Seoul Hyehwa Police Station said on the 3rd that it had sought an arrest warrant for a man in his 30s, identified as A, who crashed into a Japanese tourist mother and daughter while driving under the influence.
According to police, around 10 p.m. on the previous day, A is suspected of driving an electric car while intoxicated and hitting a Japanese mother and daughter who were crossing a crosswalk at the Heunginjimun intersection near Dongdaemun Station (violations of the Road Traffic Act for drunken driving and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes for dangerous driving resulting in death or injury). The mother, in her 50s, was taken to a hospital in cardiac arrest and later died. The daughter, in her 30s, suffered injuries to her knee and elsewhere and is being treated at a hospital.
The mother and daughter from Osaka, Japan, entered Korea on the previous day for a three-day, two-night trip, and it is said they were on their way to see the Naksan fortress trail after finishing shopping at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) when the incident occurred. The trip was reportedly prepared by the daughter in her 30s, who often visited Korea, as a "filial piety tour."
At the time of the crash, A's blood alcohol level was confirmed to be at or above the license revocation threshold (0.08%). A said to police that he drank three bottles of soju at a nearby restaurant and acknowledged all charges.
If prosecutors request an arrest warrant for A, a pretrial detention hearing (warrant review) is expected to be held as early as the afternoon of the 4th at the Seoul Central District Court. Police plan to detain A and further investigate the circumstances of the crash.