"You Need to Move the Judge with a Letter of Reflection"... Controversy over DUI Relief Cafes

Sharing Sentencing Materials and Inquiring About Judges' Tendencies

Online communities known as "DUI license relief cafes," where members share methods to reduce sentences, are thriving.

According to coverage by The Asia Business Daily on November 18, one such DUI relief cafe has surpassed 50,000 members, and in November alone, hundreds of consultation posts were uploaded. In this cafe, resources such as a "manual for responding to DUI detection" and "how to write a letter of reflection to receive a reduced sentence" are shared for free.

When I requested the free materials, I received them in my personal email within half a day. The materials included detailed manuals for different scenarios, such as "You need to prepare even before going to the police station" and "Even if you are heavily intoxicated, if the travel distance is short, you can aim for a suspension of indictment."

Active sharing of know-how among members effectively serves as a guide for sentence reduction. When one member posted, "The prosecutor requested a two-year prison sentence for my second DUI; what are the chances of actually serving time?" other members advised, "Move the judge with a sincere letter of reflection," and "If you prepare your sentencing materials well, probation is possible." There were also posts asking about the tendencies of specific judges, with members sharing the initials and affiliations of the presiding judges.

Members of a DUI relief cafe are posting concerns related to DUI penalties. Screenshot from an online cafe

The problem is that this kind of information sharing can encourage repeat DUI offenses. In these cafes, the focus is solely on how to reduce sentences, with little to no discussion about reflection or prevention regarding DUI itself. According to the National Police Agency, the repeat DUI offense rate last year reached 43.8%, and from 2020 to last year, more than 900 individuals each year were caught as repeat DUI offenders with "seven or more" offenses.

Experts argue that the effectiveness of sentencing guidelines should be strengthened, and that treatment and education systems for habitual offenders must also be established. Choi Jaewon, a professor at the Korea Road Traffic Authority, stated, "A fatal DUI accident can result in a life sentence, but the Supreme Court's sentencing guidelines recommend no more than eight years. Compared to other countries, the sentences stipulated by law are not low, but there is a need to raise the sentencing guidelines to better align with public sentiment."