Fined for Driving to Work with a Hangover after Drinking Until 3 A.M.: Man in His 30s

Previous Suspended Sentence for Drunk Driving

A man in his 30s who drove to work with a hangover after drinking until dawn has been fined.

According to Yonhap News on July 5, Judge Lee Jaewook of the Ulsan District Court Criminal Division 3 sentenced Mr. A, a man in his 30s who was tried on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act, to a fine of 20 million won.

In February this year, Mr. A was caught in a drunk driving checkpoint on a road in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, after driving approximately 18 kilometers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.051% in the morning. It was found that Mr. A had drunk alcohol until 3 a.m., slept, and then drove on his way to work in the morning.

The prosecution sought a prison sentence, noting that Mr. A had previously received a suspended sentence for drunk driving and had committed the same offense again.

However, the court took into consideration that it was a case of driving with a hangover and that his blood alcohol concentration was at the level for license suspension (between 0.03% and less than 0.08%). The court explained the sentencing, stating, "Although a prison sentence would be appropriate to prevent repeat offenses, the defendant is reflecting on his actions. We also considered that his blood alcohol level was not particularly high and that he was caught in the morning after drinking until dawn."

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