Police will launch a two-month special crackdown on drunk driving from Dec. 1 to Jan. 31, 2026.
According to the Korean National Police Agency on the 27th, from January to October this year there were 8,107 drunk driving crashes, and 76 people died. Compared with the same period last year, the numbers fell by 11% (999 cases) and 36.7% (44 people), respectively. Police said the decline was due to the special crackdown on drunk driving and penalties for obstructing breath tests, known as "sul-tagi."
The Korean National Police Agency judged that awareness of the dangers of drunk driving could loosen amid the year-end and New Year party season and decided to conduct a special crackdown.
There will be simultaneous nationwide crackdowns every Friday, and each city and provincial police agency will carry out coordinated crackdowns at least twice a week. By region, police will also conduct checks to prevent driving under the influence from hangovers or alcohol consumed with lunch during commuting hours and lunchtime. Police plan to keep moving the checkpoints.