Unlicensed high schoolers crash car that they bought on secondhand marketplace Karrot
Published: 15 Apr. 2026, 15:00
![The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency building [BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/04/15/8f85f197-6044-467a-bf8f-fe33da40bb16.jpg)
The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency building [BUSAN METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]
A group of unlicensed high school students crashed a car that they bought through the secondhand marketplace app Karrot, police said on Wednesday.
A midsize sedan slammed into a roadside tree in Geumjeong District, Busan, at around 3:30 a.m. on March 7 while attempting to change lanes, reported the Busan Geumjeong Police Precinct.
The driver at the time of the incident was identified as a high school student, and his three friends were in the car with him. The group had taken turns driving the car throughout the day.
According to the police, the students were driving at high speeds, running red lights and weaving across lanes.
They were also reportedly racing against others who were driving motorcycles or their parents’ cars. The crash is believed to have occurred during one of those races.
![A user scrolls through Karrot app on their smartphone. [KARROT]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/04/15/c535fb6e-25f4-45ab-8f80-50bec5ab12a4.jpg)
A user scrolls through Karrot app on their smartphone. [KARROT]
Police found that the vehicle had been purchased on Karrot for 3.5 million won ($2,380) in February.
The students took advantage of the platform’s lack of identity verification requirements, such as proof of a driver’s license.
Police are investigating the exact circumstances of 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 CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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