A drunk driver plowed onto the sidewalk in Hongdae and struck foreign tourists.
At about 7:10 p.m. on the 23rd, near Exit 4 of Hongik Univ. Station in Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, a white sport utility vehicle (SUV) driven by a man in his 50s sped onto the sidewalk and hit four pedestrians.
According to police and fire authorities, four pedestrians walking along the street were injured in the crash. Among them were two Japanese women visiting Korea as tourists. In particular, one Japanese woman suffered serious injuries, including a leg pinned under the vehicle, and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Another Japanese woman who was with her received first aid at the scene. The other two victims, a Korean man and woman, also suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital.
Police arrested the driver, a man in his 50s, at the scene on suspicion of drunk driving. A breath test found the man's blood alcohol level was high enough for license revocation. Police are investigating the exact circumstances of the crash, including whether the accelerator pedal was mistakenly pressed.
Recently in Korea, traffic accidents involving foreign tourists have continued. In Nov. last year, near Dongdaemun Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul, a Japanese mother and daughter crossing a crosswalk were struck by a drunk driver, killing the mother in her 50s. In Oct. last year in Yongsan, a taxi carrying a Japanese family on a trip crashed while speeding, and a 9-month-old baby died.