Man in His 20s Uses "Drinking Trick" at Convenience Store... First Application of Kim Hojoong Prevention Act in Gwangju

Obstructing Breathalyzer Test by Drinking Beer
Drunk Driving from Seo-gu to Buk-gu

Front view of Gwangju Bukbu Police Station.

A man in his 20s who employed the so-called "drinking trick"—consuming more alcohol in front of police after receiving a report of suspected drunk driving—has been booked by police for violating the revised Road Traffic Act.

On March 18, Gwangju Bukbu Police Station announced that it has booked Mr. A (in his 20s) without detention on charges including violating the Road Traffic Act (obstruction of a breathalyzer test), and is currently investigating the case.

Mr. A is suspected of deliberately interfering with a police breathalyzer test after driving his own car from Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu to the Yongbong-dong area in Buk-gu, Gwangju, at around 7:12 a.m. on March 15.

According to the investigation, after police responded to a citizen's report that "a person who has been drinking is driving," Mr. A entered a nearby convenience store and purchased a 500ml can of beer, which he drank. This is a typical form of the "drinking trick," a method intended to create confusion about the timing of alcohol consumption and the breathalyzer test in order to evade punishment for drunk driving.

Mr. A's blood alcohol level at the scene was found to be at the license suspension threshold. Police noted his gait and the smell of alcohol, confirming the suspicion of drunk driving; however, as his intentional interference with the test was clear, they charged him with obstruction of a breathalyzer test.

According to the so-called "Kim Hojoong Prevention Act," which has been in effect since June of last year, consuming additional alcohol for the purpose of hindering a breathalyzer test is punishable by imprisonment for at least one year and up to five years, or a fine between 5 million KRW and 20 million KRW. This is the first time the Bukbu Police Station has applied this law in a case.

The police stated, "Mr. A is currently denying the drunk driving allegations," adding, "We plan to investigate the exact details of the crime based on the convenience store CCTV footage and citizen reports."

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