Prison Sentence Sought for Real-Life Inspiration Behind "The Outlaws" Detective Ma Seokdo in Drunk Driving Case

Minor Accident After Drunk Driving Above License Cancellation Level
No Injuries Reported, But Suspended from Duty

A police officer widely known as the real-life inspiration for Detective Ma Seokdo from the action film "The Outlaws" has been sentenced to prison for drunk driving charges.

Yonhap News Agency

On July 7, during a hearing presided over by Judge Lee Seong-yeol of the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 25, prosecutors requested that Police Lieutenant Yoon, affiliated with the Seoul Suseo Police Station and facing charges under the Road Traffic Act for drunk driving, be sentenced to one year and six months in prison.

Yoon's attorney stated, "The defendant fully acknowledges the charges and deeply regrets his actions. As a police officer, he should have been more committed than anyone to upholding the law, yet he made a grave mistake." The attorney then appealed for leniency, saying, "Please allow him not to end his police career in disgrace due to a single lapse in judgment, so he can continue to contribute to society as a police officer."

In his final statement, Lieutenant Yoon said, "I am spending each day in self-reflection and remorse. If Your Honor grants me leniency just this once, I promise that such an incident will never happen again. I am truly sorry," bowing his head.

Lieutenant Yoon was indicted without detention this April on charges of causing a minor accident while driving under the influence near Gangnam Severance Hospital in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at around 8:30 p.m. on November 24 last year, while he was serving at the Seoul Suseo Police Station. At the time, his blood alcohol concentration was measured at 0.144%, well above the license cancellation threshold of 0.08%, although no injuries were reported.

After news of his drunk driving became public, Lieutenant Yoon was suspended from his duties. According to the National Public Service Act, police officers are subject to automatic dismissal if convicted of a crime resulting in a prison sentence or more.

At the first trial held on this day, the court concluded the proceedings and set July 21 as the sentencing date.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Yoon was reportedly appointed as a police officer in 1997 and has since handled mainly major criminal investigations. Ma Dongseok, who starred in and produced "The Outlaws," developed the film based on interviews with detectives about their real-life experiences, and it is known that Lieutenant Yoon’s work inspired the character Ma Seokdo.

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