The Korea Herald

피터빈트

Delivery workers demand strong penalty for drunk driving DJ

By Yoon Min-sik

Published : Feb. 14, 2024 - 12:16

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Members of the labor union of delivery workers head to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul on Tuesday to submit petitions demanding the punishment for a DJ, who killed a delivery worker while driving under the influence of alcohol on Feb. 3. (Yonhap) Members of the labor union of delivery workers head to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul on Tuesday to submit petitions demanding the punishment for a DJ, who killed a delivery worker while driving under the influence of alcohol on Feb. 3. (Yonhap)

South Korean delivery workers on Tuesday submitted a joint petition to the local police demanding punishment for a 20-something DJ, who killed a 54-year-old delivery man when she was driving while drunk.

The delivery workers' union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said a petition signed by 1,500 people had been submitted to Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, calling for a thorough investigation.

"For delivery workers, the road is our place of work. And drunk drivers are essentially like those rampaging at the workplace with a dangerous weapon," the group said in a press conference held in front of the prosecutors office. "Throughout the (legal) process, we will make sure the perpetrator is punished accordingly. We will do all that we can to ensure that drunk driving is rooted out."

The DJ hit the victim with her vehicle on Feb. 3 while driving under the influence of alcohol, and is currently being investigated on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The victim died despite receiving emergency medical treatment at a nearby hospital.

Police investigation found that the DJ had a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent, enough to have her license revoked. The circumstances in the aftermath of the accident, revealed by eyewitnesses, sparked nationwide fury, as it was revealed that she refused to comply with police officers.

The delivery workers' union also announced the results of a survey on its members, conducted during the Lunar New Year holidays. It showed that some 30 percent of the delivery workers had been either been hit by a drunk driver or had heard of such accident from fellow workers.