Strengthening July Drunk Driving Education Hours: "Let's Listen in Advance"... Citizens Flock

Over 50 Waiting at Transport Corporation
Drunk Driving Education Strengthened from Next Month
Up to 3 Times Expansion Draws Citizens
20% Increase in Participants Compared to Before

Around 9 a.m. on the 7th, many citizens whose licenses were canceled or suspended due to drunk driving visited the Seoul Branch of the Road Traffic Authority in Yeomgok-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul to receive special traffic safety education.
Photo by Oh Gyumin

"Although the education time is short, I agree with strengthening the training. It's important to change people's mindset so that they never (drink and drive) again."

At 9 a.m. on the 7th, at the Seoul branch of the Korea Road Traffic Authority located in Yeomgok-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. It was the first day of June for special traffic safety education for citizens whose licenses were canceled or suspended due to drunk driving. About 50 people who had taken a number ticket were waiting in the reception area on the first floor. The education participants, who each presented their ID and paid the tuition fee, took the elevator located on the left side of the reception area and headed to their respective classrooms.

Five minutes before the lecture started, the fourth-floor classroom for first-time drunk driving offenders, which has a capacity of 120 people, was already about 70% full. The classroom for second-time offenders also had about 50 people seated. At 9:30 a.m., the classroom door closed, and the instructor introduced the schedule, saying, "Today's education will continue until 4:30 p.m." Four participants who were late for registration hurriedly entered the classroom through the back door, saying they were "late."

A Korea Road Traffic Authority official said, "Some citizens were a little late due to the long waiting time at the reception," adding, "Compared to before, the number of participants seems to have increased by about 20%."

The National Police Agency and the Korea Road Traffic Authority decided to expand the mandatory education time for citizens whose licenses were canceled or suspended due to drunk driving by up to three times starting in July. Upon hearing this news, more people are trying to complete the education before July.

On the afternoon of the 7th, among the two locations of the Korea Road Traffic Authority's Seoul Gangnam and Gangbuk Education Centers, the Gangnam center's courses for second and third-time drunk driving offenders were fully booked. Photo by Korea Road Traffic Authority website.

On the afternoon of the 7th, checking the special traffic safety education reservation status on the Korea Road Traffic Authority website, among the two education centers in Gangnam and Gangbuk, Seoul, the Gangnam center was fully booked for education targeting second- and third-time drunk driving offenders. Reservations for first-time offenders were also unavailable except for two days in the middle of the 11th. Park (34), who took the education in May, heard about this through an online cafe related to drunk driving. He said, "Since I work in sales, driving is essential, so I wanted to complete the education as quickly as possible."

Most participants agreed with the extension of education time. Kang (43), who attended the education for second-time offenders, said, "My disqualification period (license re-acquisition restriction period) ends this month. The timing was good," adding, "I plan never to drink and drive again after today's education. If the education time increases, more people will have this mindset." Choi (28), a victim of a drunk driving accident, said, "Strengthening education is essential, and preventing people from obtaining a license altogether would also help prevent drunk driving."

Professor Park Muhyeok of the Korea Road Traffic Authority said, "Punishment alone cannot increase the guilt or shame of habitual drunk drivers," adding, "Education must be strengthened so that people can feel that drunk driving is a 'crime.'"

Meanwhile, the National Police Agency announced that starting July 1, mandatory drunk driving education will be increased to 12 hours for first-time offenders within the last five years, 16 hours for second-time offenders, and 48 hours for third-time offenders. The education days are limited to 4 hours per day, so first-time offenders must attend for 3 days, second-time offenders for 4 days, and third-time offenders for 12 days. The police stated that this measure is to prevent recidivism, as the drunk driving recidivism rate (the proportion of those caught two or more times among all drunk driving offenders) increased from 44.2% in 2017 to 45% last year.

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