| A police officer conducts a breath test on a driver at a DUI checkpoint on a street at Seoul's Yeongdeungpo District, Saturday. Yonhap |
By Jun Ji-hye
Cases of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) appear to have increased after the government shifted its virus management policy to its "Living with COVID-19" plan Nov. 1, according to police, Sunday.
The policy shift, which lifted the limitations on hours of operation for restaurants and bars and eased private gathering bans, is aimed at gradually phasing out COVID-19 restrictions in an effort to return to normalcy.
Police said a total of 1,486 people were caught driving while intoxicated in the first four days after the policy shift was implemented. Among them, 1,102 had blood alcohol content levels high enough to have their drivers' licenses revoked, while the rest were within the range to have their licenses suspended.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, 23 drunk drivers were caught in Seoul's Yeongdeungpo and Songpa districts from 11 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency caught 94 drunk drivers in 105 areas of its jurisdiction from 9 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday.
The agency said the daily average number of drunk driving cases has been tallied at 92 since the government implemented the policy shift, up from the daily average of 67.4 from January to October.
The National Police Agency said police will enhance the crackdown on drunk driving as it braces for year-end and New Year's parties and gatherings that are expected to take place.
"Drunk driving is a grave crime that threatens the life and property of other people, thus we will enhance our crackdown," a representative of the agency said.