Court Sentences 30s to 1 Year 6 Months Imprisonment in First Custodial Prosecution Since Enforcement of ‘Minsik Law’

Girlfriend Fined for Attempted 'Driver Swap'
First Prosecution Case under Minsik Law Enforced in March

A traffic safety sign for a children's protection zone installed in front of an elementary school in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] A 30-year-old driver was sentenced to prison for the first time since the enactment of the amended Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, known as the ‘Min-sik Law,’ which strengthens penalties for drivers causing injury or death in children protection zones (school zones).

On the 11th, the Criminal Division 1 of Bucheon Branch, Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Im Hae-ji) sentenced A (39), who was detained and prosecuted on charges including injury in a children protection zone under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, to 1 year and 6 months in prison.

The court stated, “If the defendant had not violated the speed limit in the children protection zone, the accident could have been prevented or would have been only a minor contact accident.”

It added, “The defendant concealed the crime by pretending that his girlfriend was driving until revealed by CCTV footage, did not sincerely reflect on his actions as he made no effort to compensate the victim, and has a prior record of fines for unlicensed driving and drunk driving,” explaining the reasons for sentencing.

The court also sentenced his girlfriend B (26), who was prosecuted without detention on charges of attempting to switch drivers during the accident (obstruction of justice), to a fine of 5 million won.

Earlier, at the sentencing hearing held on the 12th of last month, the prosecution requested 2 years imprisonment for A and a fine of 5 million won for B.

A was detained and prosecuted on charges of hitting and injuring C (7), who was crossing a crosswalk near an elementary school in Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province, while driving a BMW passenger car at 7:06 p.m. on April 6 this year.

At the time, A’s license was suspended due to drunk driving, and investigations revealed that he was driving at a speed exceeding the school zone limit (30 km/h), at over 40 km/h.

The Min-sik Law, named after Kim Min-sik (who was 9 years old at the time of death), who died in a traffic accident in front of an elementary school in Asan, Chungnam, last September, refers collectively to the amended Road Traffic Act and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, and has been in effect since March.

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