Why the Supreme Court Overturned a License Revocation Verdict Despite Drunk Driving Levels

In December 2023, a truck was found stopped with its engine running in the middle of a road in Sejong City. The driver, surnamed Kim, was asleep inside the vehicle.

Kim's blood alcohol concentration measured at the time was 0.081%, which falls under the threshold for license revocation. Given a prior record of drunk driving, Kim was found guilty in both the first and second trials.

However, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling. The reason was none other than a "glass of water."

The evidentiary value of the breathalyzer test was dismissed because the police failed to provide water for Kim to rinse his mouth before the test.

Video Mug explored the meaning behind this ruling to understand why a breathalyzer result showing a license-revocation level of alcohol was not accepted as evidence of guilt.

(Produced by: Jung Seo-woo | Edited by: Yoon Ye-ran | Design: Cho Seung-hyun | Narration: Chang Hoon-kyung | Produced by SBS Intellectual Content IP Department)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.