On September 11th, it was reported that the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office’s Criminal Division 2 (Chief Prosecutor Choo Hye-yoon) summarily indicted Suga, who was suspected of drunk driving, with a fine of 15 million won the previous day.
Summary prosecution is a procedure in which the prosecution asks the court to impose fines and confiscation in a summary order without a formal trial if the charges are relatively light.
According to the penalty clause under the Road Traffic Act, drunk drivers with blood alcohol levels of 0.03% or more and less than 0.08% will be punished by imprisonment for up to one year or fines of up to 5 million won, and those with 0.08% or less than 0.2% will be punished by imprisonment for up to two years or fines of up to 10 million won.
Sugar was found to have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.227% at the time of detection and was fined heavily for exceeding the maximum standard.
Many in the legal practitioner community say that the fine of 15 million won (18,400 U.S. dollars) is the maximum amount that a first-time offender can receive. “The summary indictment fine of 15 million won is the maximum amount for a first-time offender,” said lawyer Noh Jong-eon. “It seems to be a warning against drunk driving.”
Suga was charged with driving an electric scooter while drunk on the street in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, at 11:15 p.m. on June 6. The blood alcohol level of Suga was 0.227 percent, which exceeds the criteria for revocation of his license (0.08%).
In his first apology, Suga said he had “drunked about a glass of beer,” but criticism grew as his actual blood alcohol level was revealed. He also made excuses and explanations on how the accident occurred, and he described the “electric scooter” as an “electric kickboard,” sparking suspicions of him lying.
Seventeen days after the accident, Suga appeared at the police on the 23rd of last month and admitted to the charges. “I will try not to misbehave again and live with repentance,” Suga said. “I will receive criticism and reprimand as well as future punishments.”
