Busan's First Case of the 'Drinking Driving Prevention Law' Applied

A man in his 50s was caught by the police for intentionally consuming alcohol to interfere with a drinking measurement test after a traffic accident in Busan. This marks the first application of the so-called 'Drinking Driving Prevention Law' in the Busan area since its revision last month.

On the 4th, the Busan Northern Police Station announced that they had sent A (50s, male) to prosecutors without detention on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act (interfering with a drinking measurement test).

A is accused of colliding with a vehicle ahead of him on Maduk-daero in Bukgu, Busan, around 9:00 AM on the 11th of last month, leaving the scene, purchasing two bottles of soju at a nearby convenience store, and intentionally consuming them.

In particular, it is reported that A explicitly expressed his intentions by stating, "I will drink and go," even after being contacted by the police immediately following the accident.

He voluntarily appeared before the police only at 11:35 AM, more than two hours after the accident, and his blood alcohol concentration significantly exceeded the level that would result in a license suspension at that time.

According to police investigations, it was confirmed that A was already intoxicated before the accident, but by consuming more alcohol afterward, it became impossible to ascertain his exact state of intoxication at the time of the accident.

The Northern Police Station applied the charge of interfering with a drinking measurement test against A in accordance with the revised Road Traffic Act that came into effect on the 4th of last month.

The so-called 'Drinking Driving Prevention Law' was established to strongly punish actions that intentionally interfere with drinking measurement tests after traffic accidents.

According to this law, drivers who obstruct police drinking measurements with the 'drinking driving method' after a traffic accident can face imprisonment for one to five years or fines ranging from 5 million to 20 million won.

This case represents the first instance of this charge being applied in Busan following the legal revision, and it is expected to raise awareness regarding the crackdown on drunk driving.

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