Drunk driver who fell asleep at red light fined W13m

A person in their 30s who drove while heavily intoxicated and fell asleep at a red light has been handed a fine — a repeat offense committed while already under a previous summary order for the same charge.

The Changwon District Court's Criminal Division 3 Judge Park Ki-ju sentenced the suspect, identified only as A, to a fine of 13 million won ($9,690) on charges of drunk driving under the Road Traffic Act.

A is accused of driving approximately 4 kilometers while intoxicated in Uichang-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, at around 2:11 a.m. on June 5. A's blood alcohol concentration was measured at 0.163 percent, and the suspect was found to have fallen asleep while waiting at a traffic signal.

Investigators found that A had previously received a summary order of 1 million won from the Masan Branch of Changwon District Court in September 2016 on the same charge, making this a repeat offense.

The court had initially issued a summary order of 13 million won for the latest offense, but A contested it and requested a formal trial.

"Considering that the defendant fell asleep on the road during the offense, significantly obstructing the normal flow of traffic and posing a considerable risk of causing an accident, along with the very high blood alcohol level and a prior conviction for drunk driving, the fine set in the summary order is deemed appropriate," the court said.