"I Didn't Know the Grass Was Laid"... 20-Year-Old Apologizes for 'Drifting' on a 1.5 Billion Won Sports Field

Drift Driving on School Playground with Artificial Turf
"I Didn't Realize It Was Grass Because of the Snow"

A man in his 20s who performed drift driving (stunt driving) on the playground of a middle school in Chungju, Chungbuk, visited the school to apologize.

Vehicle entering the playground. Chungju Middle School CCTV

According to the police on the 5th, a man in his 20s, Mr. A, visited Chungju Middle School in Hoam-dong, Chungju, around 3 p.m. the previous day and bowed his head to the school officials, saying "I'm sorry." Mr. A explained that "it was snowing heavily, so I did not realize there was grass and entered the playground."

On the evening of January 29, which was Lunar New Year's Day, at 8:22 p.m., Mr. A drove a passenger car and trespassed into the school, damaging the newly installed artificial turf that cost 1.5 billion won. According to the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage released by the school, the car passed through the school gate and the school entrance path, then entered the snow-covered playground. For about five minutes, the driver repeatedly accelerated and braked abruptly while performing drift driving before leaving the school.

The school requested an investigation by the police on the 4th.

It is known that Mr. A later visited the Chungju Police Station and was questioned. A police official said, "It appears that he was not under the influence of alcohol while driving," and added, "Once we receive the exact damage assessment from the school, we will investigate whether there was any intent and proceed with charges."

A school official stated, "Today, the company that installed the playground conducted a detailed inspection of the artificial turf. It seems that some of the artificial turf infill and other parts have been damaged."