul has reached an average of 800 cases per year.

According to the analysis by the Road Traffic Authority's Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS) on the 19th, a total of 3,965 hit-and-run traffic accidents occurred in Seoul over the five years from 2019 to last year. This averages 793 cases per year, meaning an average of 2.2 hit-and-run accidents occur daily. By year, there were 721 cases in 2019, 751 in 2020, 824 in 2021, 806 in 2022, and 863 last year, showing an increasing trend each year. Over the five years, the number of deaths caused by hit-and-run traffic accidents in Seoul was 27, and the number of injuries was 5,643.

Looking at the number of hit-and-run cases by district within Seoul, among the 25 autonomous districts, Gangnam-gu accounted for 448 cases (11.3%) and Seocho-gu for 416 cases (10.5%), making up the overwhelming majority. Following these were Gangseo-gu (244 cases, 6.2%), Mapo-gu (199 cases, 5.0%), Yongsan-gu (189 cases, 4.8%), and Guro-gu (181 cases, 4.6%).

Experts diagnose that the reason why the hit-and-run accident rate is particularly high in the Gangnam and Seocho areas within Seoul is because many hit-and-run accidents are related to drunk driving. Due to the nature of entertainment districts such as the area around Gangnam Station, many drivers who have been drinking cause accidents and then flee the scene to avoid being caught for drunk driving.

Professor Choi Jae-won of the Road Traffic Authority explained, "Hit-and-run cases often involve alcohol, and since there are many entertainment districts in (Gangnam and Seocho-gu), hit-and-run accidents can occur more frequently. Even if the driver was not intoxicated at the time of the accident, if they have a history of drunk driving and do not have a license, it can also lead to hit-and-run."

In fact, looking at drunk driving traffic accidents by Seoul district over the past five years, out of a total of 10,862 cases, Gangnam-gu had the highest number with 1,548 cases (14.3%), followed by Seocho-gu with 764 cases (7.0%). For unlicensed traffic accidents, out of a total of 2,670 cases, Gangnam-gu had 333 cases (12.5%), Songpa-gu 177 cases (6.6%), Mapo-gu 159 cases (6.0%), and Seocho-gu 128 cases (4.8%).

Singer Kim Ho-jung
[Photo by Saeng Entertainment]

Recently, singer Kim Ho-jung, who is suspected of hit-and-run and drunk driving, also caused an accident in Gangnam-gu. On the 9th at around 11:40 p.m., Kim was driving on a road in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, when he collided with an oncoming taxi and fled the scene. He is under police investigation for hit-and-run (failure to take action after an accident under the Road Traffic Act) and fleeing the scene causing injury (under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes). About two hours after the accident, at around 2 a.m. on the 10th, Kim’s manager went to the police station wearing the clothes Kim had worn at the time of the accident and falsely confessed to causing the accident. Kim appeared at the police station 17 hours after the accident, at 4:30 p.m. on the 10th.