As 2018 winds down, and people gather to celebrate the end of this year and the beginning of next, police are out in force looking for drunk drivers. Joseph Kim reports.

[slug]
Yeon-dong, Jeju City

Traffic is always heavy near the (신제주) Shin Jeju Rotary.

Police are checking for drunk drivers.

In less than 10 minutes, a drunk driver in their twenties is caught.

Recording
Police officer
Blow it one more time. More, more. Ok, done.
<싱크 : 경찰>
"한번 더 해봅니다. 더더더더더. 됐습니다."

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Blood alcohol content 0.069%, license suspended

The driver stammers out an excuse that he had only two glasses of beer.

But the blood alcohol concentration is 0.069 which is subject to a suspension of his(her) driver’s licence.

He(she) had a police record of drunk driving. He(she) cannot avoid punishment.

Recording
Police officer
A driver didn't come? (No, he didn't.) Because your house is nearby?
<싱크 : 음주단속 경찰>
"대리가 안왔어요? (네. 대리가 안와서...) 집이 가까워서?"

[slug]
Iho-dong, Jeju City

This is another busy road in Jeju City.

A chauffeur on duty was caught for drunk driving.

Recording
Police officer
Blow more, more, more.
<싱크 : 음주단속 경찰>
"부세요. 더더더더더"

He said he had a bottle of soju after working late into the night.

His blood alcohol concentration registers at 0.040 percent.

He narrowly avoided the suspension of his driver’s license as 0.05 percent is the level that triggers suspension.

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DUI crackdown through end of January

Police have begun a three-month crackdown on drunk driving during the year-end and the new year season until next January.

In particular, they will run checkpoints every Friday night in popular drinking areas, such as those near restaurants and parks, and they will be changing their location every 20 to 30 minutes.

And the crackdown is expanded to daytime.

INTERVIEW
Police officer
The 3-month crackdown aims to root out drunk driving during the party season at the end of this year and the beginning of next. We want to reduce car accidents by focusing on repeat offenders.
<인터뷰 : 경찰>
"연말연시를 앞두고 내년 1월말까지 3개월간 음주운전 집중 단속을 통해 사전에 음주운전 분위기를 근절하고 특히 재범 의지를 차단해 음주운전 교통사고를 줄이는데 목적이 있습니다."

Police also plan to give violators harsher criminal punishments as well as take stricter administrative measures regarding their driving licenses.

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Strengthened criteria for punishment

They are lowering the level of blood alcohol subject to punishments from 0.05 percent to 0.03 percent by amending the Road Traffic Act.

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License revoked with 2nd violation

If the Act is revised as proposed, when a driver is caught twice for driving under the influence, his or her driver’s license will be revoked.

About 5,000 drivers are caught driving under the influence every year in Jeju.

[Reporter] Joseph Kim
[Camera] Kim Seung-cheol

For the past three years, 1,800 people were injured and 20 lost their lives from drunk driving.

Joseph Kim, KCTV