The "Road Traffic Act Amendment" bill, primarily proposed by Min Hyung-bae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Gwangju Gwangsan-eul, passed the plenary session on the 14th.
The amendment punishes individuals who consume alcohol or pharmaceuticals with the intent to interfere with breathalyzer tests conducted by the police immediately before the test begins.
Recently, a celebrity was found to have driven under the influence and then consumed more alcohol to obstruct accurate breath measurement, known as the "sultagi method," prompting the need for penalties and leading to the proposal of this amendment.
The passed amendment to the Road Traffic Act, reflecting alternative proposals, establishes a prohibition on acts that interfere with alcohol measurement, such as the "sultagi method." Those who obstruct breathalyzer tests face imprisonment of up to five years or fines up to 20 million won. Additionally, if caught two or more times within ten years, enhanced penalties apply, including license revocation and disqualification from obtaining a driver's license.
Representative Min stated, "The drunk driving incident involving a celebrity caused disruption to legal order," adding, "With the passage of this amendment, we hope to prevent obstruction of justice and protect citizens' lives and safety from drunk driving."
Meanwhile, on the same day, the "Civil Defense Basic Act Amendment," also primarily proposed by Representative Min, which includes provisions for support against damages such as the dropping of waste balloons, passed the National Assembly as an alternative bill.
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