US Soldier Fined for Drunk Driving Across 260 km from Gwangju to Busan

A U.S. soldier stationed in South Korea has been fined for driving about 260 km from Gwangju to Busan while heavily intoxicated.

Busan District Court Judge Mok Myeong-gyun of Criminal Division 17 announced today (July 24) that he sentenced Staff Sergeant A, a U.S. Forces Korea soldier indicted on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving) and the Guarantee of Automobile Accident Compensation Act, to a fine of 15 million won.

A was put on trial for driving a Lincoln sedan from Gwangwan-gu, Gwangju, to Busanjin-gu, Busan, a distance of about 260 km, on December 17 of last year at 9:02 PM, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.223% (well above the license revocation threshold of 0.08%).

It was also confirmed that the sedan was not covered by mandatory insurance.

During the trial, A argued, "My speech, behavior, gait, and complexion were normal at the time of the breathalyzer test," adding, "There is a possibility that the test reading came out higher than the actual level because I used a mouthwash containing alcohol an hour before the test."

A also claimed, "There were procedural flaws in the testing process, such as police officers communicating only through a translation application and failing to properly inform me of my right to a retest through a blood draw."

However, the court rejected A's claims, ruling that the breathalyzer test results were reliable and that there were no issues with the testing procedure.

The court based its decision on grounds including that the police officer used Google Translate to inform A that the breathalyzer test could only be administered once, had him rinse his mouth with more than 200 ml of water before the test, and that the breathalyzer met quality standards and appeared to use a new mouthpiece.

Furthermore, the court noted that there was no objective evidence showing A used mouthwash at the time, and even if he had used it an hour before the test, he rinsed his mouth with water, meaning it would not have affected the test results.

Judge Mok stated the reasoning for the sentencing, saying, "Drunk driving is a crime with a high risk of inflicting harm on the lives and bodies of others and requires strict punishment," adding, "We considered factors such as the extremely high blood alcohol concentration level, the failure to enroll in mandatory insurance, and the very long distance driven while intoxicated."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.