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Prosecutors seek 10 years for drunk driver who killed two

Published: 24 Sep. 2025, 17:19 Updated: 24 Sep. 2025, 20:09

The scene of a crash in Namdong District, Incheon on May 8, where a Mercedes-Benz sedan driven by a drunk driver collides with an oncoming SUV. [INCHEON FIRE SERVICES]

Prosecutors demanded a 10-year prison sentence on Wednesday for a 24-year-old suspect accused of killing two people, including a mother on her way to meet her soldier son, in a drunk driving crash in Incheon in May.

During closing arguments at the Incheon District Court, prosecutors requested a 10-year prison sentence on charges including dangerous driving resulting in death under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. They also sought a one-year term for a 24-year-old acquaintance who handed over the car keys, charging them with aiding and abetting drunk driving.

“Two people died in this crime and property damage was also significant, making the case extremely serious,” prosecutors said. “We also considered that the passenger provided the car that the driver used.”

The driver’s attorney argued that the suspect “acted recklessly while intoxicated but admitted the crimes and expressed remorse,” adding that they promised not to reoffend and had reached partial settlements with some victims.

“I want to apologize to the victims and their families for my wrong actions,” the driver said in their final statement. “I will work to make amends and never drink and drive again.”

The crash took place on the morning of May 8, when the driver allegedly took a Mercedes-Benz sedan onto a road in Namdong District, Incheon while intoxicated. The suspect then collided head-on with an SUV, killing a male passenger in his 20s and the SUV driver, a woman in her 60s who was later identified as the mother of a soldier.

Three other passengers in the Mercedes-Benz sedan, all in their 20s, were also injured. The acquaintance who gave the suspect the keys was one of those passengers and now faces trial for enabling drunk driving.

Investigators said the woman killed in the SUV was heading to a military base that morning to pick up her son.

At the time of the accident, the driver was already under license suspension for a prior drunk driving offense. The suspect drove without a license with a blood-alcohol level of 0.136 percent.

Police said the driver was traveling at 135.7 kilometers per hour (84 miles per hour) in a 50-kilometer zone when they went the wrong way and caused the crash.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]