A drunk driving accident in South Korea has drawn widespread public outrage after it was revealed that the husband of the intoxicated driver collected 1,135 leniency petitions from acquaintances to submit to the court.
MBC’s ‘Hidden Eye’ broadcasted the trial process and detailed circumstances of the fatal drunk driving incident that occurred in Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, in January. According to the broadcast, the husband of the female driver, identified as A, asked acquaintances through social clubs and personal networks to show leniency toward his wife. A total of 1,135 people signed the petition.
However, reports indicated that some individuals signed the petition at an acquaintance’s request without fully understanding the specific details or gravity of the case.
Driver A is facing charges of driving under the influence on January 9 at around 9:20 p.m. in Hongbuk-eup, Hongseong-gun, and crashing into a 20-year-old motorcyclist, identified as B, resulting in death. It was revealed that A had a prior record of being punished for drunk driving.
At the time of the incident, A’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.211%, well above the legal threshold for license revocation. Despite being heavily intoxicated, she got behind the wheel with her two young daughters, aged 4 and 6, in the car.
A accelerated up to approximately 190 km/h in a 60 km/h speed limit zone, with the vehicle’s black box recording a peak speed of 194 km/h. As the vehicle started moving, A’s daughter pleaded, “Please drive slowly, Mom. I’m scared.” When the speed did not decrease, the children burst into tears, crying, “Mom, slow down” and “I’m scared.” In response, A yelled, “Be quiet,” “Stay still,” and “I don’t care if you cry,” while also swearing at them.
A ignored traffic signals and abruptly changed lanes after spotting a vehicle driving in the second lane. During this maneuver, she struck B’s motorcycle, which was traveling in the first lane. B was dragged by the vehicle for approximately 100 meters and died on the day of the accident due to traumatic brain injury. B, who operated a delivery agency, was an expectant groom preparing for marriage and was commuting home with his girlfriend at the time.
After the crash, A left the scene before police traced and apprehended her following a report by an eyewitness. During police investigations and court proceedings, A claimed that she could not remember the circumstances of the accident due to heavy intoxication. She also argued that she was unaware of B’s death and had no intention of fleeing.
In July, the first-instance court sentenced A to 12 years in prison and ordered her to complete an 80-hour child abuse treatment program. Both the prosecution and A appealed the ruling. In the appellate trial that began in August, A admitted to the charges—unlike her stance in the first trial—and requested time to reach a settlement with the bereaved family.
