Police to Refer Drunk Driver in His 30s Who Struck Japanese Tourist Mother and Daughter to Prosecutors in Custody on the 11th

Detention Warrant Issued on November 5
Citing "Risk of Flight"

A man in his 30s who killed one person after driving under the influence and striking a Japanese tourist mother and daughter will be handed over to prosecutors in custody.

According to the police on November 8, the Hyehwa Police Station in Seoul plans to refer Seo, who is suspected of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act and causing death and injury by dangerous driving under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in custody on November 11.

Seo Mo, a drunk driver who struck a Japanese mother and daughter in downtown Seoul, killing the mother in her 50s, is attending a detention hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Seo is accused of driving his car for about 1 kilometer under the influence of alcohol at around 10 p.m. on November 2, then veering onto the sidewalk at Heunginjimun Intersection near Dongdaemun Station in Jongno-gu and striking the Japanese mother and daughter.

As a result of the accident, the Japanese mother in her 50s was taken to the hospital in cardiac arrest but ultimately died, while her daughter in her 30s suffered a fractured knee and a laceration on her forehead.

The mother and daughter were reportedly on their way to Naksan Fortress Trail in Jongno-gu after shopping at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) when the accident occurred.

At the time of the incident, Seo had consumed about three bottles of soju and was driving in a heavily intoxicated state. His blood alcohol concentration measured after the incident exceeded the license revocation threshold of 0.08 percent.

On November 5, the court issued a detention warrant for Seo, citing concerns that he might flee.

Meanwhile, at the request of the bereaved family, the police have extended their stay at the temporary accommodation from the original 15 days to 20 days.