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Drinking soju in front of police to avoid breathalyzer test; 50-year-old woman arrested

Drinking soju in front of police to avoid breathalyzer test; 50-year-old woman arrested

From Dong-A Ilbo · (4h ago) Korean Critical tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A woman in South Korea was arrested for obstructing a police breathalyzer test by drinking more alcohol in front of officers.
  • The 50-year-old suspect allegedly drank soju after refusing the initial test, violating a law against "drinking to delay" sobriety checks.
  • Police are investigating the full circumstances of the incident.

In a bizarre turn of events, a 50-year-old woman in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, has been arrested for obstructing a police sobriety test in a manner that defies logic. The suspect, identified as Ms. A, was approached by police on suspicion of drunk driving. When asked to undergo a breathalyzer test, she refused, claiming she had returned home via a designated driver and had only started drinking after arriving at her residence.

In a move that stunned the officers, Ms. A then proceeded to pour and drink soju directly in front of them, apparently to thwart the accurate measurement of her blood alcohol content. This act of defiance falls under the newly amended Road Traffic Act, which specifically targets the "drinking to delay" tactic used to evade DUI charges. The law, revised in June of last year, aims to penalize such obstructive behavior.

Police have arrested Ms. A on the spot for violating the Road Traffic Act (obstruction of sobriety test) and are currently investigating the full details of the case. This incident highlights a peculiar method of evading law enforcement, showcasing a disregard for the legal process. From the perspective of Dong-A Ilbo, this story is not just about a DUI obstruction; it's a reflection of how individuals might attempt to circumvent the law in increasingly unusual ways. While Western media might focus on the drunk driving aspect, we find the specific tactic employed here particularly noteworthy and indicative of a certain audacity that warrants reporting. The police's firm action in applying the new law sends a clear message against such deliberate obstruction.

I returned home via a designated driver. I drank after I got home.

— Ms. AThe suspect's claim to police when asked to take a sobriety test.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.