Teenagers Sentenced to Prison for Drunk and Unlicensed Driving Accident in Stolen Car

Stole a Vehicle Left with the Keys Inside
Victim Submitted a Statement of No Desire for Punishment

A teenager who stole a vehicle parked in an underground parking lot, drove under the influence of alcohol and without a license, caused an accident, and then fled the scene has been sentenced to prison.

On April 5, Judge Kim Chunsu of the Seoul Northern District Court’s Criminal Division 8 announced that he had sentenced teenager A, who was indicted on charges of special theft, drunk driving, unlicensed driving, and failure to take action after an accident under the Road Traffic Act, to a prison term of one year and six months (maximum) and eight months (minimum). Teenager B, who was indicted on charges of special theft and drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, and was ordered to probation.

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A and B were indicted for stealing a Sonata sedan from the underground parking lot of a building in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, at 12:37 a.m. on December 30 last year, after finding the car door open and the keys inside. They then drove the vehicle while intoxicated, caused an accident, and fled the scene.

Initially, B drove the vehicle, but stopped after moving only about one meter. Then A moved to the driver’s seat, and the two drove together for approximately four kilometers to the area near Samseongyo-ro in Seongbuk-gu. At the time of the incident, both A and B had a blood alcohol concentration of approximately 0.071% and neither possessed a driver’s license. The vehicle driven by A crashed into a metal fence and a canopy support pole on a road in Seongbuk-gu.

A was already under a suspended sentence for a similar offense. In 2024, A was indicted for special theft and other charges and was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years. However, A committed another crime during this probationary period.

Judge Kim stated, "The seriousness of the crime, A's commission of another offense during the probationary period after receiving a suspended sentence for a similar crime, the defendants’ admission of all charges, and the victim’s submission of a statement expressing no desire for punishment were all taken into consideration." He added, "For defendant B, the absence of any prior criminal record and the fact that he is a juvenile were considered as mitigating factors in sentencing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.