At 10:52 p.m. on the 5th near Suyu Station in Gangbuk District, Seoul. People riding a motorcycle were caught by police conducting a DUI checkpoint. The driver wore a helmet, but the driver's younger sibling seated in the back did not.
The driver, a person surnamed Kim (21) who was doing a delivery part-time job, was found to be unlicensed. There was already a record of one prior police investigation for driving without a license. Kim muttered, "They don't usually run checkpoints here." Kim's younger sibling in the back also said, "You don't go to 'prison' for driving without a license anyway, so please wrap this up quickly."
As the Korean National Police Agency began year-end and New Year DUI enforcement, it launched a nationwide simultaneous checkpoint on the night of the 5th, the first Friday. December is the month with the most DUI crashes of the year. Among them, DUI crashes were frequent after 10 p.m. on Fridays. That is why police mounted a large-scale operation.
From 10 p.m. to midnight that day, we accompanied DUI checkpoints in three areas of Seoul. There were no drunk drivers. It is believed that many drivers tried to head home early because snow during the evening rush the previous day caused a commute meltdown.
Still, there were not few cases where the breathalyzer showed a red light. It means DUI was suspected. After rinsing the mouth with water and testing again, most changed to a green light. It was noted that breathalyzers often respond not only to alcohol but also to vitamin drinks or cold medicine.
Around 11 p.m. that day on the Riverside North Road near Jamsil Bridge in Gwangjin District, Seoul, driver Choi Se-hwan (54), flagged by a breathalyzer during a DUI checkpoint, also had a "windshield washer fluid" culprit. Choi said, "I didn't even touch alcohol, so I was startled," but added, "DUI enforcement during the year-end and New Year is natural, and if caught, I think there must be tough punishment."
In other DUI checkpoint zones, breathalyzers frequently went off because of windshield washer fluid. Sergeant Lee Byeong-heon of the Gangbuk Police Station traffic safety division said, "It seems there are about three to four times more cases than usual where breathalyzers go off due to windshield washer fluid," adding, "It seems to be because of the heavy snow."
Most drivers cooperated with breath tests, but some raised their voices when traffic slowed even a little. During a DUI checkpoint near Suyu Station, a taxi driver carrying two passengers shouted at police, saying, "Why are you making traffic jam up?"
Choi Woo-seong, team leader of the Gangbuk Police Station traffic safety division's external operations Team 2, said, "People who only protest verbally are yakgwa," adding, "Commercial vehicle drivers tend to be more sensitive to checkpoints."
Because they must also respond to other traffic police duties, they had to move if a crash occurred during DUI enforcement. Officers from the Dongjak Police Station began DUI checks at 9:50 p.m. that day in front of Noryangjin Fish Market in Dongjak District, Seoul. But they were dispatched to the scene 45 minutes later after word came in that debris had fallen on Olympic-daero.
Police will conduct special enforcement for two months through Jan. 31, 2026. They will hold a nationwide simultaneous checkpoint every Friday, and each city and provincial police agency will conduct coordinated crackdowns at least twice a week. By region, they will also conduct preventive enforcement against driving with a hangover or after a meal on morning commutes and at lunchtime.
Depending on blood alcohol concentration, drunk drivers face license revocation and demerit points as well as criminal punishment. With a blood alcohol concentration of 0.2% or higher, a person can face imprisonment of at least two years and up to five years or a fine of at least 10 million won and up to 20 million won. If a crash occurs while driving drunk, penalties are enhanced under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes for dangerous driving resulting in death or injury. In fatal crashes, a life sentence can be imposed.
An official at the Korean National Police Agency urged, "We hope there will be no drunk driving carried away by the festive mood of the year-end and New Year."