'Yeongwol Tunnel Wrong-Way Driving' Perpetrator Turns Out to Be a Marine Corps Non-Commissioned Officer

Police Request Alcohol Analysis from National Forensic Service
Driving in Reverse for About 4km to the Accident Site

The perpetrator of the tunnel wrong-way driving accident that occurred during the Chuseok holiday in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, was identified as an active-duty Marine Corps non-commissioned officer. The police are investigating circumstances suggesting that this Marine Corps NCO was involved in a drunk driving incident. On the 18th, Chosun Ilbo reported that the perpetrator who drove a Seltos SUV alone in the wrong direction and collided head-on with an oncoming Carnival van at around 1:27 a.m. on the 16th in the Yeongwol 2 Tunnel on National Road No. 38 in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon, was Sergeant Yeom (24), a Marine Corps reconnaissance NCO stationed in Pohang, Gyeongbuk.

At around 1:27 a.m. on the 16th, a van collided head-on with an SUV driving in the wrong direction in the Yeongwol 2 Tunnel on National Road 38 in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province, resulting in 2 deaths and 5 injuries. The photo shows the vehicles damaged in the collision. [Photo by Yonhap News]

As a result of this wrong-way driving accident, Sergeant Yeom and the Carnival driver, Mr. A (34), were transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest but died. Mr. A’s wife, two children, father-in-law, and mother-in-law, who were in the van, sustained serious to moderate injuries and were taken to the hospital for treatment. Mr. A’s family was traveling together for the holiday when the accident occurred. After analyzing the vehicle’s black box and tunnel CCTV footage, the police found that Sergeant Yeom entered through an incorrect entrance and drove about 4 km in the wrong direction up to the accident site inside the tunnel. The accident site is a location where a central divider is installed, similar to a highway.

The police have reportedly obtained witness statements indicating that "Sergeant Yeom drove after drinking with his school friends." To confirm whether Sergeant Yeom was intoxicated, the police collected blood samples from the deceased Sergeant Yeom and requested a detailed analysis from the National Forensic Service. A police official stated, "It is expected to take about two weeks for the test results to come out." A Marine Corps official said, "It is understood that Sergeant Yeom was on leave at the time of the accident," and added, "We plan to take over the case from the police soon and continue the investigation."