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Victim’s father urges stern punishment to DUI offender

Victim’s father urges stern punishment to DUI offender

Posted December. 08, 2018 07:38,   

Updated December. 08, 2018 07:38

한국어

There was a moment of silence when the defendant, Park (26) who had overrun and killed Yoon Chang-ho while driving his BMW car completely intoxicated, entered the courtroom at the Busan District Court at 11:00 on Friday. It was the day of the first hearing against Park. Clad in jade green prison uniform, Park was sitting crouched but he was a young tall healthy man. He looked around the entire spectator’s stand, and sat in the defendant’s seat, before lowering his head.

Yoon’s parents looked emotional and sad, sitting at the public gallery in the court just 2 meters away from Park. The mother, Choi Eun-hee (50), watched Park looking as if she would instantly burst into tears and close her eyes like praying during the trial. The father, Yoon Ki-hyeon (53), took a serene expression‎, but frowned his face the moment Park entered the courthouse.

Prior to the hearing, Yoon’s friends held a press conference and urged the court to hand a severe punishment to Park. “Until a severe punishment is actually handed by the court to the person indicted for drunk driving, the victim only continues to suffer deep pain,” said Lee Yeong-gwang (22), a friend of the late Park. “Please give a stern punishment to the perpetrator, who failed to display a hint of sincerity and was only interested in resolving the case.” He went on to say, “We expect that the court will make a wise judgment so that this case will be the first example of stern punishment of drunk drivers.”

At the trial, which was held at the Criminal Court 4 at the Busan District Court’s Eastern Branch, Park only looked at the floor and the tip of his hands repeatedly. Park admitted all the charges against him including accidental killing due to dangerous driving under the Act on Severe Punishment for Certain Crimes.


Ji-Sun Choi aurinko@donga.com