Does South Korea have a drinking problem? Recent cases highlight ‘manly’ culture, need for alcohol law changes
- Among the cases were drunk drivers who fudged post-accident tests and an intoxicated surgeon who operated on a patient
- South Korea’s notorious drinking problem is exemplified by the hoesik culture in which employees are obliged to drink with their superiors
The incidents point to a need to plug legal loopholes on alcohol in a country known for drinking problems, according to observers.
The Supreme Court has pointed to cases in which drivers involved in suspected drink-driving car accidents dodged punishment by downing more alcohol and claiming they only drank to fight distress and this led to the crash involving them.
Nonetheless, the Supreme Court last week overturned a lower court decision and acquitted a man of a 2019 drink-driving charge, even though he was suspected of consuming more alcohol after a car crash in a bid to tamper with intoxication tests.
A lower court found him guilty of drink-driving and sentenced him to a suspended six-month jail sentence.
But an appellate court overturned the decision in favour of the defendant, stressing the need to properly calculate his breath-analysed blood alcohol content (BAC) level.
