A Japanese tourist in her 50s was hit and killed on Sunday in Seoul by a car driven by a drunk driver.
The incident occurred at around 10 p.m. in Jongno-gu near Dongdaemun Station. The suspect, a man in his 30s, hit the woman and her daughter as they were about to cross the street.
The daughter escaped with minor injuries, but the mother was injured fatally. She was taken to a nearby hospital, but died despite medical treatment.
The suspect was arrested and is currently under investigation by officials at Seoul Hyehwa Police Station for drunk driving and causing death and injury due to dangerous driving. His blood alcohol content was high enough for his license to be revoked, according to reports.
South Korea is one of the most popular destinations for Japanese tourists. According to the JTB Tourism Research and Consulting Co., South Korea received 378,852 visitors from Japan in August, which was more than any other travel destination.
Korea has seen a significant decrease in both traffic fatalities and drunk driving deaths, with a record-low 2,521 deaths due to road accidents in 2023. But 920 pedestrians were killed by vehicles in that year, marking an increase of 3.8 percent compared to 2022, and 138 people died as a direct result of drunk driving.
Injuring a person by driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is punishable by at least one year and up to 15 years in prison, and from three years to life in prison if the crash results in death.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
