Summer crackdown on drunk, drug-impaired driving

Police conduct a drunk-driving checkpoint. [Yonhap]
Police conduct a drunk-driving checkpoint. [Yonhap]

By Kim A-rin, The Herald Business

Police are launching an intensive crackdown on drunk and drug-impaired drivers ahead of the summer vacation season, and will begin seizing vehicles used in drug-impaired driving as part of tougher enforcement measures.

The Korean National Police Agency announced Tuesday that it will run a three-month period of concentrated investigation and enforcement targeting drunk and drug-impaired driving offenses, beginning Wednesday.

Police traffic statistics show that license revocations for drug-impaired driving have consistently risen over the past five years — from 83 cases in 2021 to 80 in 2022, 128 in 2023, 163 in 2024 and 237 in 2025.

Starting this year, police will work with prosecutors to extend vehicle seizures to cars used in drug-impaired driving, in addition to those used in drunk driving. Over the three years through 2025, police seized a total of 1,711 vehicles to prevent repeat drunk driving offenses. On top of expanding seizures, police said they will actively apply aiding-and-abetting charges against passengers in vehicles driven under the influence of drugs.

During the crackdown period, police across the country's regional agencies will also conduct surprise simultaneous operations, rotating checkpoint locations to keep drivers from anticipating where enforcement will occur.

"We plan to instill in drivers the awareness that drunk and drug-impaired driving will be caught anytime, anywhere," a Korean National Police Agency official said, urging the public to avoid poor decisions in the festive atmosphere of the vacation season.


arin@heraldcorp.com