Crackdown on drunk driving to begin in July

Ahead of the summer vacation season, the national police agency announced that it will conduct a special crackdown on drunk driving nationwide for two months starting Monday.

The Korean National Police Agency will administer breath tests every Friday, and each municipal police agency will lead the crackdown at least twice a week. Crackdowns will also be carried out on a regular basis by region, according to the police.

The crackdown is aimed at highlighting the need to eradicate drunk driving, prompted in part by a recent drunk-driving offense by a celebrity was involved in drunk driving, a police official explained.

Singer Kim Ho-joong recently faced public criticism due to allegations he had committed a hit-and-run accident and then attempted to conceal his involvement as the driver.

According to the police, 159 people were killed in drunk driving accidents last year, a 25.7 percent fall from 2022, which recorded 214 deaths. During the same period, the total number of drunk driving cases also fell by 13.4 percent, from 15,059 to 13,042. Police attributed the drop to a major crackdown following a drunk driving fatality at a children's center in Daejeon in April last year.

Crackdowns will take place in child protection zones, near entertainment and downtown areas, golf courses, and entrances and exits to highway toll booths. It also includes areas where there are concerns about drunk driving during the holiday season, such as around tourist attractions and areas where 112 calls are submitted.

"If you are caught driving under the influence of alcohol, you may be punished for aiding and abetting, as well as having your vehicle confiscated," said the police.