Man in His 30s Arrested for Drunk Driving After Hitting Japanese Mother and Daughter Tourists

Court: "Flight Risk"

A man in his 30s has been arrested after driving under the influence and hitting a Japanese mother and daughter who were visiting South Korea, resulting in the death of the mother in her 50s.

Seo Mo, a drunk driver who struck a Japanese mother and daughter in downtown Seoul, causing the death of the mother in her 50s, appeared at the pre-trial detention hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News

On November 5, Judge Jeong Jaeuk, who is in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, issued an arrest warrant for Seo, who is suspected of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act and causing death or injury by dangerous driving under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

The court explained that Seo was considered a flight risk.

Seo is accused of driving his car for about 1 kilometer while intoxicated at around 10 p.m. on November 2, then veering onto the sidewalk at Heunginjimun Intersection near Dongdaemun Station in Jongno-gu and striking the Japanese mother and daughter.

Seo reportedly drank about three bottles of soju before the incident. His blood alcohol concentration measured after the incident exceeded the license revocation threshold of 0.08%.

As a result of the accident, the Japanese mother in her 50s was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest but ultimately died.

The daughter, a woman in her 30s, suffered a fractured knee and a laceration on her forehead.

The two women were reportedly on their way to explore Naksan Fortress Trail in Jongno-gu after shopping at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) when the accident occurred.

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