"Let's Have a Drink" The 'Retaliatory Drinking' That Came with With-Corona

Drunk Driving Crackdown Nationwide from 1st to 7th Results in '2844 Cases' Detected

Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] "It feels better to drink while meeting people in person."

With the phased return to normal life (With Corona) and eased social distancing, the traditional drinking culture of gathering together is spreading again. However, concerns are growing as incidents such as violations of quarantine guidelines and drunk driving are also increasing.

Since the implementation of With Corona on the 1st, some social distancing restrictions have been lifted, creating an atmosphere where people are eager to fully enjoy drinking after nearly two years of restraint. Some even refer to this as so-called "revenge drinking."

Accordingly, expectations for drinking have naturally increased. According to a survey conducted by Korea Research on behalf of the Addiction Forum from June 22 to 29 with 1,008 adults, 67.5% responded that if restaurant operating hours are extended, drinking for work or with acquaintances would increase (slightly increase 60.3%, significantly increase 7.2%).

Moreover, with the year-end and New Year season approaching, group gatherings such as company dinners are expected to continue, raising concerns. Office worker Lee (29) said, "These days, I have a string of drinking appointments. There are company dinners, and meetings that had been sparse due to COVID-19 are slowly being scheduled again."

The most immediate concern is the spread of COVID-19. It is difficult to strictly follow quarantine rules such as wearing masks while enjoying long hours of drinking in enclosed spaces.

Additionally, from the 8th, nighttime drinking in Hangang Park, which had been restricted, has resumed, allowing drinking throughout Hangang Park from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day, which was previously prohibited.

On the night of the 2nd, police officers from the Mapo Police Station conducted a drunk driving crackdown using a newly developed alcohol composite detector in the Yanghwa-ro area of Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Another issue raised is the spread of drunk driving due to increased drinking opportunities. In fact, cases of drunk driving detection have noticeably increased since the implementation of With Corona. According to the National Police Agency, from the 1st to the 7th, a nationwide crackdown on drunk driving resulted in 2,844 cases being detected. Among these, 753 cases were at the license suspension level, and the remaining 2,091 cases were at the cancellation level.

When the 2,844 cases detected over one week are averaged per day, it amounts to 406.3 cases, which is a 20.9% increase compared to last year's daily average of 321.2 cases. In particular, on Saturday the 6th, the number of cases detected in one day exceeded 500.

According to the Jeju Police Agency, during the first week of With Corona from the 1st to the 7th, a special drunk driving crackdown across Jeju resulted in a total of 59 people being caught.

Netizens have responded with comments such as "Drinking is fine, but drunk driving is a different matter," "They need to realize that this is a crime," and "It's all excuses; just have company dinners and take the subway home."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has designated November as "Alcohol Harm Prevention Month" and is promoting the "Turn the Glass Over" campaign to spread a culture of moderation.

Meanwhile, the police, anticipating an increase in drinking occasions during the year-end and New Year period with the implementation of With Corona, have been conducting intensive drunk driving crackdowns since the 1st. The crackdown will continue for three months until January 31 of next year.

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