Appeal rejected: 1 year 6 months for driver who dragged police officer 200m
In short
A South Korean appeals court upheld a 1 year 6 month prison sentence for a 53-year-old driver who dragged a police officer on his car for more than 200m during a drunk-driving stop in Jeonju. The Gwangju High Court's Jeonju bench dismissed appeals by both the driver and prosecutors on Oct 7. The officer was injured when he fell from the moving car.
Read the full story 2 min read
A South Korean appeals court upheld a 1 year 6 month prison sentence for a 53-year-old driver who dragged a police officer on his car during a drunk-driving stop in Jeonju, the Gwangju High Court's Jeonju bench said on Oct 7. The court dismissed appeals filed by both the driver and prosecutors, keeping the original sentence in place. [ 1 , 2 , 5 ]
According to Yonhap, the incident happened on Jan 26 last year at around 20:20 on a road in Hyoja-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju. The driver was behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz while heavily intoxicated, above the level at which a licence is cancelled. When an officer on drunk-driving duty held the car door, the driver kept going with the officer attached to the vehicle for more than 200m, reaching a top speed of about 74 km/h. The officer fell to the road in the resulting crash and injured his arms and legs. [ 1 , 5 ]
The Dong-A Ilbo summary adds that the driver drove off after ignoring police orders to get out of the car when a breath detector signalled alcohol, and that he tried to reverse and hit a stopped vehicle as he fled. Yonhap describes the collision as occurring during the escape. The two accounts differ on how that second collision happened. [ 1 , 5 ]
The appeal court noted that a passenger repeatedly shouted at the driver to stop and that the officer also demanded he pull over, but that the driver kept driving while swearing, Yonhap reported. The court said the offence put the officer's life and body at serious risk. [ 1 ]
The driver argued in the appeal that he had reached an amicable settlement with the victim and asked for this to be treated as a mitigating factor. The court said that, given his record of three previous punishments for drunk driving, the original sentence did not appear too heavy, and rejected the appeal. [ 1 ]
He was charged with special obstruction of official duties resulting in injury, violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Settlement of Traffic Accidents, and drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act, according to the Dong-A Ilbo summary. [ 5 ]
Why it matters
The ruling closes the appeals stage in a case that put the risk faced by traffic police during drunk-driving stops on record in the courts. Because the sentence was upheld on the basis of the driver's prior record as well as the offence itself, it shows courts treating repeat drunk driving as an aggravating factor. The case remains a local criminal matter with limited relevance beyond South Korea.
Key facts
- The Gwangju High Court's Jeonju bench upheld a sentence of 1 year 6 months in prison for a 53-year-old driver. [ 1 , 5 ]
- The court dismissed appeals filed by both the driver and prosecutors. [ 1 , 5 ]
- The driver was convicted of dragging a police officer on his car for more than 200m during a drunk-driving stop. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The incident took place on Jan 26 last year at around 20:20 in Hyoja-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju. [ 1 , 5 ]
- The court said the car reached a top speed of about 74 km/h. [ 1 , 5 ]
- The officer fell to the road and injured his arms and legs. [ 1 ]
- The court cited three previous drunk-driving convictions in rejecting the driver's argument that his sentence was too heavy. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The appeals court upheld the 1 year 6 month prison sentence and dismissed both sides' appeals. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The driver dragged the police officer on his car for more than 200m during a drunk-driving stop. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The driver was in his 50s. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
- The vehicle involved was a Mercedes-Benz. [ 1 , 4 ]
- The sentence was issued by the Gwangju High Court's Jeonju bench, Criminal Division 1, presided over by Judge Jung Moon-kyung. [ 1 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- How the driver came to hit another vehicle during the escape. Yonhap says he struck another vehicle while fleeing, while the Dong-A Ilbo summary says he tried to reverse and hit a stopped vehicle; the two accounts differ on the sequence.
- The exact injuries and current condition of the police officer. Yonhap reports injuries to his arms and legs; no other document gives details, and there is no follow-up on his condition.
- Whether the driver and the victim reached a settlement. The court referred to the driver's claim that he had reached an amicable settlement with the victim in the appeal, but the documents do not say whether that claim was accepted or verified.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The driver, drunk above the licence-cancellation level, drags a police officer on his car for more than 200m in Hyoja-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju, and the officer is injured. [ 1 , 5 ]
- Yonhap reports the appeals court upheld the 1 year 6 month sentence. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reports the same outcome under a matching headline. [ 2 ]
- Seoul Shinmun issues a flash headline on the upheld sentence. [ 4 ]
- The Dong-A Ilbo summarises the ruling and the incident details. [ 5 ]