Kim Ho-jung Instagram
“[Herald Economy=Reporter Jang Yeon-joo] Recently, cases of individuals like trot singer Kim Ho-jung evading the law and fleeing after being caught drunk driving are on the rise. A trend of drunk driving relief cafes providing administrative remedies such as license suspension after drunk driving is gaining popularity. Members of these cafes share ‘tips’ on how to avoid drunk driving charges and even provide various sentencing materials, raising concerns that it could encourage drunk driving.”
Last January, netizen A posted a message saying, “After having my license revoked twice in 2009 and 2017, I was fortunate to receive a no-charge penalty earlier this year for drunk driving. Thanks to OO Cafe.” This review was posted on an online cafe known as a ‘drunk driving relief cafe.’
He continued, “As advised by the administrative consultant running the cafe, I emphasized ‘blood alcohol concentration peak time (alcohol concentration peaks within 30-90 minutes after drinking and decreases by an average of 0.015% per hour) in the sentencing material,” even going as far as to publicly disclose the ‘result notification’ for the penalty.
With a current membership of over 80,000 individuals, the drunk driving relief cafe has become popular, as over 30 posts requesting relief for drunk driving have been made within a month.
These online cafes are mostly operated by administrative agents who provide professional sentencing materials not only for drunk driving but also for DUI, driving without a license, hit-and-runs, and other traffic crimes.
There are also posts explaining how to prevent official documents from being delivered to one’s home after being caught drunk driving.
One cafe even lists the necessary materials and legal principles for license relief based on occupation. For example, for business employees, they advise using business trips as a reason for needing a license, and for corporate executives who lack a driver, they suggest arguing the need for a license for their livelihood.
Despite the popularity of these online cafes, drunk driving remains a persistent issue, with some netizens reacting positively to A’s post by saying “I envy you” or “Congratulations,” while others criticize the cafes, saying, “Online cafes that share information on how to avoid drunk driving should be shut down,” “People who join such cafes are openly admitting to continuing drunk driving,” and “It’s nothing more than a gathering of criminals.”