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From the 30th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency began a special crackdown on electric kickboards (PM) and similar devices. Those caught near Konkuk University Intersection in Gwangjin-gu were all using shared PMs without wearing helmets.
Photo by Oh Gyumin

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] "The breathalyzer isn't working well. Keep blowing until I say stop. More, more, more, more."

At around 11:31 PM on the 30th at Konkuk University Intersection in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Mr. A (23) was caught by police while riding an electric scooter toward Konkuk University Station after drinking with friends near Seongsu Station. The police initially stopped Mr. A for not wearing a helmet, but when asked about drinking, he admitted, "I drank." The police then attempted a breathalyzer test, inserting a white stick into the device and urging him to blow hard. Eventually, Mr. A’s blood alcohol concentration was measured at 0.076%, resulting in a license suspension and a fine of 100,000 KRW. He left the scooter and headed home, saying, "I only had one glass of beer with chicken..."

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency began a special crackdown on so-called ‘two-wheel vehicles’ such as electric scooters, bicycles, and motorcycles for two months starting from the 30th. From 10 PM to midnight, the Gwangjin Police Station conducted a special crackdown on drunk driving and ‘two-wheel vehicles’ around Jayang Intersection and Konkuk University Intersection in Gwangjin-gu.

Most of those caught in the crackdown were electric scooter users. From around 11 PM for one hour, 10 cases were detected, with electric scooters accounting for 6 cases?the highest number. Among these 6 cases, 2 were for drunk driving and 2 for not wearing helmets. During the two-day special crackdown across Seoul on the 30th and 31st, a total of 186 cases were detected. Cases involving electric scooters and motorcycles, including drunk driving, accounted for 164 cases, about 88% of the total.

From the 30th, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency began a special crackdown on electric kickboards (PM) and similar devices. Those caught near Konkuk University Intersection in Gwangjin-gu were all using shared PMs without wearing helmets.
Photo by Oh Gyumin

All those caught at Konkuk University Intersection were using electric scooters without helmets. Mr. B (25), who said he just stepped out briefly in front of his house, said upon being caught, "I didn’t know I had to wear a helmet." Even after the crackdown ended at 11:50 PM, for 20 minutes, there were 3 violation cases observed, including riding without helmets and two people riding together.

Ryu Jinki, head of the Traffic Safety Division at Gwangjin Police Station, said, "Electric scooters are not allowed on sidewalks, but since riding on sidewalks is safer than on roads, if riders wear helmets, many cases are just given warnings." Mr. Kim (26), who commutes on foot, said, "I thought bicycles were dangerous, but electric scooters pass by even faster on sidewalks, which is quite scary," adding, "From a pedestrian’s perspective, we just have to be more careful."

Professor Park Muhyuk of the Road Traffic Authority said, "Helmets need to be rented as a ‘set’ with electric scooters," and added, "Electric scooters are legally classified as ‘bicycles, etc.,’ which is ambiguous, so the law needs to be revised and the legal obligations of shared scooter companies should be strengthened."

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