Repeated Accidents in School Zones of Gumi and Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk ... Police Considering Applying the Minsik Act

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] Two months after the implementation of the so-called 'Minsik Law,' which imposes heavier penalties on negligent drivers in school zones (children protection zones), violations have recently been occurring repeatedly in the Gyeongbuk region.

The Gumi Police Station announced on the 27th that they have booked a woman driver in her 30s, A, without detention on suspicion of hitting and injuring an elementary school student in a school zone. On the 20th, A hit B, a 3rd grader at Jinpyeong Elementary School in Gumi City, who was crossing the crosswalk on a bicycle at an intersection without traffic lights in front of the school, with her passenger car. Fortunately, B is reported to have not sustained serious injuries.

The police have initially booked A and are reviewing whether to apply the 'Minsik Law.' If this case falls under the amended Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, it will be the first case of the 'Minsik Law' in the Gyeongbuk region.

Earlier, the day before, a female driver in Gyeongju was booked on suspicion of hitting a child with a bicycle in a school zone and causing injury.

C is suspected of hitting the rear part of a bicycle ridden by D (9 years old) with an SUV vehicle in the school zone of an elementary school in Dongcheon-dong, Gyeongju City, at around 1:38 p.m. on the 25th. D is receiving hospital treatment for an injury to the right leg.

The police believe that the driver caused the accident while chasing D, who had bullied her daughter playing in a nearby park and ran away,

and are analyzing nearby CCTV footage to determine whether to apply the Minsik Law.

Meanwhile, under the Minsik Law, if a driver causes an accident due to negligence in a children protection zone resulting in a child's death, they face imprisonment from 3 years to life. If the child is injured, the penalty ranges from 1 to 15 years imprisonment or a fine of 5 million to 30 million KRW.

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